The Sainsbury Institute, Universidade Lusófona and the University of Ljubljana invite you to an International Seminar Architecture: Design and Research. The online sessions, comprising talks about ongoing research followed by questions and discussion, are open access. The seminars aim to encourage academic exchange between researchers and postgraduate students working in cognate areas in a global context. The research collaboration aims to build an international network of shared interest across the architectural sector, and to think critically and philosophically about architecture, design, and research to foster new forms of research enquiry. The sessions on 17th and 24th April offer new perspectives on Japan and address current concerns in architectural thinking that have resonance world-wide.
All session take place at 14:30 Portugal/UK time and are available via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/72620765575
Full programme:
20 February
Body/Bodies
needs and desires can it keep pace with the contemporary world. Typological innovations such as the corridor and the toilet made it possible to articulate the thresholds between private and public in a more sophisticated way, deeply changing the way we inhabit, interact with others, and our whole self-awareness. It is quite a recent and restless story that, despite architecture’s intrinsic stability, has witnessed over the two last centuries lively dialectics between established habits and challenging design experiments. The more architectural design has tried to deal with our bodily concreteness the more meaningful and controversial its results. Now that technical prostheses are becoming increasingly pervasive, getting physical seems a hard but inevitable goal.
Giovanni Corbelini
Giovanni Corbellini (1959), architect, PhD, critic of contemporary architecture, taught in Venice, Ferrara, Milan, Trieste and is currently full professor of architectural design and theory at the Politecnico of Turin. Among his many essays: Sesso e cacca. L’architettura prende corpo (LetteraVentidue, 2025), Let’s Get Physical: Bodies, Bowels Bowls (Ediciones Asimétricas, 2024), Sayable space: Narrative Practices in Architecture (LetteraVentidue, 2021), Ex libris: 16 Keywords of Contemporary Architecture (LetteraVentidue, 2019), Telling Spaces (LetteraVentidue, 2018), Dr. Corbellini’s Pills (LetteraVentidue, 2016), Recycled Theory: Dizionario illustrato/Illustrated Dictionary (edited with Sara Marini, Quodlibet, 2016), Bioreboot. The architecture of R&Sie(n) (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009).
27 February
Comparing Through Scales: Reading Utopia as a Critical Method
The lecture will focus on the development of a research methodology that approaches utopia as a critical method—an unattainable construct that functions not as a blueprint, but as a theoretical tool for reflecting on and critiquing its socio-spatial context. Addressing the challenge of comparing architectural and literary utopias, a transdisciplinary comparative framework was created as part of the research, that brings together spatial and social analysis across media. Drawing on and extending formal analysis from comparative literature, the method dissects utopian works into social and spatial “building blocks” across three scales—individual, collective, and societal—enabling systematic comparison with their historical contexts and revealing how specific forms both shape and are shaped by utopian thought.
Jana Culek
Jana Čulek is an Assistant Professor and postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, an external lecturer at the University of Rijeka, and founder of Studio Fabula – an office for architecture, urbanism, and strategic design. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Zagreb, an Advanced Master from the Berlage Center (NL), and a PhD from TU Delft. She is currently the research fellow of the project EDUTOPIA – Utopia as Educational Practice in Architecture (2025–2028), which develops and tests utopian, speculative, and narrative-based methods for academic design studios. Her practice and researcher is internationally recognized and focuses on utopia, fiction, and narrative as critical methods in architecture, combining experimental pedagogy, research-based teaching, speculative design, and theoretical innovation.
13 March
Kiosk K67: Methamorphoses of a system
Maja Vardjan
Maja Vardjan is an architect and curator, currently working as Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) in Ljubljana. She previously served as creative director of the T5 Project Space gallery and as architecture editor of Ambient magazine.
She is the author of Design in Dialogue and has curated numerous exhibitions, including the touring exhibition Silent Revolutions: Contemporary Design in Slovenia (2011–2015) and Under the Common Roof (MAO, 2013), based on the MAO archive. Vardjan played a central role in the transformation of the Ljubljana Biennial of Design, co-curating BIO 50 with Jan Boelen and Cvetka Požar, which marked a decisive shift in the conceptual direction of Europe’s oldest design biennial.
