Symposium : Shaping Contemporary Realities: Architecture and Beyond

This fall, Villa Albertine Chicago is expanding its architecture-focused public programming with a series of events supported by Saint-Gobain, a global leader in light and sustainable construction.

Following the presentation of the French Pavilion Living with / Vivre Avec from the Venice Architecture Biennale in Chicago (November 2025–February 2026), and the organization of a Summer Academy in Architecture and Urban Studies in Paris that brought together 20 pairs of French and American architecture students, Villa Albertine Chicago and Mas Context organize a three-day symposium bringing together leading voices to explore the future of sustainable architecture.

The symposium will foster lively transatlantic exchanges through the perspectives of more than 35 architects, landscape architects, urban planners, curators, artists, scientists, researchers, philosophers, and leading experts exploring three key themes: Innovative Adaptation, Civic Changemaking, and Flourishing Environments.

Each day will take place at a different venue—the IIT College of Architecture, Experimental Station on the South Side, and the Chicago Architecture Center—and will combine short talks, public Q&A sessions, and guided tours.

The program is free and open to professionals, academics, students, and the broader public. The full program will be available in late summer.

Shaping Contemporary Realities: Architecture and Beyond is organized by Villa Albertine Chicago and MAS Context, with the support of Saint-Gobain, Albertine Foundation, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, and Driehaus Foundation.

The symposium is presented in collaboration with IIT College of Architecture, Experimental Station, the Chicago Architecture Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), and the Driehaus Museum.

Editorial partners include CSF – Constructing Sustainable Futures and States – Villa Albertine.