XII. Networks of (Ex)Change, Global Disseminations of Architectural KnowledgeXII. Networks of (Ex)Change, Global Disseminations of Architectural Knowledge

In 1928, a group of innovative architects from around the world founded the Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne (CIAM) to discuss key issues and challenges in urban planning and architecture. Now this year’s conference will feature 20 contributions from researchers from around the world, reflecting on historical examples of international knowledge exchange in architecture and urban planning.

As part of the run-up to the CIAM centenary in 2028, this event marks the beginning of a series of events organised by the Jaap Bakema Study Centre and the gta Archive of ETH Zurich, focusing on international knowledge exchange.

The past two decades have seen architects actively engaging in rethinking the role of archives, donating fonds to collecting institutions, and setting up foundations. In her keynote The Orbits of Archiving: A Pragmatist Perspective Albena Yaneva pays attention to the situated practices of compiling living archives with the aim to investigate the specific connections between archival manipulation and the flow of information in design firms. Unpacking how two leading Foundations work—the Fondazione Renzo Piano and the Norman Foster Foundation—she analysed how their material and social practices feed back into the design workflow. Scrutinizing the archival strategies of active design firms related to the Foundations, Yaneva argues that the living archives gain the agency to shape versatile networks between architectural studios and archival institutions that speak about the current conditions of design practice. A video recording of the event can be found down below.

The 12th annual Jaap Bakema Study Centre conference took place on 26 and 27 November at the Nieuwe Instituut and TU Delft respectively.

The full programme for both days of the conference can be found here.

A special word of thanks goes out to the Van Eesteren & Fluck-Van Lohuizen Foundation, which generously supported some of the conference participants in their travel costs.

The Jaap Bakema Study Centre was established in 2013 as a special research partnership between TU Delft and the Nieuwe Instituut. Its programme aims to intensify the exchanges between architectural design, archives, academia, and curatorial practices, while combining contemporary social issues with advanced historical and theoretical research. From the outset, the primary focus was to help increase the visibility and use of the National Collection of Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, which is housed in the institute.