biennale svizzera
del territorio

4/5.10.2024

back to the future

The future has been erased. Imagination, exhausted by successive crises, continual innovations and immediate returns on investment, collides with a closed horizon; Drunk with nostalgia, any long-term vision has been dismissed as utopian, a mere fantasy - until one collides with dystopia. Yet architecture's overriding task has always been to deal with the future: we still experience structures built decades or even centuries ago. Where have we lost our way? The fifth edition of the biennale svizzera del territorio is a call to imagination. A call to reclaim the future and to design together alternatives to the slow unfolding of the present.




Back to the Future: A Finale Looking Ahead

22/11/2024
The fifth edition of the Biennale svizzera del territorio draws to a close with an eventful day. On Saturday, November 30, the Villa Saroli Park will become a vibrant meeting place, celebrating the synergy between craftsmanship, architecture, and collective engagement.

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The Biennale has come to a close, but the reflection on the future remains open

24/10/2024
The fifth edition of the Biennale svizzera del territorio came to a successful close on 4-5 October, welcoming a diverse and curious audience and confirming its position as an important platform for dialogue and reflection on the future of our territory. This year's theme, "Back to the Future", inspired shared discussions and visions, with a particular focus on young people, who were at the heart of this edition.

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Spunti per il futuro del nostro territorio

28/09/2024
On Saturday, October 5th, as part of the fifth edition of the biennale svizzera del territorio, an open-to-all walk will take place, organized by the International Institute of Architecture in collaboration with the Territorial Development Section of the Department of Territory (DT) and the De Molfetta Strode Landscape Architects studio.

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Biennale svizzera del territorio

Biennale svizzera del territorio

A regional and national event with international appeal. It is a high-level event that opens the doors of Villa Saroli to territorial experts and architects, as well as to the general public. The event addresses the many different stakeholders involved in the Baukultur process - including media and political actors. With this open approach, the Biennale contributes to the discussion on the social, economic and spatial changes taking place within today’s society.

past editions

2022 2020 2018 2016
istituto internazionale di architettura

istituto internazionale di architettura

a centre for urban culture dedicated to exploring issues related to the territory and sustainability. A place of openness and debate, it believes in architecture as a tool for interpreting and understanding the great transformations of the contemporary world. It encourages the participation of civil society, professionals and institutions in the formulation of a design vision for the future of the territory we live in. It involves citizens of all age groups through different languages and formats, with a programme that includes conferences, meetings, exhibitions, summer schools and workshops. Founded in 1983 in Vico Morcote as the European headquarters of SCI-Arc - Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, since 2015 the Institute has been based in Villa Saroli, in the centre of Lugano.

curators’ biographies

curators’ biographies

Ludovica Molo
Is an architect and director of the Istituto Internazionale di Architettura in Lugano.

Caspar Schärer
Is an architect and journalist, secretary general of the Federation of Swiss Architects (BSA-FAS).

Marc Frochaux
Is an art historian, architect and editor-in-chief of Tracés.

Cyril Veillon
Is director of the Archizoom exhibition space at EPFL Lausanne.

Ariane Widmer Pham
Is an architect and urbanist, cantonal planner of Geneva.

Heike Biechteler
Is an architect and senior research assistant at the Institute of Architecture at HSLU.
Co-curator of the biennale svizzera del territorio 2024.

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