A Handy Dandy Guide to Architecture Festivals in Europe

Over at anArchitecture, Christoph Wassman has set up a handy dandy guide to architecture festivals in Europe this summer, of which there are gobs. These festivals mark an interesting trend in architecture, as it become a little sexier, a stitch more glamourous, and maybe, just maybe, even cool. That we at CIA have Architecture in our title (and we're cool, right?), might be another emblem of this trend.

But anArchitecture asks the most important question concerning this robus amount of attention to architecture: Where are the clients?

The same reason that Rosalind Krauss said architects would never be artists, is really the reason architecture is what it is (alongside the limitations of physics, materials, and usage), clients. Architecture is shaped by reality, and reality costs money, for engineers and construction workers, materials and autoCAD software) and who's got the money, well, clients, the name for customers and patrons of the architect class. People (and sometimes companies) with very deep pockets to build a unique building rather than just having an engineer throw together some plans (which is how most buildings are built).

Enough navel-gazing, here's anArchitecture's handy-dandy guide for arch festivals this summer, and don't worry, CIA will doubtlessly be at most of them.

Architekturtage, architektur erleben, Austria,
May 16th to 17th
"Experiencing Architecture is the motto under which all the provinces of Austria will present a wide-ranging programme, providing you an exciting overview of the most varied aspects of architecture."
http://www.architekturtage.at/English
factor: have fun, a lot of office parties, www.feld72.at, www.000y0.at and more.

London Festival of Architecture 2008,
June 20th to Juy 20th
"The London Festival of Architecture 2008 is a celebration and exploration of the city's buildings, streets and spaces, aimed at Londoners and visitors alike."
factor: have fun
http://www.lfa2008.org/

XXIII UIA World Congress of Architecture, Transmitting Architecture, Torino 2008,
June 28th to July 3rd, 2008
"Architecture that is a part of an overall process that wants to face problems that go beyond the tight environments and languages of the profession to face the mankind's true and far-reaching problems."
http://www.uia2008torino.org/U8T/Engine/RAServePG.php
factor: be smart

La Biennale di Venezia, 11th International Architecture Exhibition
from September 14th to November 23rd, 2008
According to Aaron Betsky, the 11th Architecture Biennale "points out what should be an obvious fact: architecture is not building. Buildings are objects and the act of building leads to such objects, but architecture is something else. It is the way we think and talk about buildings, how we represent them, how we build them".
http://www.labiennale.org/en/
factor: be a dandy, architecture and Venice – simply great

World Architecture Festival, Barcelona,
October 22nd to 24th, 2008
"The World Architecture Festival is the annual event for architects worldwide. The Festival will celebrate the work, concerns and aspirations of the international architectural community, during a three-day event taking place 22-24 October 2008 in Barcelona."
http://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/
factor: be competitive, each competition entry costs 950 €

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