# Charles Knevitt

Charles Knevitt (10 August 1952 in Dayton, Ohio, USA – 14 March 2016) was a British journalist (parents from the UK), author, broadcaster, curator and playwright, and former Architecture Correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph (1980–84) and The Times (1984–91). In 2016 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA for his contribution to architecture.
In 1975 he coined the term 'community architecture' in an article in Building Design, and later wrote the definitive book on the subject for Penguin, with co-author Nick Wates (1987); it was reissued in the Routledge Revivals series (2013).
As Director of the RIBA Trust (2004–11) he was responsible for bringing the first major exhibition on Le Corbusier in a generation to Liverpool and London; and loaned original work by Palladio in the RIBA Drawings Collection to touring exhibitions in Europe and the US.
In 2012–13 he performed his one-man show, 'Le Corbusier's Women', in London and New York. In 2008 Knevitt was named by Design Week as one of the 'Hot 50' making a difference in design.

## Television

In the mid-1980s he popularised coverage of contemporary architecture on television with the ‘Our London’ viewers’ poll of modern buildings for Thames Television (1984), to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Institute of British Architects and its Festival of Architecture. The following year (1985) he was consultant on the six-part Anglia Television series for Channel 4, ‘Space on Earth’ and wrote the accompanying book. In 1987 he was the writer and presenter of an award-winning Granada Television programme in its 'New North' series.

## Books

He was the author/editor of 12 books. Among them is the Top 20 best-seller, One's Life (1988); Perspectives,(1986); and Shelter,(1994; US edition 1996). The last of these raised more than £100,000 for Shelter – The National Campaign for Homeless People.

## RIBA Trust
### Director of the RIBA Trust

Between 2004 and 2011 he was Director of the RIBA Trust, managing the cultural assets and delivering the public outreach programme of the Royal Institute of British Architects. The Trust included the British Architectural Library, more than four million items based at the RIBA and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A); the permanent Architecture Gallery at the V&A; the annual RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture, broadcast live on Channel 4 and later BBC2, with Kevin McCloud; the Royal Gold Medal and Honorary Fellowships; exhibitions; talks; and development.

### Le Corbusier Exhibition and season

He was UK Director of the Vitra Design Museum travelling exhibition, 'Le Corbusier – The Art of Architecture' and season in Venice (Biennale), Liverpool (European Capital of Culture) and London (V&A, Barbican Art Gallery, RIBA and the Architectural Association), 2008–09.

### Palladio Touring Exhibitions

There were also two touring Palladio exhibitions, based on original work in the RIBA Drawings Collection, in Europe (with the Royal Academy) and the USA.

## Other exhibitions

He curated several exhibitions in London, most recently 'Lifelines' at the European Commission's 12 Star Gallery (2012), with Emma Flynn and Cassandra Tsolakis; and in Malta, 'Richard England – Architect and Artist' for the Bank of Valletta (2013). The catalogue introduction was written by Renzo Piano.

## One-Man Show

In 2012 he wrote and performed his one-man show, 'Le Corbusier's Women', which premiered at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, and subsequently performed it at Chelsea Arts Club, London, and Bowery Poetry Club, New York (2013). It is currently in development as a musical with Peter Manning, Concertmaster at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and will be premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe (2014).

## Honorary Positions

* Honorary Fellowship, Royal Institute of British Architects
* Patron, Invisible Structures, with Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter Carter
* Ambassador, Chelsea Arts Club Trust
* Chairman, Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain (now UK), 2007-14
* DCMS Working Party on the first UK City of Culture, 2013 (awarded to Derry)
* Co-Founder, First Wednesdays, Chelsea Arts Club
* Honorary Secretary, The Times/RIBA Community Enterprise Awards, under the patronage of the Prince of Wales
* Honorary Treasurer, The Architecture Club; International Building Press (UK)