In memory of Léon Krier

Cities and landscapes are illustrations of our spiritual and material worth. They not only express our values but give them a tangible reality. They determine the way in which we use or squander our energy, time, and land resources.

Léon Krier, The Architecture of Community

You must start from the beginning, letting your new buildings grow from the daily lives of the people who will live in them, shaping the houses to the measure of people's songs, weaving the pattern of a village as if on the village looms, mindful of the trees and the crafts that grow there, respectful of the skylines and humble before the seasons.

Hassan Fathi

In continuation with the two architectural conferences “Firmitas, utilitas, venustas – for the rebirth of human architecture” (2024) and “Hereditas urbium: the inheritable city – concrete examples of a real urban regeneration” (2025), the Accademia Vivarium novum rekindles the discussion on the city of the future addressing the question of the ideal environment in which humans can thrive and which legacy they should leave behind.

The fact that we currently live in a time of crisis appears evident on multiple fronts (cultural, social, political, moral, spiritual) as values and ideals are substituted by trivial needs, human aspirations are banalized and commodified, and people are distracted by seductive futilities. The result (and goal) is that entire societies, and thus cities, are subjected to the dictates of artificial algorithms, market laws, and economic powers.

To counteract the ubiquitous loss of meaning and humanitas, the Accademia Vivarium novum, celebrating over fifty years of activity, advocates for a renaissance of the highest categories of the human spirit through the active study of literature, philosophy, music, art, and architecture. These disciplines are indeed instrumental in forming a better human kind and societies at large, and are taught at the various institutes and initiatives of the World Campus for the Humanities, founded and promoted by the Accademia Vivarium novum.

In this sense, the 2026 edition of the annual conference on architecture and urbanism will be dedicated to the extraordinary work of Léon Krier (1946-2025), and intends to explore the feasible intersections of architectural practices with notions of beauty, respect, suitability, environmental care, and human scale, in the effort to propose solutions for the future, build liveable cities, and offer valuable legacies for the next generations.

The conference is articulated in six sessions, including established personalities, young professionals, and experts in one of the disciplines closely connected to the world of urban planning and architecture (e.g. urban sociology, economics, environmental studies, neuroscience, finance and real estate markets). A debate involving the public is encouraged after every session and during a final round table.

Programme

Download the programme

How to participate

In person: convegni@vivariumnovum.net. A confirmation will be sent by our secretariat. Please check your spam folder if you believe you have not received a reply.

Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PtiV6hLyQmiTyoueEQ1Qlg

Simultaneous translation between English and Italian will be provided both online and on site.