6th biennale svizzera del territorio 2026 – Handle with Care

Description

From 1 to 3 October, the biennale svizzera del territorio returns for its sixth edition, centred at Villa Saroli and spread across Lugano, Mendrisio and Bellinzona. The event is organised by Istituto Internazionale di Architettura under the direction of architect Ludovica Molo, and brings together emerging architects selected by an international committee, conferences, round tables, an urban walk and participatory activities open to the public. The title "Handle with Care" is a timely invitation to reflect on the urgency of a responsible architecture centred on care – one that repairs, maintains and regenerates through attuned listening to places and to the pre-existing, and through community engagement. A complex alternative to the easier path of demolition and construction, hallmarks of an architecture that consumes territory and resources. Thursday 1 October opens with a conference at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio – an evening of debate within the architecture and design community, dedicated to the values of political and civic responsibility within the discipline, addressing fundamental topics such as housing, reuse and citizen participation. Friday 2 October, organised in collaboration with the Canton Ticino Department of Territory and the City of Bellinzona, opens with an urban walk through the places that best represent the city's transformation – from industrial fringes to public spaces, from rewilding areas to new residential and school hubs. This is followed by the opening of the Symposium at the Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB). This day offers a reflection on the vocation of a distinctive territory: a bridge between northern and southern Europe, situated between the Lombardy metropolis and the rest of Switzerland, marked by complex dynamics and fragile balances. Two round tables invite participants to interrogate these conditions, imagine the future vocation of the territory and identify the tools with which to act in the present. In the evening, the projects in the park of Villa Saroli are officially inaugurated. The 10 installations selected through the Call for Action are unveiled and will remain on view to the public until 28 November. Saturday 3 October, the Symposium moves to Lugano – between the Italian Consulate General and Villa Saroli – for a day dedicated to the theme of care, with the participation of international speakers. Lectures, case studies and the presentations of the Call for Pecha Kucha alternate throughout the day. The evening concludes at Villa Saroli, where the installations are activated through performative moments, followed by an open convivial gathering. Three intense days in which Villa Saroli becomes an open laboratory, animated by ateliers, installations and events spread across the territory – an opportunity to experience how care for the territory also passes through the practices of encounter and exchange.

Highlights

• 6th biennale svizzera del territorio from October 1-3
• Focus on responsible architecture and community engagement
• Events include conferences, urban walks, and participatory activities

General Information

The 6th biennale svizzera del territorio, titled "Handle with Care," will be held across Lugano, Mendrisio, and Bellinzona, with a central venue at Villa Saroli. Organized by the Istituto Internazionale di Architettura, the event features emerging architects, discussions on civic responsibility, and explorations of urban transformation.

Location

viale Stefano Franscini 9, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland

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