You’re Invited! Dining with Cultural Inspirations: Pippa Nissen, Director at Nissen Richards Studio

Imagine hosting a dinner party where every detail – from the enchanting venue to the eclectic guest list – reflects the passions and inspirations that have shaped your creative life and work. In this joyful feature, we step into the mind of Pippa Nissen, Director at Nissen Richards Studio, to explore her ultimate dinner party with the people who have influenced her as a designer.

In her own words, here are the cultural inspirations Pippa would invite to her dream dinner party …

My Party Set Up

Venue

The Courtauld Great Room – an old project of ours. I love how, in my role, I get access to amazing, beautiful buildings when they are empty and have always thought this would make a great dinner party venue, with conversation and laughter echoing around.

Menu

I would like the meal to be shaped in flavours as a theatrical presentation of the characters at the party, inspired by the Palace Grill in Oslo. On a work trip to the city, we had a fabulous 10 course meal there, where each course began with a new narrative by an individual chef. We felt as if we had been taken right around Norway as we were introduced to the places and events that inspired each dish. Magical.

Entertainment

A grand piano played by my old friend, Simon Hollis. He is an immensely clever radio producer – but also plays the piano brilliantly. He could take requests whereby he can play contemporary songs in the style of classical music. This would inevitably result in us all singing around the piano at the end of the evening.

My Guests List

Olafur Eliason (visual artist)

I am a bit of a super fan of his work and have seen his exhibitions all around the world and in many different contexts – from focusing on the scale of a building or infrastructure to individual work within exhibitions. I would love to hear how he talks about his work and his intellectual process. I am particularly interested in how his work is dependent on us as viewers interacting with it.

Kate Bush (musician)

She is an icon and trailblazer. Never predictable and always unique. Her music tells a story and takes us on a journey, letting us into another world for the duration of each song. As a child I was also fascinated by how she presented her work. In the early days of music videos, she experimented with dance and visuals to compliment her stories, which was very influential.

Robert Wilson (theatre director and designer)

When I was at college studying Theatre Design, he was a huge influence on me. He creates a complete theatrical experience that leads from an aesthetic point of view and includes carefully composed visual moments, like a series of tableaux. I also enjoy how his theatre is layered in meaning, so there is an overall underlying narrative, but everyone takes away their own meaning.

Paula Rego (artist)

Paula Rego was fearless and brilliant, often combining her creative skills with a political message. I love the way her work dances between beauty and horror, as well as her clarity about the past, and how it is reinterpreted it for today. This is something that I think about a lot – how we can access historic paintings and artefacts – and make them relevant, which she did effortlessly. She was also fiercely female in her approach and response. I really would just like to say thank you.

Philippa Strachey (suffragette)

I was named after her, and have always admired her spirit of resilience. The idea of doing what you believe in and sticking to your principles is something I have tried to live my life by – and the ideas of my namesake have inspired me.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge (actor and writer)

I love great writing, where you are drawn in to someone else’s life and where they offer you another way of seeing the world. I feel Phoebe Waller-Bridge has subtly shifted contemporary culture by writing from a female perspective in commercial shows, bringing strong women characters and more ‘normal’ situations to our TV, film and theatre. She would also add a layer of humour and fun to the whole event.

Pippa Nissen, Director at Nissen Richards Studio

Pippa Nissen is a Director and Founder of architects and exhibition designers Nissen Richards Studio. Her unique fusion of architecture and theatre design skills is one of the many elements that set Nissen Richards Studio apart. In the 15 years since the studio was founded, Pippa has become one of the international museum sector’s most experienced and awarded designers, with projects completed for some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions. In 2024 and 2023, these included the refurbishments of the UK’s National Portrait Gallery and The Courtauld Gallery, with the teams on both projects shortlisted for The Stirling Prize.