We put together a list of the 10 most important—or, in our opinion, straight-up interesting—architecture events of the year. If one has already come and gone, save it for next year because events like this tend to get better by the year.
Header: New London Architecture
Design Doha Biennial (February 24–August 5, Qatar)
Design Doha 2024 is an event held in Qatar that pushes for a bigger connection between the architects and designers of the world and the Middle Eastern and North African design enthusiasts and professionals. The event’s calendar is filled with exhibitions and installations that celebrate traditional and contemporary architecture from the often-forgotten region.
The “Arab Design Now” exhibition surveyed more than 70 Arab designers, sharing the many skills, visions, and styles that are comprised within the wide sphere of Arab design. Several other exhibitions reflect the multiculturalism of Qatar, the Middle East, and the North of Africa, such as “Cultural Kinship and Embrace Blue” and “Colours of the City“.
In this event, the interplay between modern and traditional, global and regional, history and evolution come into play, making for an event with a deep significance that truly goes beyond architecture. Visitors come for the interactive installations and panel discussions and stay for the rich conversations and cultural surprises.
Salone del Mobile (April 16–21, Italy)
Salone del Mobile is one of the most famous design events in the world, giving visitors the chance to get to know the beautiful city of Milan while also diving into the design of the present and the future. Although this event primarily focuses on furniture, lighting, and interior design, it is still relevant for architecture professionals as it’s the best way to see how to best integrate these elements into architectural spaces.
For architects, this fair can be considered the complete guide to design, as they’ll be able to find out precisely how furniture and fixtures can influence architectural environments. Sustainability, a discussion that has never been as important as now, is dissected extensively through exhibitions and talks, mixing technology and design with the journey to finding the answers to some of the world’s biggest problems.
Concéntrico 10 (April 25–May 1, Spain)
The Spanish Concéntrico is the tenth edition of the annual International Festival of Architecture and Design. The importance of urban spaces and their possible reshaping to help society is at the centre of the event, so, of course, architecture is a big part of it.
21 installations will be scattered around Logroño, where architects from all over the world will be able to show their visions and innovative suggestions. Expect to see the renaturalization of public spaces, traditional architectural styles, reuse of material, and interactive design throughout the installations—a breath of fresh air that promises future cities where brutalism is exchanged for a more natural approach. Talks, workshops, and interactions with the local community are also a big part of this event, making it not only entertaining but also comprehensive in the way that it involves the public with urban architecture.
Architecture Matters (May 15–16, Germany)
Architecture Matters is an international conference focused on opening up a space for dialogue between key figures in the architecture community, politicians, and real estate professionals. Lectures and discussions cover everything about the future, such as markets, building standards, and innovations. All of this aims to uncover the future of cities and architecture while providing solutions to modern-day problems.
Such a conference is a networking paradise, as participants have the perfect opportunity to connect with colleagues and other professionals, sharing their visions and future projects and, hopefully, starting interesting collaborations.
AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (June 5-8, USA)
The American Institute of Architects‘, or AIA for short, Conference on Architecture and Design is known as the top event for architects from all over the world to connect with colleagues and learn from the top figures in the architecture community.
The event’s calendar includes over 140 seminars where new projects, technological innovations, and trends are extensively analysed. Complementing these mini hubs of knowledge, 15 workshops give visitors hands-on experience by pushing for the application of the architectural solutions discussed during the seminars.
As the event is held in Washington, D.C., visitors will have the chance to join tours led by experts on the history of the American capital and of the rich architectural heritage that can be admired throughout town. On the other hand, visitors can also attend the AIA24 Expo, where they’ll have a chance to network as more than 550 companies will be present. The Expo is also a great place to discover what the main projects are happening in the architecture community, as companies will be showing new materials and design solutions, giving visitors a lot of food for thought.
NYCxDESIGN Festival (May 16–23, USA)
The NYCxDESIGN Festival is an annual event where all types of design are celebrated and where professionals and enthusiasts get together to learn and share ideas. Hundreds of events make up the festival, featuring exhibitions, trade shows, and talks, all focused on design, as well as tours where visitors can get a deeper understanding of the installations and works.
This year, the festival is introducing the NYCxDESIGN Keynote series, a set of daily presentations held throughout the week where international designers and brands can share their stories, projects, and hopes for the future. The “Ode to NYC” exhibitions are huge installations held all around the city where designers show their appreciation for New York City’s architecture. This not only allows young designers to have a place to share their voices but also promotes collaboration and the sharing of visions, making this a festival where the future hides in plain sight.
London Festival of Architecture (June, UK)
The London Festival of Architecture, also known as the LFA, is a month-long event centred around architecture and all-urban planning. This year, the LFA marks its 20th year with the theme “Reimagine“, inviting visitors and professionals to rethink cities and their role in solving contemporary challenges.
Talks, workshops, and exhibitions make up the event, all focusing on architecture and its role in society and in our future as a whole. New and leading voices in the architecture community share a space in this festival, which helps make sure that everyone gets to share their vision and that the path to follow is chosen with consideration for all other paths.
Helsinki Design Week (September 6–15, Finland)
Helsinki Design Week is the largest Nordic design festival, combining several worlds of design for visitors and professionals alike to enjoy. This year’s theme is “Underneath“, which invites people to delve deeper into the design and its less-observed aspects, especially their impact on our lives.
Over 100 multidisciplinary events are part of the festival’s calendar, exploring the rich elements of fields like architecture, fashion, interior design, product design, and even graphic design. To make sure you’ll be able to attend all of your favourite exhibitions, be sure to check out the festival’s website because some will require you to register beforehand.
Merging architecture and other fields of design is at the core of this festival, so if you are interested in this and other areas of design, our advice is to save the date and plan out your trip to Helsinki as soon as possible.
London Design Festival (September 14–22, UK)
Back in London, the London Design Festival is another annual event that celebrates London as the design capital of the world, hosting a series of exhibitions, talks, installations, and workshops throughout the city.
The creative community has always been at the centre of this festival during its 22 years of existence, and this year isn’t any different. Networking opportunities and open studios are some of the things professionals can expect from this event, as well as a whopping 600,000 visitors from more than 70 countries. Such an international festival promises a lot of innovation and interesting work.
Dutch Design Week (October 19–27, NL)
As Northern Europe’s largest design festival, the Dutch Design Week expects more than 355 thousand visitors to attend, not including the over 2600 designers who will have the chance to share their visions and their work with such a large audience.
Trends and innovation are investigated and dissected in the huge number of talks, seminars, and workshops that make up the event. Think food, materials, art, landscape, and technology, and then try to add design to it: that’s the Dutch Design Week. Architecture has a big role in the festival as, in the end, it is the supporter of society and design as a whole.
Networking and the start of collaborations are promoted in great detail in this event, as professionals are incentivized to share their projects and vision. As this is a paid festival, tickets can sell out fast, so head on to the festival’s official website and get yours before you have to wait one more year.