Urban.brussels, the Brussels regional authority responsible for urban planning and heritage, is organising the Archiweek architecture festival for the third consecutive year; the event will take place in October 2021. Roxane Le Grelle and Dieter Leyssen, the curators appointed for this edition, have brought together an interdisciplinary team from three organisations – 51N4E Acte (B), Quicksand (IN) and Newrope (CH) – who, together, will design and implement a series of activities entitled ‘Un-learning architecture’. The team has chosen to involve the public in a participatory process to define a tour itinerary of sustainable, inclusive and high-quality architectural projects based on the principles of un-learning. “Can architecture ‘un-learn’ its CO₂ emissions by challenging established uses of materials and construction methods? Can the property sector ‘unlearn’ how to build properties for which demand is limited, resulting in them becoming vacant? By learning and unlearning, Archiweek can become an intergenerational school on architecture and public space,’ according to the curators.

Alongside this, this year’s Archiweek also marks the launch of the cultural programme associated with the Brussels Architecture Prize. This prize, an initiative of the Brussels Region co-produced with A Architecture in Belgium, aims to celebrate Brussels architecture completed over the past two years, across all categories. The four categories established for this prize attracted 175 entries, representing a wide variety of projects. To present them to the public, the 31 nominated projects that caught the attention of the international jury last June will be brought together in an exhibition organised at SeeU from mid-October. Among others, the exhibition will feature the Neutelings Riedijk Architects Ferry Terminal, Tondo by Office, Place Rogier by XDGA, the Tetra Architecten building materials depot, the ECAM school by Agwa, and the Zinneke project by Ouest and Rotor. This exhibition will encourage the public to join in the discussion by giving them the opportunity to vote for one of the nominated projects.