As the architectural world continues to navigate shifting cultural, technological, and environmental landscapes, institutions around the globe are rolling out an ambitious slate of exhibitions, public art installations, and design competitions. From immersive virtual realities and historical retrospectives to site-specific public works confronting the enduring legacies of transatlantic networks, the upcoming and ongoing programming captured in RECORD’s monthly curation highlights how architects, designers, and artists are engaging with urgent contemporary conversations.
Whether exploring new approaches to social consciousness, examining the intersections of health and the built environment, or interrogating the boundaries of public and private space, these exhibitions offer a multifaceted view of the discipline’s past, present, and future.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Pamphlet Architecture 37: Visions and Experiments in Architecture
Rhinebeck, NY
September 4 – October 17, 2022
Founded in 1978 by visionary architect Steven Holl, Pamphlet Architecture established itself as a vital experimental publication designed to champion the bold, unbuilt ideas of emerging architectural voices. Over the decades, its pages have introduced the world to groundbreaking talents who would go on to reshape the field, historically including luminaries such as Zaha Hadid, Lars Lerup, and Mark Mack.
In celebration of reaching its 37th issue and marking more than 40 years of continuous production, ‘T’ Space Gallery is presenting a special exhibition showcasing the work of the five finalists from Pamphlet’s 2021 open call. Titled Visions and Experiments in Architecture, the open call challenged applicants to conceptualize entirely new architectural frameworks suited for a shifting social and political consciousness. Beyond showcasing these contemporary visions, the exhibition will also feature a comprehensive retrospective chronicling the rich history of the publication. This historical overview serves as a tribute to longtime publisher Kevin Lippert, who passed away earlier in the spring, honoring his immense contributions to architectural discourse and independent publishing. Further details can be found by visiting the gallery’s official website at tspacerhinebeck.org.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Chairs. Dieckmann!
Berlin
Through August 14, 2022
At the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin, visitors have the rare opportunity to experience the first major solo exhibition dedicated to the influential furniture designer Erich Dieckmann (1896–1944) in over three decades. Dieckmann was a towering figure in 20th-century design, having taught at both the illustrious Bauhaus and the arts-and-crafts school at Burg Giebichenstein in Halle (Saale).
The exhibition draws heavily from archival collections to present a comprehensive look at Dieckmann’s meticulous creative process. Visitors can explore original designs, detailed drawings, and an impressive assembly of 120 furniture pieces that underscore his pioneering approach to typology, standardization, and material efficiency in modern seating. Additional information is available through the official state museum portal at smb.museum/en.
Meta-Horizons: The Future Now
Seoul
Through September 18, 2022
As virtual spaces and digital realms increasingly intersect with physical urbanism, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) is solidifying its stake in the metaverse. Following the high-profile unveiling of their virtual city, Liberland, the firm is presenting a major new exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) museum in Seoul—a landmark structure originally designed by ZHA itself in 2014.
The exhibition centers on the vast, untapped potential of advanced architectural technologies, examining how tools like virtual reality and artificial intelligence-based design can expand the boundaries of the discipline. Showcasing projects and concepts from ZHA’s expansive portfolio, the exhibition also integrates striking digital installations by renowned new-media artist Refik Anadol, creating a bridge between computational design and immersive art. More information can be accessed via ddp.or.kr.
Justice is Beauty: The Work of MASS Design Group
Washington, DC
Through September 30, 2022
The National Building Museum is currently hosting an expansive retrospective celebrating the ethos and portfolio of the MASS Design Group. Titled Justice is Beauty, the exhibition highlights the firm’s pioneering research, unbuilt proposals, and realized buildings that collectively redefine the architecture of health and human dignity. MASS Design Group has long championed the idea that architecture is never neutral—that it can either heal or harm.
Accompanying the firm’s core exhibition is The Gun Violence Memorial Project, a poignant installation conceived by artist Hank Willis Thomas in collaboration with the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. The memorial consists of four transparent glass-brick "houses" embedded with personal mementos contributed by families mourning loved ones lost to gun violence, creating a powerful spatial memorialization of a national crisis. Further details can be found at nbm.org.
Missing Link: Strategies of a Viennese Architecture Group (1970–1980)
Vienna
Through October 2, 2022
Hosted at the MAK Exhibition Hall in Vienna, Missing Link offers the first comprehensive institutional view of the avant-garde architecture group of the same name. Founded in 1970 by Angela Hareiter, Otto Kapfinger, and Adolf Krischanitz, Missing Link sought to break free from traditional academic and professional constraints to investigate architecture through a critical, interdisciplinary lens.
The group’s diverse body of work encompasses everything from radical utopian proposals for collective living arrangements to rigorous research studies mapping urban networks across Vienna. By questioning the socio-political structures underlying the built environment, their output anticipated many contemporary debates surrounding urban autonomy and spatial justice. Visitors can learn more at mak.at/en/missinglink.
The Garden of Privatised Delights
London
Through October 15, 2022
Originally conceptualized for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale and commissioned by the British Council, The Garden of Privatised Delights comes to the Building Centre in London under the curation of Unscene Architecture. The exhibition tackles the contentious rise of privately-owned public spaces (POPs) throughout the United Kingdom, sounding an alarm bell over the creeping privatization of civic realms.
Challenging the friction between corporate interests and the collective public good, the exhibition features seven visionary, inclusive reimaginings of privatized public spaces crafted by a diverse cohort of British architecture practices, including the Decorators, Studio Polpo, and vPPR Architects. More information is available at buildingcentre.co.uk.
Black Atlantic
New York City
Through November 27, 2022
Spanning the sprawling landscape of Brooklyn Bridge Park—a waterfront site that historically served as a critical maritime harbor linking the Americas to Europe and Africa—the Public Art Fund’s Black Atlantic exhibition brings together powerful new site-specific works by prominent contemporary artists Hugh Hayden, Leilah Babirye, Dozie Kanu, Tau Lewis, and Kiyan Williams.
Taking its thematic cue from cultural theorist Paul Gilroy’s influential 1993 book of the same name, the exhibition explores the profound, enduring impact of transatlantic networks on the African diaspora. Through large-scale fabrications and intricate sculptures, the participating artists weave together global historical narratives with deeply personal identities, turning the public park into a site of reflection, memory, and cultural dialogue. Full exhibition details can be found at publicartfund.org.
Events
Concéntrico 08
Logroño, Spain
September 1–6, 2022
Widely recognized as the Logroño International Festival of Architecture and Design, the annual Concéntrico festival turns its lens squarely toward the urban environment and the intrinsic value of public space. For its eighth iteration, the festival will scatter a series of bold, large-scale temporary installations across the city, created by winning architecture teams including AAA, Ander López, and Collective X.
Complementing the physical interventions is a robust schedule of public exhibitions and panel discussions. These sessions will explore contemporary community life, placing a strong emphasis on sustainable materials, circular design processes, and community-driven urbanism. For schedules and ticketing information, visit concentrico.es/en.
Competitions
Miami Floating Housing
Deadline: November 9, 2022
Hosted in conjunction with architectural organizations and academic frameworks—including ongoing research stemming from the University of Kent’s Architecture Visualization program—the Miami Floating Housing competition challenges designers to confront mounting environmental and urban challenges along vulnerable coastal zones. The initiative invites forward-thinking proposals that address both the material realities and social values of alternative, water-based habitats.
Running parallel to design submissions, related conferences and presentations will highlight innovative preservation projects, resilient design methodologies, and novel approaches to working with endangered coastal heritage sites. Additional competition guidelines and submission portals can be found at archoutloud.com.
