David Chipperfield in his London studio

For many years David Chipperfield has had a reputation as the finest architect in Britain who is not building in Britain. He is lauded outside the UK and admired among fellow architects, with a portfolio of beautifully restrained but never less than powerful structures from Alaska to Liangzhu via a swathe of Europe.

Chipperfield is part of an elite of contemporary architects who can be guaranteed to bring the prestige, elegance and intelligence sought by boards of trustees for any new building. Yet the Design Museum retrospective, which opens on Wednesday in London, will be the first big exhibition of Chipperfield’s work in his home country.