Francine Houben, Mecanoo & 40 years of iconic architecture at the Donner Rotterdam

Join us at the Donner bookstore in Rotterdam for a special lecture on Mecanoo's past and future, presented by Mecanoo and Nai Publishers. Francine Houben will be in attendance to answer audience questions and sign copies of the recently published book 'Mecanoo: People, Place, Purpose, Poetry'. Led by Francine Houben and partners, Mecanoo creates buildings that evoke emotion and magic. Mecanoo's projects are like 'spatial poems' that transform everyday places into humane architecture that touches all the senses.

Mecanoo's transformative power can be seen in a surprising range of designs, such as the world-famous New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, a futuristic theater complex in Kaohsiung, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington DC and De Nederlandsche Bank in Amsterdam. This publication contains texts and stories by architecture critic Herbert Wright, beautiful photographs and inspiring illustrations, providing a comprehensive portrait of one of the world's most exceptional architectural firms today. Mecanoo has been bringing poetry to architecture for more than 40 years.

Sunday, February 18, 2024, from 3:00 - 4:30 PM.
Entrance: Admission free - registration required via rsvp@nai010.com   
Language: Dutch
Location: Theater Boekhandel Donner, Coolsingel 129, Rotterdam

Francine Houben has been a founding partner and creative director of Mecanoo since 1984 and has led the agency to national and international success. She has built a broad portfolio of award-winning work, inspired by global challenges and a vision of a sustainable society. Francine has received numerous awards, including the 2015 Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund Prize for her life's work as an internationally leading architect. As curator of the first International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (2003), she brought the aesthetics of mobility as a theme to the forefront of international design consciousness. Francine lectures all over the world and has been a (guest) professor at renowned universities such as Delft University of Technology, Harvard Graduate School of Design, USA, Yale School of Architecture, USA, and Accademia d'Archittettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

More information, here.

UPDATE (12 February): This event is fully booked.