Workshops take place in the Speakers’ Corner at the Corderie dell’Arsenale.
Exhibition ticket required.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Designing Ecosystems of the Future
The need for innovation and foresight in designing ecosystems supporting both humankind and the planet has never been more urgent. This panel, including Exhibition participants (Space Garden), convenes an invigorating discussion with global thought leaders in architecture exploring design not just for individuals but for entire ecosystems to sustain life on Earth and beyond.
Speakers: Brent Sherwood (Former Blue Origin Senior Vice President, Advanced Development Programs, Former AIAA Space Domain Lead), Ariel Ekblaw (Aurelia Institute Founder and CEO, MIT Space Exploration Initiative Founder), Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture).
Moderated by Deborah Berke (Edward P. Bass Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, founding principal TenBerke Architects).
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Urban Diasporas and Participation: an Experiment Powered with AI Tools from Naples
An interdisciplinary conversation on urban and social transformations, starting from the case of Vela Celeste. Architects, urban planners, sociologists, and innovators will explore the role of mega-architectures, urban diasporas, the return to one’s roots, and the use of artificial intelligence in participatory design. A unique opportunity to imagine new ways of living and building community in the future of our cities.
Welcome address: Gaetano Manfredi, Mayor of the City of Naples (connected via video conference), Michele Di Bari, Prefect of the City of Naples.
Speakers: Alberto Martinelli (Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Milan), Laura Lieto (Deputy Mayor and Urban Planning Assessor for the City of Naples), Maria Grazia Falciatore (Chief of the Mayor’s Cabinet for the City of Naples), Catherine De Wolf (Director of the Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture – CEA at ETH Zurich).
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Circular Economy & Design: A Conversation with Arup
This conversation will bring forward the Circular Economy Manifesto, which Arup and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation developed for the Biennale Architettura 2025 curator Carlo Ratti. It will discuss Arup’s core holistic approach to Total Design, and explore how circular economy principles guide design to be net positive for planet and people, utilising resources more effectively and creating new aesthetics for our buildings and places.
Speakers: Stuart Smith (Director, Global Circular Economy Skills Leader, Arup), Isobel Vernon-Avery (Circular Economy Expert & Ellen MacArthur Foundation Partnership Manager, Arup)
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Restaging Criticism: The L.A. Fires and Architecture in the Age of Climate Shock
Far from anomalies, this winter’s deadly wildfires in Los Angeles reflect a precarious New Normal in the age of climate shock. How might this state of perma-risk reorient architectural practice, citymaking, and the work of architecture criticism? Architects, critics, and theorists gather to discuss.
Speakers: Alejandro Haiek Coll (Founder, The Public Machinery), Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture), Mark Lee (Principal and Founding Partner, Johnston Marklee, Los Angeles), Michael Maltzan (Founder and Principal, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Los Angeles), Ana Rascovsky (Co-Director, Estudio Planta, Buenos Aires).
Moderated by Florencia Rodriguez (Director and Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago).
