concept & vision

KidAmnesia is a publicly accessible temporary space that we conceived with and for RADIOHEAD to provide an immersive experience of visual art synchronized with music. In 2000-2001, RADIOHEAD entered the studio to record their next album - our installation is designed around an extensive collection of visual art that was produced during these prolific recording sessions, which lead to two critically acclaimed albums, KidA and Amnesiac, and to a turning point in the band’s musical growth and international renown. To mark the 20th year anniversary of the albums’ release, RADIOHEAD opens their archives to share with the public the artistic mind-melding and collective brain art-making process that yielded some of the most iconic album artwork of our time—drawings, scribbles, paintings, graphic illustrations, animations, and videos, produced by the band’s leader Thom Yorke along with longtime collaborator and visual artist Stanley Donwood in a creative continuum with the sound experimentations that define the music of both albums. This immersive exhibit will provide access to the entirety of the work that was created in pursuit of the final images for the album covers and booklets, as well as shed light on how the images and the music fueled each other during the generative process

design & architecture

we design a temporary, transportable building composed of 25 upcycled shipping containers to fit curatorial needs with precision, including its iconic exterior volume. Directly inspired and responsive to some of the band’s artwork, the installation is a dynamic red volume that occupies the triangular space on the North-West side of the Royal Albert Hall, at the corner of Kensington Road and Kensington Gore. The articulated red cube is physically detached from the RAH and completely independent in use and programming. Red containers alongside red bricks create a red on red complementary experience to the Hall as a contemporary art installation centered on music, as RADIOHEAD will also perform at the RAH during the exhibition

program & use

a sequence of spaces and environments begins at the ground level, with ticketing, merchandising and entrance. Visitors move up to the levels above, each a unique experience in terms of sound and visual display, culminating in a large double-height space. Levels are connected by multiple interior stairs plus two egress stairs at opposite ends. Accessibility is provided by a glass-enclosed lift that stops at all levels

impact & significance

our red massing, free-standing and independent, interacts with the RAH offerings and, as visitors go up to higher levels, provides unique vantage points to admire the hall’s architectural friezes and details. The simple, dynamic red cube engages the monumental circular red massing of the RAH, activating the empty area with a new kind of public spatial experience that exposes and explains the band's inner works and artistic ethos