As the year draws to a close, we look forward to a richly filled spring. In 2026, the public space will continue to be a central theme in our exhibitions, publications, lectures and debates. We will also be presenting the very first Flanders Architecture Prize and we launch a brand new series of talks on ecocide, urbicide and domicide. Discover the full programme below.

The Flanders Architecture Institute wishes you happy holidays and all the best for the new year. We hope to see you in 2026 at one of our many activities.

The exhibition Tamed Nature explores the layered history of urban green space through the lens of the city of Antwerp. From the first urban parks in the 19th century to the growing climate activism in the second half of the 20th century, the transformation of Antwerp reflects global evolutions in power dynamics, spatial and social ideals and the relationship with nature and ecology. It showcases unknown and underappreciated stories from the history of urban green space. Contemporary artistic and architectural interventions challenge conventional notions of urban nature and look ahead to a more inclusive, layered, and resilient urban future.

The Living Frameworks exhibition examines the relationship between the built environment and the natural world. In an era where the consequences of human interventions in natural ecosystems are increasingly coming to light, HOP.office explores the role of architecture and urban planning as a mediator between two seemingly separate domains.

The Flanders Architecture Institute (VAi) and art centre Het Bos host three evenings on the environmental dimensions of genocide. We explore why and how genocidal violence targets not just people but also their landscapes, homes and cities. Over the course of one month, together with moderator Janno Martens, we engage in dialogue with five guests, share food, and watch video work by international artists.

Today, there are numerous new initiatives promoting equality in the architecture sector. But whose work are they building on? Unfolding the Archives #9 Feminist Perspectives looks back at Flanders in the 1980s, when the struggle for gender equality also reached the architecture sector. The exhibition draws on archive material from the “Vrouwen en Wonen” working group, founded in 1981, and explores feminist perspectives on architecture. It establishes a link between contemporary developments and historical precedents that are often overlooked.

Samuel Baidoo, in collaboration with, among others, new media artist Sondi. The multidisciplinary project takes on various forms: from game and performance to exhibition and talk. All of these are renderings of Baidoo’s reflections on grief, joy, and sorrow. In this performance, Baidoo presents the video game, and afterwards, you can visit the accompanying exhibition for several more weeks.

Until the end of September 2026, Takuya Miyake, architectural historian and professor at the Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), will be joining the architecture faculty at UAntwerp as a research fellow. His research will include analysing the archive management of the collection of the Flanders Architecture Institute (VAi).

On Sunday 7 June, the VAi will present the very first Flanders Architecture Prize. This prize will shine an extra spotlight on high-quality architecture with added social value. In conjunction with this, we are organising a new edition of Architecture Day. As usual, on that day we will open up the most talked-about contemporary architecture throughout Flanders and Brussels to the general public.

The Stiftung Architektur Schweiz SAS (Swiss Architecture Foundation) presents the second edition of the Swiss Architecture Yearbook. The exhibition opening and book launch of SAY 2025/26 took place on September 26, 2025, at the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel. Head of Collections at the Nieuwe Instituut, and former director of VAi, Sofie de Caigny was part of the selection committee.

The Centre for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB) is proud to announce the new edition of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. This biennial award celebrates projects that create and improve public spaces across Europe. The call for submissions for the 2026 edition is now open.