Among the leading figures of the 2026 edition of Costruire Abitare Pensare, Cersaie’s cultural programme, Annabelle Selldorf arrives in Bologna as one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary international architecture.
On Thursday, 24 September at 2:00 PM, at The Square within the Bologna exhibition district, the architect will give a lecture organised in collaboration with Platform, focusing on a design practice that places people, context and the way spaces are actually experienced at its core.
Founder of Selldorf Architects, the New York-based practice established in 1988, Annabelle Selldorf has developed a body of work recognised for its rigour, precision and ability to shape the quality of spatial experience without resorting to spectacle. Her architecture is restrained and attentive, engaging with existing buildings, cultural institutions and complex programmes through interventions based on continuity, materiality and a close relationship with context.
Her practice spans different scales and building types, with a particular focus on spaces for art and culture. In recent years, the studio has completed major international projects including the expansion and restoration of The Frick Collection in New York, the National Gallery in London and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
In 2026, Selldorf Architects, together with Studios Architecture, also won the international competition for Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance, the most significant transformation project for the Paris museum in the past forty years. The intervention will include a new entrance and a new gallery dedicated to the Mona Lisa, redefining access, circulation and the visitor experience within one of the world’s most visited museums.
The Bologna lecture will therefore offer an opportunity to explore an approach that understands architecture first and foremost as the creation of conditions for human experience, rather than the production of iconic images. It is a way of designing in which restraint, durability and attention to use remain some of the most recognisable themes.
Attendance at the conference entitles architects to 2 Continuing Professional Development credits. A visit to Cersaie also allows participants to obtain 1 additional credit, through self-certification and by attaching the entrance ticket.
Annabelle Selldorf
Thursday, 24 September, 2:00 PM
The Square, BolognaFiere
Register your attendance here and join the event with Annabelle Selldorf.
