As the design world transitions into the autumn season, cultural institutions, galleries, and urban centers around the globe are rolling out an ambitious slate of exhibitions, immersive festivals, and high-stakes competitions. From major retrospectives honoring mid-century visionaries to critical examinations of public space, the coming months offer a comprehensive look at how architecture and design continue to shape the built environment.
For its primary exhibition this fall, Finland’s Design Museum is presenting a compelling showcase dedicated to the celebrated creative partnership of Antti Nurmesniemi and Vuokko Nurmesniemi. Working both independently and collaboratively across the interconnected disciplines of architecture, fashion, and interior design, the couple left an indelible mark on the development of the Finnish design industry during the latter half of the 20th century. Antti’s contributions to interior architecture and furniture design paired dynamically with Vuokko’s revolutionary textile and fashion innovations, reflecting a golden era of Nordic modernism that continues to resonate globally. Visitors interested in exploring their enduring legacy can find more information through the Design Museum’s official website.
In Germany, the ZKM|Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe is preparing to host a major winter exhibition dedicated to high-rise architect Ole Scheeren. Titled Ole Scheeren: Spaces of Life, the exhibition runs from December 10, 2022, to June 4, 2023, and marks the first comprehensive solo presentation of the architect’s work since he established his eponymous firm in 2010. Born in Karlsruhe, Scheeren began his career at the renowned OMA office in Rotterdam before carving out a distinct global profile through monumental, experimental projects that challenge traditional skyscraper typologies. Among his most celebrated works are the award-winning China Central Television (CCTV) Station in Beijing and the interlocking residential volumes of the Interlace building in Singapore. The exhibition promises a deep dive into Scheeren’s philosophical approach to density, community, and vertical urbanism.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Across the globe, several landmark exhibitions continue to draw crowds through the early autumn months, offering deep historical analysis and contemporary interpretations of architectural milestones.
In Los Angeles, the centennial celebration of R.M. Schindler’s iconic West Hollywood home is drawing to a close on September 25, 2022. Built in 1922, the architectural masterpiece has undergone countless transformations over its century-long history. Schindler originally conceived the residence as a radical experiment in communal living, sharing the space with his wife, Pauline, and their friends Clyde and Marian Chace. Since 1994, the property has functioned as the headquarters of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) Center for Art and Architecture, operating as an independent satellite of the MAK Museum in Vienna. To commemorate the centenary, MAK Center director Jia Yi Gu, working alongside architectural historians Gary Riichirō Fox and Sarah Hearne, curated a "gentle timeline" exhibition examining the making and unmaking of the house. The display weaves historical archives together with contemporary site-responsive installations by artists such as Carmen Argote, Kathi Hofer, Fiona Connor, Julian Hoeber, and Peter Shire.
In Milan, the Museo del Novecento is hosting a sprawling retrospective dedicated to the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Aldo Rossi. Titled Aldo Rossi: Design 1960–1997 and running through October 2, 2022, the exhibition features more than 350 works spanning the breadth of Rossi’s prolific career. Best known for his theoretical rigor and poetic typology, Rossi also engaged in high-profile collaborations with notable brands such as Designtex, Artemide, Alessi, and Up&Up. Curated by Chiara Spangaro with layout and interior architecture designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, the exhibition unfolds across nine distinct galleries, illuminating how Rossi’s experimental use of color, geometric reduction, and classical motifs continues to influence contemporary design practice.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s MAK Exhibition Hall is currently home to Missing Link: Strategies of a Viennese Architecture Group (1970–1980), running through October 2, 2022. This exhibition provides the first comprehensive institutional survey of the avant-garde architecture collective Missing Link. Founded in 1970 by Angela Hareiter, Otto Kapfinger, and Adolf Krischanitz, the group’s diverse output ranged from utopian manifestos for collective living to rigorous research studies mapping urban networks across Vienna. The exhibition contextualizes their work alongside pieces by influential contemporaries such as Hans Hollein and Joseph Beuys, while also delving into broader explorations of Viennese coffeehouse culture and the historical architecture of Red Vienna.
In Almere, Holland, the international horticultural exposition Floriade Expo 2022 remains open through October 9, 2022. Occurring only once every decade, the global event features temporary pavilions that highlight cutting-edge horticultural innovations from around the world. Architecture firm MVRDV was selected to mastermind the ambitious 60-hectare master plan for the six-month exhibition, conceptualizing the site as a living model for sustainable urbanism anchored by an underlying arboretum framework. An alphabetical living library of trees and plants is organized into a strict grid layout, dictating the spatial arrangement of the international pavilions. Once the exposition concludes, the infrastructure will transition into a permanent, green residential district for the city of Almere.
