About Competition
Building, demolishing, building again… that is easy. But caring for things, making them last, keeping them alive, repairing them. That is a difficult task. You have to observe, listen, pay attention. Study, understand. Recognise what exists, even if it’s fragile, even if it’s not perfect. You need allies. It’s a task for those who know from experience the consequences of destruction, who know the price of maintenance, who know a thing of beauty is a joy forever. If you can handle it, caring is power.
Proposals can be of many kinds, ranging from installations, constructed or transformative interventions, to performances, artistic works, or architectural visions. These are to be related to the theme of the biennale: actions that evoke, and question the responsibility of our professions and practices to observe, to maintain, and to act with care toward our living environment. Actions will be implemented within the magnificent grounds of Villa Saroli in Lugano or may extend beyond them, provided that city regulations are respected. A city representative will support this aspect. The proposals must be developed as physically reversible / their impact and contribution has the potential to be long lasting.
Requirements / Eligibility
The submission has to be filled out and submitted the registration form available online at:
biennale.i2a.ch/form, attaching a brief description of the action you wish to exhibit, an illustration or technical drawing, as well as the project title and a short presentation of the team.Please also provide a detailed budget for implementing and setting up the proposal. The maximum budget allocated to each action ranges between 5’000 and 7’000 CHF (depending on the number of selected proposals), including the honorary (other sources of funding resources may be proposed according to the project). To facilitate the selection process, describe the project on four A3 pages, as follows:
- Title, team presentation
- Description (ca. 1’000 characters)
- Illustration or technical drawing
- Project’s feasibility (state of the project, budget, schedule, etc.)
Submission / Key Dates
All the information can be found at the following link.: https://biennale.i2a.ch/en/Biennale 2026 – Call for Action en.pdf
About the Organizer
Istituto Internazionale di Architettura is a center for urban culture dedicated to exploring issues related to territory and sustainability. A place of openness and dialogue, it believes in architecture as a tool for interpreting and understanding the major transformations of contemporary society. It promotes the participation of civil society, professionals, and institutions in shaping a design vision for the future of the territory we inhabit. It engages citizens of all ages through diverse languages and formats, with a program that includes lectures, talks, exhibitions, summer schools, and workshops.
To find more details & Register visit HERE
LAST DATE OF REGISTRATION: 9 February 2026
LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION: 9 February 2026
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