The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has appointed Christine Tohmé as the curator for the 18th Istanbul Biennial, which will take place in three phases over three years from 2025 to 2027. According to the Biennial Foundation, this edition was postponed from 2024 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). This Biennial remains Türkiye's largest international exhibition dedicated to contemporary art, offering a significant platform for artists globally.
The National Pavilion UAE has announced that Azza Aboualam, an Emirati architect and Assistant Professor at Zayed University, has been appointed as the curator for the UAE's participation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which will take place from May 10 to November 23, 2025. Aboualam's research, which explores the intersection of architecture and societal memory, will be featured in the pavilion's exhibition in Venice, accompanied by a publication. This appointment follows Aboualam's involvement with the UAE Pavilion, where she served as a Venice Intern during the 14th International Architecture Exhibition in 2014.
In Timișoara, Romania, Beta Architecture Biennial opens to the public today, September 13, under the curatorial direction of Oana Stănescu. Now in its 5th edition, thus celebrating 10 years since its inauguration, the 2024 biennial proposes a wide-ranging program of debates, exhibitions, guided tours, and artistic performances. The two main components of the biennale are the Main Exhibition, cover me softly, led by Stănescu, and the Beta Awards, aiming to highlight architects and professionals from Romania, Hungary, and Serbia who actively contribute to the improvement of the built environment. The biennale is open between September 13, and October 27, 2024.
The field of architecture and design is a dynamic one, often managing large-scale investments and involving a wide array of professionals. It stands to reason that, in this type of environment, success is not simply defined by just the quality of the completed structures, but also by the internal ability of architecture firms to effectively manage their business operations. For architects and designers, measuring performance goes beyond financial metrics; it encompasses a diverse range of factors that reflect the firm's efficiency, creativity, and impact within the industry.
Several key metrics can be measured, from financial goals to client relationship management, innovation, influence, and professional development, all helping architects and designers gauge their performance from different perspectives. As the famous saying goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” To help in this effort, Monograph's 2024 Architecture Business Benchmarks Report offers a thorough examination of five key metrics.
Internationally, the Netherlands is recognized as a country willing to experiment at a large scale, to devise state-wide systems to protect its land and improve the quality of life for its citizens. Provocative proposals from architects and urban planners such as Gerrit Rietveld, Piet Blom, Rem Koolhaas, and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), have had an international impact, as they often challenge traditional ways of practice.
Still, the country faces expected and unexpected challenges, from an acute housing shortage to raising concerns regarding climate change and shifting ideas of ecology. In the words of curator Suzanne Mulder, the country is “once again on the drawing board,” as architects, urban planners, and designers are reopening conversations about the future by looking at past lessons. To come to their help, Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Instituut is organizing the exhibition ‘Designing the Netherlands: 100 Years of Past & Present Futures.’
The ArchDaily projects library is managed by our curators who constantly seek to populate our stream with the most interesting global works, showcasing evolving focuses and criteria. While we usually share our reader’s top 100 favorites, this year, we also decided to initiate our editor’s picks on the ArchDaily Instagram account, where our curators highlight some projects that include interesting themes and unique traits.
The Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023 opened on November 11, 2023, with a wide program focused on the overarching theme of The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability. While on-site in Sharjah, the ArchDaily team had the chance to sit down with curator Tosin Oshinowo and discuss her curatorial view, the development of the main themes of the program, and the larger principles and intentions behind the event. Informed by her experience growing up in Lagos, Oshinowo has focused the Triennale on the celebration of places that thrive under conditions of scarcity and the alternative models that the Global South can provide in working towards a more equitable and livable future.
The Chicago Architecture Biennial has unveiled a phased opening plan for its fifth edition, CAB 5: This is a Rehearsal. The inauguration of CAB 5 will be on September 21, 2023, with installations and programs held all over city sites. This will build up to a citywide opening celebration on November 1st when all exhibitions will be unveiled at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Graham Foundation. CAB 5 is curated by the collective Floating Museum, a group of artists, designers, poets, and educators focused on building connections between art, community, architecture, infrastructure, and public institutions.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Institute of Architects of Brazil - Department of São Paulo (IABsp) has launched an unprecedented call for the selection of a curatorial proposal for the Architecture Biennale of São Paulo, to be held between September and December 2019. The proposal should formulate and justify the core program, concepts and themes that frame the Biennale.