In Scotland, the grounds of Mount Stuart—a grand 19th-century mansion on the Isle of Bute—are hosting Sitting Pretty through October 15, 2022. The exhibition stems from an open call launched last September by Design Exhibition Scotland, which invited creators from across the country to reimagine the traditional park bench. The resulting prototypes, crafted by designers Rekha Maker, C.A. Walac, Chris Dobson, and the collaborative team Dress for the Weather x Stefanie Cheong, utilize an eclectic mix of materials including local sandstone, marble, regional timber, and recycled plastics. These site-specific benches pay homage to the rich material history and palatial context of the estate while offering fresh perspectives on public seating design.
London’s Building Centre is currently presenting The Garden of Privatised Delights through October 15, 2022. Originally conceived for the British Biennale Pavilion, the exhibition was commissioned by the British Council and curated by Madeleine Kessler and Manijeh Verghese of the London-based practice Unscene Architecture. Drawing its thematic inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch’s famous triptych, the exhibition critically examines the proliferation of privately owned public spaces across the United Kingdom, advocating for new design strategies to resolve tensions between corporate interests and the public good. Several prominent British architecture firms, including the Decorators, Studio Polpo, and vPPR Architects, contribute inventive reimaginings of privatized civic domains, ranging from high streets and local pubs to playgrounds and public restrooms.
In New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting a major retrospective of over 200 works by pioneering photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, running through November 6, 2022. This marks the first major museum exhibition following the photographers’ passing. The German-born couple achieved international renown for their systematic documentation of disappearing industrial architecture throughout the postwar era. Utilizing a large-format view camera, they captured water towers, grain silos, blast furnaces, and gas tanks with clinical precision. They subsequently organized these images into what they termed "typologies"—grids consisting of four to thirty photographs—elevating these anonymous industrial structures to the realm of conceptual art.
Events
The early fall calendar also features several high-profile gatherings, symposia, and festivals designed to engage both professionals and the wider public in critical dialogues surrounding the built environment.
In Los Angeles, the inaugural LightSPEC West event is scheduled for September 21–22, 2022. The two-day program focuses on cutting-edge lighting design and technological innovation within the built environment, addressing key topics for building designers, owners, and operators through product showcases, guided site tours, and CEU-accredited educational sessions. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Lawrence Scarpa of the architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa and Thomas Paterson of the lighting design practice Lux Populi.
The ninth edition of the Arquiteturas Film Festival is set to take place in Porto, Portugal, from September 27 to October 1, 2022. Shifting its venue from Lisbon to Porto this year, the festival invited filmmakers from around the world to submit works ranging from animated shorts to feature-length documentaries centered around the theme "Slow Down!" This year’s prompt encourages critical reflection on architectural practices centered on reducing, reusing, demolishing, or subtracting. The festival highlights the moving image as an essential medium for expanding public discourse around architecture, with juried prizes awarded across categories including documentary, fiction, experimental, new talent, and social awareness.
In Scandinavia, the Copenhagen Architecture Festival prepares to launch its extensive program from October 6 to 16, 2022. As the largest architecture festival in the region, this year’s edition addresses the overarching theme of "Sense of Place." The festival challenges architectural practitioners and the public to explore the critical threshold where physical space transforms into a meaningful "place," and where mere construction evolves into cultural architecture. The citywide program encompasses public lectures, immersive exhibitions, live debates, and curated film screenings, bolstered by a strategic collaboration with the Danish Architects Association to host parallel events across cultural institutions nationwide.
Rounding out the October event calendar is Duck Duck Shed: Celebrating Las Vegas Architecture, Design, and Culture, taking place from October 27 to 30, 2022. Hosted at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas—situated within a historic building designed by Paul Revere Williams that houses rescued neon signage—the four-day event celebrates decades of hospitality design and urban experimentation. The program features prominent speakers such as urban planner Alan Hess and architect Jon Sparer, the creative minds behind landmark properties including the Mirage, Paris Las Vegas, and the Bellagio. The event takes its conceptual cue from Denise Scott Brown, Robert Venturi, and Steven Izenour’s seminal text Learning From Las Vegas, which categorized civic architecture into expressive "ducks" and signage-heavy "decorated sheds."
Competitions
For architecture and design practices looking toward future commissions, international competitions offer a platform to impact urban growth directly.
The Czech real-estate development group 4th Quadrant is currently overseeing the 4th Quadrant of Victory Square International Architecture Competition, with an initial application deadline of September 16, 2022. The competition calls for visionary architecture and design teams to spearhead the comprehensive redevelopment of the area surrounding Victory Square in Prague. Proposals must address a current deficit of civic amenities, retail spaces, and local services for adjacent residential neighborhoods while paying respectful homage to Antonín Engel’s original 1924 master plan. Following portfolio submissions, an initial selection of six to ten firms will be chosen to develop detailed design proposals in active collaboration with 4th Quadrant, the City of Prague, and the Prague University of Chemistry and Technology, with financial prizes distributed across multiple phases of the competition.
