RGA Rocket
RGA Rocket is a new platform intended to create a design dialogue and conceived to parallel and expand the work and interests of Rene Gonzalez. RGA Rocket will present work that is aligned with Gonzalez’s interest in materials, environmental and cultural conditions, and the creation of sensory experiences, forming an evolution and extension of the firm’s architectural practice.
RGA Rocket is a new platform intended to create a design dialogue and conceived to parallel and expand the work and interests of Rene Gonzalez. RGA Rocket will present work that is aligned with Gonzalez’s interest in materials, environmental and cultural conditions, and the creation of sensory experiences, forming an evolution and extension of the firm’s architectural practice. RGA Rocket will not have a static location; rather, it will move between various RGA projects, the RGA offices, and other temporary spaces in different cities.
For its inaugural launch during Art Basel Miami Beach in November 2016, RGA Rocket presented a selection of work – primarily furnishings by innovative European designers exploring materiality such as Emmanuel Babled, custom and limited-edition work by Vincenzo de Cotiis, and collaborative, commissioned pieces by young designer Germans Ermics, which capture the ephemeral light and color of Miami Sea and Sky. Additionally, RGA Rocket at Basel included a site-specific installation by landscape designer Mauricio Del Valle and handmade silver cutlery by emerging designer Nina Gonzalez – all within the context of a house designed by the firm; a newly constructed private residence elevated on stilts as a response to sea-level rise in South Florida.
In 2017, Rene Gonzalez Architects celebrated their 20th Anniversary with an immersive and spatial work by contemporary artist Ivan Toth Depeña installed at the firm’s new office near the Miami River. Within this historic warehouse, built in the 1920s, Depeña took his inspiration from the soaring ceiling and vast space, to create “Lift,” a contextual light installation.
The latest iteration of this evolving format is reflective of Rene’s ever evolving love affair with the culture, artisans, and creativity of Mexico. Rene has recently been teaching and lecturing at a few of Mexico’s leading educational institutes including UNAM and Monterrey Tec. His experiences with a new generation of designers will evolve into new partnerships and ideas.
