The 7th edition of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale poses a profound question that challenges our understanding of urban environments: How heavy is a city, and what does that weight mean for our collective future? Running from October 2 to December 8, 2025, this prestigious European architectural event transforms Lisbon into a laboratory for exploring the transformations of urban life and examining the material, social, and environmental consequences of inhabiting our planet today.
Curated by Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino, founders of the practice Territorial Agency, the Triennale investigates the magnitude of contemporary cities and their planetary impact. The exhibition reveals that global cities are composed of nearly 30 trillion tons of materials, forming a dense and intricate web of continuously evolving structures. To unpack these complexities, the Triennale positions itself as a space of learning, curiosity, imagination, and debate—serving as a meeting ground for architects, researchers, artists, and the wider public.
The curatorial concept unfolds through three thematic strands—Fluxes, Spectres, and Lighter—each materialized in a dedicated exhibition, a book chapter, and a talk series. At MAAT Central Tejo, the "Fluxes" exhibition examines the city as a device for shaping energy, information, and material flows. This presentation reflects on architecture's material basis, including its constructions, foundations, joints, and erosions, while asking how new forms of measurement might help us understand the changing figures of life on Earth.
At MUDE Design Museum, "Spectres" positions architecture as both object and method of inquiry into the challenges of climate chaos. Through exploration of remote sensing, deforestation, mining, sea level rise, and logistical infrastructures, this exhibition reveals how the expansion of cities cuts across all territories. It challenges visitors to imagine different rhythms of change for both the built environment and the biosphere.
Meanwhile, at the Architecture Centre MAC/CCB, "Lighter" questions the accelerating patterns of architectural production in the Anthropocene era. It unfolds as a meditation on alternative agencies that resist linear trajectories, speculating on how architecture might act within self-organizing systems where humans are no longer the sole drivers of change. Together, these three strands form a constellation of perspectives that highlight the weight and pressure cities exert on the planet, while inviting speculation about possible futures of cohabitation.
From October 29 to 31, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will host "Talk, Talk, Talk," a three-day conference curated by Filipa Ramos. Structured around the themes of Fluxes, Spectres, and Lighter, the program gathers international experts from fields as diverse as science, philosophy, and the arts. Beyond formal lectures, the format includes "drinktalk" sessions, moderated by Lilet Breddels, ArchDaily's Editor-in-Chief Christele Harrouk, and Federica Zambeletti, offering informal encounters between audience and speakers. As Ramos explains, the discussions will probe how both "weight" and "pressure" act as agents of transformation across spatial, infrastructural, and environmental scales.
At the heart of the event is the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Awards trilogy, which celebrates transformative practices at different stages of architectural life. This year, the Lifetime Achievement Award honors Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect, whose six-decade career has redefined architecture as a tool for social justice and environmental resilience. After retiring from commercial practice, she focused on the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, developing community-led, low-carbon building techniques. She will be in Lisbon to deliver a public lecture and receive the award trophy, designed by Álvaro Siza and crafted from reclaimed Estremoz marble.
The Début Award, announced during the opening days of the Triennale on October 24, highlights emerging practices including Bangkok Tokyo Architecture from Thailand, Palma from Mexico, ReSa Architects from India, Robida Collective from Italy, and TEN from Switzerland. Chosen from 75 applications worldwide, these finalists embody a new generation of architects redefining the discipline through diverse contexts and collective approaches. Alongside them, the Universities Award recognizes experimental academic work from schools across the globe, reinforcing the Triennale's mission to promote bold thinking, innovative research, and meaningful contributions that extend from the classroom to established practice.
The Triennale also maintains its tradition of hosting Independent Projects, in partnership with local and international initiatives. This year, from 76 applications, twenty were selected to be part of the official program, spread across venues such as the Palácio Sinel de Cordes, MAC/CCB, and MNAC. Supporting and sharing these initiatives reinforces the Triennale's commitment to listening to emerging voices and amplifying new forms of action.
The curatorial team of Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino, through their practice Territorial Agency, has built a reputation for combining architecture, science, art, and advocacy. Their notable projects include "Oceans in Transformation" (TBA21Academy, ZKM, Taipei Biennial), "Sensible Zone" (Venice Biennale, Seoul Biennale, Barbican), and the "Museum of Oil" with Greenpeace. Recognized with the European Commission's STARTS Prize in 2021, their work consistently probes the intersections of environment, technology, and territorial transformation. At the Architectural Association in London, they also lead long-term research on Europe's coasts and on the planetary implications of the Anthropocene.
With exhibitions across Lisbon's leading cultural venues, an ambitious talks program, independent projects, and prestigious awards, the Lisbon Triennale 2025 positions the city as a stage for reflection on how architecture can respond to urgent global transformations. "How Heavy is a City?" serves less as a question to be answered than as an invitation to rethink the weight—material, social, environmental, and symbolic—of our collective environments. From October to December, Lisbon becomes a space to speculate, debate, and imagine architecture's role in shaping the futures of cohabitation on our planet.
