"It is madness to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results." - Albert Einstein is supposed to have once said. It is not easy to translate these words into architecture - here one needs a balance between proven techniques that have been improved over the years and a constant search for new and better solutions - space to rethink the established patterns. This is what this year's edition of the International Architecture Biennale in Krakow under the slogan "Re-think" encourages .
partners of the meeting
40 years have passed...
The beginning of the International Architecture Biennale in Krakow dates back to 1985, the event inaugurated then became a space for the exchange of experiences of architects and architects from around the world. Competitions, exhibitions, lectures and debates were held with the participation of artists who set world trends in architecture - such as Frei Otto, Rainer Mahlamäki, architects Herzog & de Meuron and Zvi Hecker.
Since the first edition marks 40 years this year, it's a good time to reflect and rethink spatial relationships, visions of the future, and perhaps even the role of the architectural community itself? Organized by the Association of Polish Architects Krakow Branch and the City of Krakow , the event will take place on October 10-11 this year at ICE Krakow.
The opportunity to continue the long-standing tradition of a general and community-oriented discussion, addressing current problems of contemporary architecture, is also a chance for intellectual "ferment", fostering sensitization of our city to the problems of creating a friendly, built urban environment, open to people and their needs. This is the mission of MBA Kraków. The continuation of the tradition is to be an arena of interdisciplinary activity of creative circles, influencing the level of architectural culture in Poland, popularizing Polish architecture abroad and drawing experience from the achievements of other countries
- emphasize the organizers.
What's in the MBA Krakow 2025 program?
This year's program includes panel discussions: Identity of place in the new version. Shaping contemporary public spaces in historic urban structures with the participation of, among others, Katarzyna Urbańska, Małopolska Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments and Tomasz Konior from the Konior Studio; Planning the future of Krakow - Integration of the Municipality Development Strategy, General Plan with the participation of, among others, prof. Stanislaw Mazur, 1st Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow and Prof. Piotr Lorens, Architect of the City of Gdansk; Re-Thinking, Metro Krakow with the participation of Prof. Denis Bocquet of France's École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture and prof. Andrzej Szarata, Rector of the Cracow University of Technology; an ideological competition for the concept of recomposition of a key place in the city, which is the surroundings of Wawel Hill, as well as student workshops conducted under the guidance of more than 20 tutors, including Maciej Kaufman of Archigrest studio, Justyna Dziedziejko of topoScape, among others, Jakub Krzysztofik, president of the SARP Lodz Branch, Jerzy Łątka of the Wrocław University of Technology, or Bartosz Haduch, an architect from the NArchitekTURA studio, whose topic is the Krakow Florists' Stand - an element of the identity of urban space.
There will also be no shortage of occasions to celebrate - ahead of us is the 40th anniversary of the MBA, the award gala of the Salon of Architecture of the Małopolska Regional Chamber of Architects PR, we will also meet the winners and laureates of the competition of the Cracow branch of TUP for the best thesis.
Participation in the event is free and open. Detailed information and the full program are available on the MBA KRAKÓW 2025 website. See how it was at the previous edition of the Krakow Biennale and see you this year!
