Symposium Lucerne Talks «On collaborations»
On November 21, 2025, the Lucerne Talks Symposium for architectural pedagogies took place, focusing on the topic of “On collaborations.” The Institute of Architecture organized the event for the sixth time. Around 200 participants and renowned keynote speakers made the event a great success.
There are various forms of collaborations. None of them are free of conflict, even if, at their root, they grow out of a common interest, aim at common objectives, and emerge from a feeling of togetherness. While it is clear that no architecture can emerge without collective organization, it is also impossible without individual engagement. So what are the core qualities of collective work and where do its boundaries lie? Architecture is a joint endeavour, and architectural creations are the end result of processes of negotiation, but also of chance occurrences, unforeseen circumstances, tensions, and synergies. Collaborations are a necessity, and they are founded on the ability to work together effectively. More so than in many other disciplines, architecture brings together various interests, leading to conflicts that have to be negotiated.
The different roles involved in architecture are, however, continually in flux, and meander between a range of external and internal perspectives, between non-knowledge and knowledge, or perhaps more accurately, between generalist and specialist knowledge, and ultimately have to navigate the cleft between vision and reality.
The requirements placed on the built space challenge us to engage in more in-depth and complex collaborations with representatives of other disciplines who have at their disposal other tools, come from different planning cultures, and set different objectives. What language and vocabulary can we find that will enable us to further architecture by moving beyond its boundaries, and which practical knowledge is necessary for this task? And how can this new culture of collaboration become established in architectural education and research?
Over the course of this symposium, participants were invited to reflect on the points made above and, more specifically, to address the following two questions:
- What is the role of collaboration in architectural education and research?
- How can we collaborate with each other in architectural education and research in order to reconnect with society?
Panel discussion
Program
