The conference will serve as a summary of the study visits to participating institutions that took place in recent months. Its aim is to further strengthen collaboration and act as a kind of “project fair,” where individual partners can present and engage with new initiatives.

The project is primarily intended for professionals working in cultural institutions and museums focused on architecture and urbanism. The conference will also provide an opportunity for a broader gathering of Polish and international institutions and for showcasing selected projects to the public through an open program.

Please note: registration is required for all events.

Moderation: Dominika Janicka (Fair Building Studio / Bal Architektek)
Panelists: Eszter Davida (KEK), Karolina Częczek (Only If Architecture), Helena Huber-Doudová (National Gallery in Prague)
Location: Warszawskie Obserwatorium Kultury (WOK), Marszałkowska 34/50, 00-647 Warszawa

The panel discussion explores the evolving role of gender in architecture, focusing on how personal experiences, power structures, and feminist perspectives shape the field.

In the first part, invited experts will present their work and experiences related to gender in architecture, setting the stage for deeper discussion. The second part will focus on how gender influences careers in architecture, with panelists discussing the „default male” assumption in education and work, and how being women affects their reception by clients and institutions. The conversation will highlight the underrepresentation of women’s stories in architectural history and the impact of this absence. Panelists will also discuss whether younger architects are less constrained by gender expectations and the lessons from overlooked women architects.

In the final segment, the panel will explore the influence of feminist perspectives on design, leadership, and representation. We will discuss how more women in the field affects architectural practice, the representation of women in media and awards, and ways to improve inclusivity.

Moderation: Dorota Leśniak-Rychlak (’Autoportret’ quarterly)
Panelists: Štěpán Bärtl (CAMP), Olle Lundin (ArkDes), Kika Krista Kjærside (DAC), Kacper Kępiński (NIAiU)
Location: Warszawskie Obserwatorium Kultury (WOK), Marszałkowska 34/50, 00-647 Warszawa

In the face of an escalating climate crisis, architecture is confronted with questions of responsibility, impact, and imagination. The scale of the challenges is overwhelming. But how can climate related topics be introduced into architectural discourse in ways that are not immediately dismissed as moralizing, technocratic, or catastrophic?

In this panel, curators and researchers from European architectural institutions will discuss not only architecture’s environmental responsibility, but also how to talk about it. Drawing on the experience of exhibitions and projects such as Anthropocene (NIAiU), Planet Prague (CAMP), Practice based knowledge sharing (ArkDes), and Build of Site (DAC), we will reflect on narrative strategies — based on data, emotion, or visions of the future — that help institutions engage the public in the topic of the climate crisis.

How can we speak about urgency without falling into doomism? What kind of language invites engagement rather than discouragement? The medium is the message — what role does the choice of medium (exhibition, publication, educational program) play in shaping reception?

Rather than seeking a single, definitive narrative, the panel will focus on sharing practices and ideas for how institutions can co-create a constructive climate discourse in architecture — exploring experiments and possible solutions. Presentations will be followed by an open discussion with the audience.

Project supports international collaboration between institutions engaged in architecture, urbanism, and architectural heritage. Its goal is to establish lasting frameworks for the exchange of knowledge and experience, enabling joint project development from the earliest planning stages.

The first phase involved workshops with regional partners, focused on education, events, exhibitions, publishing, and audience development. The second phase will culminate in a conference in Warsaw (June 2025), offering an opportunity to expand collaboration and present projects to a broader audience.

The project is aimed at professionals working in cultural institutions and museums dedicated to architecture and urbanism.

Partners: Danish Architecture Center, ArkDes, Contemporary Architecture Centre KEK, Slovak Design Center, Goethe Institut, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, ČESKÉ CENTRUM VARŠAVA

Media partner: Architektura & Biznes

Project funded by the “Inspiring Culture” program of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.