Joint Exhibition

with Works by Architecture Students

Chair of Architectural Design and Participation, TU Munich

Chair of Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environments, USI Mendrisio

The WATER FUTURES exhibition explores the potential of water not only as a physical substance, but also as a medium that shapes and is shaped by the urban and architectural imagination. In our time, there is an undeniable urgency to address water as more than just a commodity. Issues such as the privatisation of resources, scarcity, contamination and large-scale extractive practices make this engagement critical and urgent. Yet, water also continues to serve as a generative force - promoting health, care and collective action. To address these challenges, water pedagogies in architectural education must embrace water’s dual character: as a site of crisis and as a source of creativity, community and resilience.

The joint travelling exhibition of two chairs from the Technical University Munich (Germany) and the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio (Switzerland) presents student projects on the theme of WATER FUTURES. It highlights the project outcomes of the design studios of the Chair of Architectural Design and Participation headed by Prof. Francis Kéré (2022-2024) and the results of a research seminar of the Chair of Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environments under the direction of Prof. Sascha Roesler (2023). The exhibition builds multiple bridges between architectural design and research, while addressing the pressing global water challenges that are exacerbated by climate change.

The Chair of Architecture Design and Participation projects emphasised contextual sensitivity and encouraged students to develop site-specific solutions through a mix of conceptual thinking and hands-on experimentation. Over the past six semesters, students have addressed water challenges at a variety of scales and design programmes. These range from elements to buildings, from devices to landscape masterplans, with a focus on unconventional water sources and resilient architecture. Projects from the design briefs COLLECTRA[SH], FOODTOPIA, [SUP]PORT and WATER EVER showcase creative interventions from around the world, that address local issues such as flooding, drought, pollution, local resource availability, biodiversity, passive systems and underline the need for spaces that benefit local communities while proposing sustainable systems for water harvesting and use. The projects point to possible directions for the future of architecture when faced with water-related challenges.

The works by the Chair of Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environment's research seminar focused on the future impact of rising sea levels on the (urban) coastal environment, urging students to combine scientific knowledge with architectural foresight. The seminar emphasized the need for future-oriented competence of architects; it equipped the students with tools to anticipate and adapt to ecological changes. The students explored the future of cities through interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating sociological, technological and political insights to promote resilient infrastructure and urban planning strategies for a series of case studies worldwide.

Combining the site-specific projects with real-scale components by the Chair of Architectural Design and Participation with the research-based scenarios by the Chair of Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environmentseminar, this touring exhibition presents an integrated view of how architecture and urbanism can address the multiple challenges of climate change. The works on display emphasise the importance of collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts to design a resilient way forward for our water-affected landscapes.