The international cultural calendar for the spring of 2023 offers a rich array of exhibitions, immersive events, and prestigious design competitions that explore the intersection of history, contemporary culture, and the built environment. From landmark historic estates in England to avant-garde design showcases in Zurich, New York, and beyond, architects, designers, and enthusiasts have numerous opportunities to engage with innovative concepts and pivotal historical moments shaping the field.
The historic estate of Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England, provides a striking backdrop for a major contemporary design intervention. Built in the late 16th century, the stately home has served as the residence for 16 generations of the Devonshire family. Over the centuries, the family has amassed an expanding art collection that spans Greco-Roman art and sculpture, masterpieces by Rembrandt and Reynolds, and works by modern masters such as Lucian Freud and David Nash. Expanding upon this rich legacy, Chatsworth is currently hosting an exhibition featuring works from 16 contemporary artists and designers. These pieces are placed in direct, dialogue-driven relationships with the house’s historic architecture, intricate interiors, custom furniture, and varied materials, offering visitors a fresh perspective on a centuries-old heritage site.
Turning to the museum scene in Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston is presenting the first comprehensive survey exhibition dedicated to the work of New York-based artist and sculptor Simone Leigh. Spanning two decades of production, the extensive showcase features sculpture, ceramics, video, and installation work. Notably, the exhibition includes pieces from Leigh’s celebrated 2022 Venice Biennale presentation, marking their first time being shown publicly in the United States.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Across the globe, several key museum exhibitions continue to draw crowds and provoke critical dialogue regarding design history, urban planning, and social equity. In Zurich, the Museum of Design Zurich is honoring the legacy of the influential Swiss designer Willy Guhl through an exhibition titled "Willy Guhl – Thinking with Your Hands." Best known for his iconic "Loop Chair," constructed from an innovative cement-asbestos mixture known as Eternit, Guhl studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich before establishing himself as a central figure in the European neo-functional design movement of the mid-20th century.
In Central Europe, urban planning takes center stage at the Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning in Prague. The comprehensive exhibition "Prague Tomorrow? Houses and Apartments" investigates the current state of urban housing in the Czech capital, outlining potential pathways for municipal success through targeted policy reform and thoughtful design strategies. The exhibition draws its core findings primarily from the Housing Development Strategy for the city of Prague, an initiative officially approved by the city council in 2021.
New York City’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum is hosting a poignant historical exhibition titled "Deconstructing Power: W.E.B. Du Bois at the 1900 World’s Fair." The showcase revisits the groundbreaking data visualizations created by W.E.B. Du Bois and his students at Atlanta University for The American Negro Exhibit at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. These works meticulously documented the social and economic conditions of African-Americans following emancipation. By bringing these long-overlooked contributions into dialogue with the broader history of the 1900 exposition, the exhibition highlights systemic disparities in the historical record and challenges traditional narratives of the World’s Fair as a pure spectacle of modern progress.
In London, the Design Museum is celebrating the vibrant career of British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori with an exhibition titled "Parables for Happiness." Ilori, widely recognized for his exuberant and colorful public art installations, is the subject of a major showcase featuring 100 works. Ranging from early artworks, photographs, and custom furniture to textiles, books, and personal possessions, the exhibition traces how Ilori’s North London upbringing and rich Nigerian heritage have deeply influenced his distinctive visual vocabulary.
Architecture enthusiasts in New York have multiple major exhibitions to explore. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a new ongoing exhibition series titled "Architecture Now: New York, New Publics," designed to spotlight emerging architects who are driving innovation in the field. The inaugural installation features 12 recently completed projects across the five boroughs by prominent and rising firms, including Adjaye Associates, nArchitects, SO – IL, and RECORD’s 2022 Design Vanguard winners CO Adaptive and Only If. Each architectural project is accompanied by a newly commissioned video produced specially for the exhibition by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Hudson Lines.
Complementing MoMA’s survey, the Center for Architecture in New York recently showcased "New Practices New York," an exhibition highlighting the winners of AIA New York’s 2020 biennial competition. The showcase focuses on six emerging and innovative local practices: BRANDT: HAFERD, Bryony Roberts Studio, City-group, GRT Architects, New Affiliates, and ANY, all of whom have demonstrated a deep, active engagement with the city and its civic life.
Events
The seasonal calendar also features major gatherings, conferences, and festivals designed to foster collaboration and debate within the architectural and design communities. In Southern California, the annual Modernism Week in Palm Springs brings together preservationists, designers, and enthusiasts for a packed schedule of more than 350 events. Spread across various architectural landmarks throughout Palm Springs, the program includes expert-led home and garden tours, specialized films, and lectures. This year’s marquee event features a keynote presentation by Thom Mayne, principal of the renowned architecture firm Morphosis.
As spring progresses, industry professionals will travel to Orlando for Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition and conference in the United States. Drawing approximately 800 exhibitors from over 30 countries, the multi-day event offers extensive product displays alongside robust educational sessions and invaluable networking opportunities for architects, interior designers, and distributors.
Environmental sustainability and decarbonization remain paramount across the profession, a focus reflected in the upcoming "Getting to Zero" forum. Set to take place in Minneapolis in both virtual and in-person formats, the conference will convene more than 500 leading policymakers, architects, and industry stakeholders. Participants will share insights and collaborate on actionable zero-energy and zero-carbon solutions aimed at drastically reducing the environmental impact of the built environment.
In Spain, the architecture and design community is preparing for the ninth iteration of Concentrito 09 in Logroño. The six-day urban festival features a diverse roster of public installations, exhibitions, and events scattered throughout the city. By centering design proposals that actively celebrate the public realm and civic engagement, the festival encourages playful yet critical interactions between citizens and their urban environment.
Competitions
A number of prestigious awards and competitions have announced upcoming submission deadlines, offering practitioners and students global recognition for their work. The Copper Development Association is currently accepting submissions for the North American Copper in Architecture Awards. The annual program honors outstanding applications of architectural copper and copper alloys in building projects located throughout the United States or Canada that have been completed within the past three years.
Academic and professional photographers are also invited to submit their work to the AIA National Photography Competition, organized annually by AIA-St. Louis. Open to licensed architects and currently enrolled architecture students, the competition celebrates excellence in photographic interpretations of the built environment. Winning entries will be published in RECORD and exhibited during the AIA conference.
Finally, the Holcim Foundation has opened submissions for the global Holcim Awards 2023, a major international competition that recognizes projects successfully combining sustainable design, construction innovation, and architectural excellence. Submitted entries are evaluated against the Foundation’s rigorous criteria for sustainable construction. Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes will be awarded across five distinct geographic regions: Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East Africa, and Asia Pacific. Regional winners will receive substantial cash prizes and an invitation to attend the official prize announcement at the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
