Cluj-Napoca becomes the capital of architects during FAST

21.10.2024

October 18, 2024 - In less than 2 weeks, Cluj-Napoca becomes for 5 days the capital of architects and all those interested in the future of our cities. FAST: Festival for Architecture Schools of Tomorrow, the first Romanian festival dedicated to the future of architecture, takes place from October 30 to November 3 in Cluj-Napoca, with the participation of leading names in world architecture and the professional community in the country and the region.

It follows 5 days of conference-events, exhibitions, film screenings, activations, concerts, architectural tours and workshops exploring the theme of the edition: d i v e r s e c i t y , the diversity of phenomena affecting cities today and opportunities for the future.

Celebrities Peter Zumthor (Switzerland), winner of the Pritzker International Prize for Architecture (2009), NíallMcLaughlin (Ireland), professor and practitioner, winner of the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize (2022) for his contribution to the evolution of architecture, Marcio Sequeira de Oliveira, architect and engineer who revolutionized architecture and engineering education by inventing the Mola structural model, Nicola Delon(Encore Heureux Architects, France), an architect who has linked his name and practice to exhibitions and events including the Venice Architecture Biennale, theorists and critics of the field and its relationship with societal challenges such as Éric Lapierre (France) and Johnny Leya (Traumnovelle, Belgium) are just a few reasons to be present in Cluj-Napoca for the TALKS evenings and beyond.

Details about the festival events, the full program and how to register are available on the FAST fast.oar.archi page and on social media(Facebook, Instagram). Registration for the TALKS evenings at the Opera opens on Monday, October 21 at 18:00.

FAST: Festival for Architecture Schools of Tomorrow was initiated in 2023 by the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR) to facilitate the connection between academic education and professional practice and a robust response of the profession to the developments and challenges of contemporary society. The event connects for the first time to the professional community and in a single event the five centers of architecture in Romania - the faculties of Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Oradea and Bucharest - and also extends this network of cooperation at regional and international level.

"This festival promises to become a real platform for dialog and collaboration for the future of the profession and our environment. FAST is not just the festival of the architects of today and tomorrow, but the opportunity for an entire community to become more aware of the importance of our field for society, of the role of the quality of the built environment in our lives" Dr. Arh. Ștefan Bâlici, President of the Romanian Order of Architects

Taking its theme from the Forum of the International Union of Architects, FAST annually reflects global challenges, while relating to local realities and the evolution of tomorrow's society. This year, during the five-day festival, we explore the intersections between education, professional practice and the complex phenomena of city growth and decline. FAST 2024 themes include topics such as 1. Cultural heritage and city identity, 2. Density and sustainable growth, and 3. Ecology and equity in urban planning.

FAST is a festival developed by the Romanian Order of Architects, as a priority project funded by the architecture stamp. The first edition of FAST (2023) was organized in Timisoara, in the year in which the city held the title of European Capital of Culture, together with the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Timisoara (FAUT). This year's festival is hosted by the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, in partnership with the Transylvania Branch of the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR Transylvania), the French Cultural Institute, the Swiss Embassy and Swiss Fund, Cinema Arta - Urban Eye Film Festival, the Romanian Union of Architects and the Cluj Association of Architecture Students.

"FAST reminds us every year that we are together and that only together we can make architecture more relevant. Through this festival, we as schools and professionals give and receive at the same time experiences and ideas that we carry with us for a year, until the next meeting" Conf. Dr. Arh. habil habil Șerban Țigănaș, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Technical University Cluj-Napoca

Held annually and hosted in turn by the five Romanian architecture schools, the festival offers opportunities for learning through dialog, collaboration and participation, strengthening the relationship between the educational and professional worlds. In addition, the event is a forum for shaping the pedagogies of the future, aiming to improve the quality of the built environment. The FAST program is built around three main sections TALKS / DEBATES, EXHIBITIONS / EXHIBITIONS, ACTIVATIONS / ACTIVATIONS and is dedicated to the whole architectural community as well as to those interested in the future of our cities and communities.

Selection from the program of the 2024 edition in Cluj-Napoca:

The 2024 edition aims to draw the public to iconic places in Cluj-Napoca and leave behind landmark spaces and conversations for communities.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, on the first day of the festival, the inauguration of the FAST PAVILION, a project conceived and realized entirely through the collaboration of architecture students, takes place at the Observator Campus of the Technical University, followed by a concert on site.

From October 31 to November 2, 2024 , there will be evenings of discussions and debates(TALKS), hosted by the Romanian National Opera in Cluj-Napoca, as well as the opening of the COEXIST X5 Exhibition at the Fashion House (31.10 - 4.11), the Academic Conference "House with Fashion" (UT HuB) (31.10-1.11).

On Saturday, November 4, 2024 professionals of the built environment and local government meet in two extremely important FAST side events: the special conference dedicated to sustainable cities (M100) and the debate dedicated to Architectural Competitions, a field in which Cluj Napoca is a champion (organizer OAR Transilvania).

Throughout the festival there will be thematic film screenings (matinees) at Cinema Arta (31.10-2.11), offered by Urban Eye Film Festival, day and night architecture tours (pre-registration required), book launches, premiere of a play staged especially for FAST by REACTOR, Cluj-Napoca (1.11)

Keynote speakers in brief

Peter Zumthor

Born in 1943 in Basel, Peter Zumthor works with his team in an alpine landscape in Haldenstein, Switzerland, creating landmark works such as Kunsthaus Bregenz and Therme Vals. With a deep respect for the natural context and local culture, Zumthor explores the relationship between space and place identity, perfectly reflecting FAST's themes of promoting cultural diversity and local specificity in architecture.

Níall McLaughlin

Níall McLaughlin, a Dublin-trained architect, brings to his projects, from educational buildings to places of worship, a deep reflection on contemporary challenges of urban density and heritage protection. His award-winning project, Magdalene College Library, is an eloquent example of the harmonization of tradition and sustainability, correlated with the Diversecity theme, which explores urban identity and sustainable growth.

Johnny Leya - Traumnovelle

Johnny Leya, co-founder of Traumnovelle, develops through his architectural practice contemporary agorare - spaces for debate, meeting and exchange of ideas. Exploring the relationship between architecture and politics, Leya proposes a critical reassessment of urban collective narratives, seamlessly integrating the challenges of Diversecity, which seeks new perspectives on public spaces and civic responsibility.

Marcio Sequeira de Oliveira

Marcio Sequeira de Oliveira, Brazilian architect and engineer, revolutionized architecture and engineering education with his structural model Mola, which simulates the behavior of real structures. Through his innovation, he contributes to the development of sustainable and affordable solutions for the built environment, supporting the issues debated at FAST, which investigates equity and sustainability in today's urban environment.

Nicola Delon - Encore Heureux Architects

Nicola Delon, co-founder of Encore Heureux Heureux Architects, is a promoter of responsible and sustainable architecture. Through his projects that reuse materials and explore unpredictable spaces, Delon offers an architectural vision that embraces the diversity of resources and spaces, in perfect resonance with the Diversecity theme, which emphasizes the importance of sustainability and inclusivity in urban development.

Eric Lapierre

Eric Lapierre, architect and theorist, promotes an architecture that combines aesthetics with social responsibility, offering innovative solutions for sustainable urban growth. His work reflects a deep understanding of the complexity of urban space, coupled with the theme of Diversecity, which explores new frontiers of urban ecology and social equity.