Over 45 years, Herzog & de Meuron has ascended to the heights of architectural stardom without developing a signature style. Instead, the 600-strong Swiss firm has demonstrated a consistent commitment to experimenting with form and materials, producing notably diverse buildings that are often places of heightened sensation, evoking both the sublime and the uncanny. It’s an approach that has given the firm a “certain mystique,” says Vicky Richardson, head of architecture at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, where a major exhibition, Herzog & de Meuron, opened this month. “The aim is to let visitors in on the process,” she explains. “You can feel like part of the design team.” 

The show, which runs until October 15 and was co-curated by the firm and the Royal Academy, occupies an enfilade of just three galleries, but packs in a huge quantity of material, supplemented by an augmented reality smartphone app developed by the architects. As might be expected, many of the conventions of architectural exhibitions are eschewed, with mixed results.