For its seventeenth edition, the jury of the Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) has selected the curatorial proposal by architects Ander Bados Sesma and Miguel Ramón López, highlighting their research and critical exploration of how architecture can respond to the challenges of the era of hyperconnectivity.
Aligned with the general theme of the XVII BEAU, "Architecture as a Policy of Change," and in line with the Law on the Quality of Architecture, the proposal is structured around five thematic axes that represent the essential flows or dynamics that shape our current society: materials, people, energy, data, and the environment.
Selected from among five finalist proposals, "Flujos comun.es" stands out for its innovative perspective, making it a critical platform that will contribute to bridging the divide between conventional approaches to design and architectures that respond to contemporary flows. Through projects, research, and visual recordings, selected through a public call, the proposal aims to highlight recent Spanish architectural projects that have incorporated the tools and dynamics necessary to approach architecture in a reality where the global and the local are in constant interaction, where boundaries are blurred, and where territorial stability is increasingly uncertain.
Miguel Ramón López and Ander Bados Sesma, commissioners of the 17th Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism.
Since its first edition, the BEAU has integrated a series of activities specifically related to Architecture, organized by various collaborating institutions: an open call for the selection of the best architectural and urban planning works by Spanish architects in the previous two years; an exhibition and catalog with the proposals selected by the Jury in the different categories of each edition; and a program of activities linked to the exhibition's touring tours to various nationally and internationally renowned centers.
This new edition of the BEAU, responding to the values of the Architecture Quality Law and in line with the work axes of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda (MIVAU), proposes to reflect on traditional models of architectural practice and architecture's response to key structural transformations in a world governed by ever-changing dynamics.
In a globally interconnected geopolitical context, the main objective of the XVII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism is to bring architecture closer to society in order to implement actions that impact collective well-being.
Among the results of the Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism from past editions are: The 16th BEAU, "Me–dio Pla–zo / Medium Term", Seville, 2023; The 15th BEAU, "Empty Spain, Full Spain. Reconciliation Strategies", Valladolid-Barcelona, 2021; The 14th BEAU, "Más habitar, más humanizar / More Living, More Humanizing", Santander, 2018; The 13th BEAU, "Alternatives / Alternatives", Granada, 2016; The 12th BEAU, "Inflection / Turning Point", Madrid, 2013-2014; The 11th BEAU, "The Next, the Necessary", Comillas, 2011.
