The iconic oversized pink and blue balustrades.

There's probably a generation who think, 'so what?'

This building catapulted a provincial19th century gallery into one of Europe's leading museums.

Superficially the building was called post modern. It is a sophisticated mix of classicism, pop, heritage and irony. Not all allusions as obvious as this, the high-tech lift.

This was 15 years before Gehry and the so called Guggenheim Bilboa effect. The 'effect' was when an architect designed gallery was specifically commissioned as the catalyst to invigorate a town or city's prestige and visitor numbers.

The grand enfilade between galleries

In the late 1960's, Stirling was pushing the boundaries of the materials he was using, and while winning acclaim for the forms of his architecture, for example the engineering faculty at Leicester University, problems with the construction alienated potential future clients. In 1978 James Stirling faced closing his architectural practice. He had been a visiting Professor at Yale since 1968 and during that time cataloguing his creativity through the many projects that never broke ground. In 1974 a review was published, James Stirling, Buildings and Projects 1950 -1974, including in German, by publisher Gerd Hatje in Stuttgart. Around the same time Stirling entered three German competitions.

It was third time lucky with the career reviving Staatsgalerie and the beginning of the multi award-winning team of James Stirling and Michael Wilford.

The drum incorporates by a public footpath through the exterior of the building, a shortcut between low to high ground.

Personally, this was the architecture project that gave Richard the international recognition for photographing contemporary architecture.

It had been two years earlier that his images of the Sir John Soane Museum in World of Interiors triggered a plethora of international work photographing heritage and interiors.

James Stirling was a brilliant client. Always engaged while leaving Richard to do what he wanted. To me he was easy and accessible, personally calling if he wanted prints or projection slides from the 5 x 4 transparencies or negatives. Digital photography wasn't even on the horizon. One remarkable memory was this great man calling to apologise - sorry he couldn't pay the invoice, cash flow - but not to worry.

Sure enough paid in full the next month.

After Jim's tragic death our relationship with Michael Wilford continued and Richard's interpretation of their work is a mutual legacy.

Lynne Bryant: Musings from a life with photography and architecture
All images ©Richard Bryant / richardbryantphoto.com