Winy Maas (MVRDV), Studio Gang and Oppenheim Architecture Among Speakers at EDGE Architecture Festival Budapest 2026

The second edition of EDGE Architecture Festival Budapest (EDGE Fest), organised by Építészfórum, will take place on 18-19 June 2026 in Budapest at Dürer Kert and the industrial venues of Hengermalom. Bringing together internationally renowned architects, designers, emerging voices, and experimental practices, the festival explores how architecture can respond to ecological, social, and technological transformation.

Framed as both an international architecture conference and competition, EDGE Fest investigates the evolving role of architecture through lectures, discussions, while finalists of the EDGE Awards competition will present their projects live, culminating in a public jury evaluation.

What does it mean to build today — and do we still need to build at all? If so, how, with what tools, and for whom? How can architecture operate within the ecological limits of the planet, and which design approaches are capable of offering meaningful responses to ecological and social crises?

Artificial intelligence, once perceived as a disruptive force, has now become infrastructure. Abstract notions such as the post-digital or post-human have shifted from theoretical constructs into lived realities. Within this context, EDGE Fest investigates the frontier zones of architectural and design thinking, exploring the political, ecological, technological, and aesthetic dimensions of a profession in transformation.

Throughout the two-day lecture and discussion series, alongside the wider festival programme, international and Hungarian creators — established and emerging architects alike — seek answers to how architecture can respond to ongoing global changes.

Among this year’s speakers are:

• Winy Maas (MVRDV, Netherlands), co-founder of MVRDV, a leading figure in experimental, research-driven and future-oriented architecture and urban thinking
• Michel Rojkind (Rojkind Arquitectos, Mexico), Mexico City-based architect, an internationally recognized representative of contemporary Mexican architecture
• Rodia Valladares (Studio Gang, US/France), working on culturally and ecologically sensitive international projects
• Beat Huessler (Oppenheim Architecture, Switzerland), specialising in climate-adaptive design with a strong focus on landscape and materiality
• Andrea Deplazes (ETH Zürich, Switzerland), architect, co-founder of Bearth & Deplazes and professor at ETH Zürich, known for his influential work on construction culture and architectural theory
• Alicia Lazzaroni and Antonio Bernacchi (Animali Domestici, Italy / Aarhus Architecture School, Denmark), active in contemporary architectural discourse and experimental practices
• Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg (Space Popular, United Kingdom), exploring virtual environments, digital culture, and future narratives of architecture

The continuously expanding list of speakers is available here:
https://edgefest.hu/en

EDGE Awards launches with a new category

As part of the festival, the EDGE Awards will once again showcase some of the most exciting progressive initiatives from the region and the international scene. During the two days, international applicants will present their projects live, evaluated by a jury composed of conference speakers in front of the audience. The awards ceremony will take place on the second day, introducing a new category this year dedicated to student works.

The application deadline is 17 May 2026. The competition seeks experimental and realised projects that go beyond traditional professional frameworks and open new paths towards the future of architecture. The call invites architects and creators from related fields to join a shared discourse, presenting visions that challenge the boundaries of architecture and design.

Applicants may submit in five categories, including a new student category:

READY?MADE – BUILT ARCHITECTURE – realised buildings representing innovative architectural approaches
ON THE STREETS – PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS – projects, installations and spatial interventions rethinking public space
V-TOPIA – FUTURE VISIONS AND EXPERIMENTS – theoretical, speculative and forward-looking works, including virtual environments, video-game or film set designs
HOLD IT – THE POWER OF DESIGN – uniquely designed objects responding to contemporary challenges
FRESH MEAT – VISIONS OF TOMORROW – bold and forward-thinking student works exploring new directions in architecture (new category)

Application deadline: 17 May 2026

More details:
https://edgefest.hu/en/awards