Francine Houben joins the discussion panel “Looking back to the Future: 20 Years IABR”

As part of IT'S ABOUT TIME, the 10th edition of the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale, Francine Houben curator of the 2003 edition joins the discussion panel, Friday, November 11th “Looking back to the Future: 20 Years IABR”. During this event, former curators, such as Francine Houben, Dirk Sijmons and Maarten Hajer reflect on the current world events and the theme of their previous biennale. The discussion will analyse how relevant and pertinent these themes still are on our society.

The 2003 Rotterdam International Architecture Biennale curated by Francine Houben was dedicated to Mobility. Did time, insights and context influence the meaning and value of the original theme? Is the current society – with its habits, customs and demands - , new political policies and the construction sector embracing and learning from the reflection of architects on the built environment?

Francine Houben says: “Mobility is part of modern society; it is a daily pursuit, just like housing, work and recreation. Therefore, designing for mobility must be about people deriving a sensory experience from their everyday mobility. But we also know that the provision of mobility infrastructure has city-scale effects. So, we should consider mobility as a tool for connecting communities, facilitating new opportunities and creating conditions for economies to flourish.”

IABR cultural partners such as Elma van Boxel (ZUS), Thijs van Spaandonk (BRIGHT), Joachim Declerck (AWB) and Michiel van Lersel (Looom) will also join the panel. Representatives of the younger generation of designers and thinkers will also share their viewpoints. Lydia Giokari (architect at Mecanoo) Shelley Long (landscape architect) and Freek van Riet (urban planner and landscape designer), among others, will discuss the results and the current relevance of the various themes.

For more information and tickets, please visit IABR.