Architecture & the Media 2025
The fourth edition of the European Conference on Architecture and the Media aims to explore communication territories beyond traditional media that contribute to generating content about and around architecture, influencing public knowledge and perception of the field. On May 26–27, 2025, in the framework of Barcelona Architecture Weeks and the EUmies Awards Talks, this international gathering will, alongside its traditional topics, invite architecture professionals to reflect on how events, festivals, and awards shape the dissemination of architecture-related news and influence public perception of the discipline.
HOW DO EVENTS, FESTIVALS AND AWARDS SHAPE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF ARCHITECTURE BEYOND TRADITIONAL MEDIA?
26 May 2025
19:00 h
Opening conversation
Architecture in the newspaper spotlight
Opening conversation
Architecture in the newspaper spotlight
A conversation with journalist Luis Alemany (El Mundo), Clara Blanchar (El País) and Elena Orte (SUMA Arquitectura)
Taking as a starting point the media reception of one of the winning projects of the EUmies Awards 2024, the Gabriel García Márquez Library by SUMA Arquitectura, this conversation between two experienced journalists will examine how architecture news are discussed and evaluated within editorial teams.
The session will provide insight into the internal processes, considerations, and criteria that guide the production of articles on architectural works, reflecting on the role of media in framing and communicating contemporary architecture.
27 May 2025
10:00 – 14:00 h
Workshop
Architecture of the invisible
Workshop by Nicolas Guichard and Béatrice Lartigue (Lab 212) LINA Architecture Platform
The workshop revolves around the case study of the ephemeral installation Ombres Blanches, which gives materiality to the data of our wireless networks in the outdoor space of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, when Architecture and the Media event. With a background in Media and Interaction Design, the Lab212 collective uses new media tools to create installations that explore our perception of space and sound. Workshop participants will be introduced to the concepts and methodology of Lab21’s work, exploring the materialisation of invisible physical events that immerse visitors in a space whose rules are partly written and partly in progress.
Conclusions and roundtable (12:30 h)
Béatrice Lartigue and Nicolas Guichard will engage in a discussion with Lara Monacelli (Atelier Remoto) and Jacopo Biffi (Alte Sfere), exploring subjects pertaining to architecture, communication and society, viewed through the enriching lens of the convergence of art, science and technology.
Moderated by Ivan Blasi (Fundació Mies van de Rohe) and Miriam Giordano (Labóh).
The workshop and roundtable are developed in collaboration with the European Architecture platform LINA.
15:30 – 16:45 h
Roundtable #1
Architecture events as content creators
Roundtable with journalists Amy Frearson (Dezeen), Giulia Ricci (About) and Laura Sangrà Herrero (Betevé).
The roundtable is led by three distinguished journalists representing both specialist journals and mainstream media outlets that will explore the role of public events in fostering dynamic exchanges between architecture and architects in a dialogue with the city and its citizens. The discussion will assess the significance of exhibitions, temporary installations, and the lasting legacies such events leave on urban environments. The conversation will also consider whether the thematic core of these festivals can be effectively conveyed without the physical installations that often dominate media attention. Emphasis will be placed on alternative approaches as means to communicate architectural ideas and encourage meaningful public engagement beyond the tangible artefacts.
Moderated by Ivan Blasi (Fundació Mies van de Rohe) and Miriam Giordano (Labóh).
17:15 – 18:30 h
Roundtable #2
Awards as a medium of communication
Roundtable with journalists Albert Nogueras (Núvol), Nick Axel (e-flux architecture) and Pilar Marcos (Diseño Interior).
The roundtable is led by three distinguished journalists representing both specialist journals and mainstream media outlets. It will examine the contemporary landscape of architectural awards and explore the criteria by which distinctions are evaluated by the editorial teams, the perceived authority of juries, and the broader cultural impact of prize-winning works. Particular attention will be given to how such accolades influence public perceptions of architecture and foster civic pride in acclaimed projects across cities and regions. Awards often serve as a pivotal moment through which the broader public becomes aware of the cultural and social value of a building, a public square, or a piece of architecture within their own city, encouraging a renewed appreciation for the built environment and its contribution to collective identity.
19:00 h
Closing conversation
Getting ready for Barcelona UIA World Congress of Architects and World Architecture Capital in 2026
A conversation with journalists Isabelle Regnier (Le Monde) and Graham Keeley (Euronews), with introduction by Anna Ramos (Barcelona 2026 Unesco-UIA World Capital of Architecture) and Guim Costa (UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona).
With Barcelona hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects in 2026 and holding the title of UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture, the city is set to become a global platform for architectural dialogue. These milestones represent an unprecedented opportunity to elevate public engagement with architecture through the visibility offered by major cultural events.
In this closing conversation, and in light of the anticipated reception and media engagement surrounding these landmark events, as outlined by the organising institutions, two prominent journalists will engage in a conversation on how the Congress and Capital year can act as catalysts for promoting architecture to a broader audience, leveraging the outreach and influence of mainstream media.
Moderated by Ivan Blasi (Fundació Mies van de Rohe) and Miriam Giordano (Labóh).
Reservations here.
Press release here.
