Tearing down and building new is the easy route. The 6th biennale svizzera del territorio is betting that the harder one, caring for what already exists, is where architecture’s future lies. Under the theme Handle with Care, this free festival moves through three Ticino cities before settling into Lugano’s Villa Saroli park until late November.
Event Overview
| Event Name | 6th biennale svizzera del territorio: Handle with Care |
| Date | Thursday, October 1 – Saturday, November 28, 2026 (opening days: October 1–3) |
| Location | Mendrisio, Bellinzona, and Lugano, Switzerland; main venue: Villa Saroli, Viale S. Franscini 9, 6900 Lugano |
| Official Website | https://www.i2a.ch/en/biennale |
| Social Media | https://www.instagram.com/i2a.architettura |
| Visit Info | https://www.i2a.ch/en/biennale/2026/programme |
| Exhibit Info | https://www.i2a.ch/en/biennale/news/2026-06-17-call-for-action-i-10-progetti-selezionati |
| Contact Email | [email protected] (general); [email protected] (registration for the October 2 IRB session) |
Key Highlights
- A theme that pushes back on demolition. Handle with Care champions architecture that repairs, maintains, and regenerates by listening to places and engaging communities, instead of consuming land and resources.
- Housing with Care opens in Mendrisio. The October 1 kickoff at the Academy of Architecture, USI, brings Sophie Delhay, Giacomo Guidotti, and Barcelona’s Studio PERIS+TORAL together on how dwelling is changing.
- A seven-stop walk through Bellinzona. On October 2, a collective walk from Giubiasco Station crosses industrial fringes, renaturation areas, and new residential and school hubs, with speakers at every stop.
- Ten Call for Action installations. Picked from 246 proposals, works like Edible Curtains and SKNYPL’s Sit For A While in Piazza Besso are unveiled October 2 and stay up through November 28.
- A global lineup in Lugano. Saturday’s symposium features Anna Puigjaner (MAIO), Xu Tiantian (DnA Design and Architecture), and Pascual Gangotena (Al-Borde), plus sessions on metabolic thinking and reuse.
- Six Pecha Kucha picks. Chosen from 75 submissions, the selected contributions are presented October 3 at the Consulate General of Italy in Lugano.
- Plenty beyond the talks. Expect a paper-house workshop for kids aged 6–11, Chowra Makaremi’s documentary Hitch, une histoire iranienne, community lunches, and DJ sets in the park.
If adaptive reuse, landscape, or housing that actually lasts is your thing, this is a rare chance to hear the case made in person, in the places it applies to, and for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a ticket?
No. Admission is free and open to everyone, though the October 2 afternoon round tables at the Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina (IRB) in Bellinzona require advance registration by email (see the overview above).
How long are the installations on view?
The Call for Action installations open during the October 1–3 opening days and remain on display until November 28, 2026.
Can I still submit work for this edition?
No. The Call for Action closed on February 9, 2026, and the Call for Pecha Kucha closed on June 28, 2026, with all selections already announced.
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