20 March
Architecture and Fire: A Multi-Disciplinary Investigation
In this lecture, I draw on multiple disciplines and expand on fire’s long trajectory within and around architectural space. I consider fire as energy that does not only bring buildings to life and sustains them, but it is also the same energy that destroys them. The lecture is split into two parts. The first part focuses on the ‘intimate’ relationship between architecture and fire. It is an intimate relationship because architecture is believed to have developed alongside fire since the years of the primitive hut. The second part focuses on a critical moment of this relationship, which is when buildings are destroyed by fire. I will discuss how buildings, their occupants and our society in general learn from accidents that take place in buildings and the urban context.
Stamatis Zografos
Stamatis Zografos is an architect, researcher, and Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, where he explores the provocative intersections between architecture, memory, and socio-cultural rituals. He is best known for his interdisciplinary research into “Food Urbanism” and the phenomenology of fire, investigating how the preparation and consumption of food act as fundamental agents in shaping architectural space and urban identity.
His work often delves into the concept of archive and memory, viewing the kitchen and the hearth not merely as functional zones, but as repositories of cultural heritage. As a co-founder of research platforms focusing on food-related urbanism, Zografos challenges traditional architectural boundaries, advocating for a design approach that prioritises human sensory experience and historical continuity. An acclaimed educator and author, his scholarly contributions—including his work on “Architecture and Fire”—continue to influence how we perceive the relationship between the ephemeral nature of food and the permanence of the city.
17 April
Authenticity, integrity and the value of reconstructing ancient ‘Japanese’ architecture
In a country where wooden (and latterly concrete) architecture reigns supreme, most people encounter Japan’s ancient past through reconstructions – of buildings, objects and dioramas, often in association with modern concrete structures (museums). This presentation will review some prime case studies of prehistoric buildings and early temples through the lens of authenticity and integrity, the two pillars by which UNESCO recognises Outstanding Universal Value, the demonstration of which is central to inscription as World Heritage. Issues that relate to such structures were the imperative behind the Japanese drive to establish the ‘intangible’ as a category of cultural property. The presentation will focus on the Jomon Sites of Northern Japan https://jomon-japan.jp/en/ https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1632/ (inscribed on the World Heritage list five years ago) and the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, including a number of the most important early Buddhist temples https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/870/ (inscribed in 1998) and set these in the context of the many thousands of historical reconstructions throughout Japan, with a brief comparison with the situation in the UK.
Simon Kaner
Simon Kaner is an archaeologist specialising in the prehistory of Japan and the archaeology of East Asia. He is Executive Director and Head of the Centre for Archaeology and Heritage at the Sainsbury Institute, and Professor of Archaeology and Heritage at the University of East Anglia, where he is also a board member of the Centre for Japanese Studies.
His work focuses on Japanese prehistory, cultural heritage management, and the historic urban and landscape environment in comparative perspective. He has conducted archaeological research in Japan and the UK, worked extensively in heritage management, and curated major exhibitions at institutions including the British Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Sainsbury Centre. He is co-editor of the Japanese Journal of Archaeology and editor of several academic series, and has served on international advisory committees for UNESCO World Heritage nominations in Japan.
24 April
Early modern Japanese artisans: the interface between architectural history, restoration, conservation and reconstruction
In this lecture, I will introduce historical documents and tools of Japanese carpenters from the Edo period. In the Edo period, carpenters were ruled by the shogunate and domains. Of special interest is the area near Kyoto where a carpenter family called the Nakai family controlled other carpenters. Documents and drawings related to the construction were submitted to the Nakai family, and the Nakai family supervised the main construction. Among the construction of the Nakai family, the construction of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the residence of the emperor Tenno, was one of the most important projects, and historical documents related to this have been preserved.
I would like to introduce these historical documents and tools related to these craftsmen, as well as the existing architectural survey using these documents.
Satoshi Unno
Satoshi Unno is an architectural historian whose work focuses on Japanese and East Asian architectural history and the conservation of cultural properties. His research is grounded in the study of architectural and archaeological remains, historical documents and visual sources, through which he examines construction systems, maintenance practices, and the transmission of architectural technologies.
He holds a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Tokyo and is Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo. His research addresses technology transfer between Japan and East Asia in antiquity, building maintenance and reconstruction, and international principles for the preservation of wooden architecture. He is the author of several books on Japanese architectural history and heritage, including The Construction System and Maintenance of Architecture in the Nara Period (2015) and Cultural Heritage and Reconstructionology (2019).
08 May
Lost in Africa (and Finding My Way Back Again). Research Strategies, Pitfalls, and Self-Critique in Editing a Seven-Volume Architectural Guide
Philipp Meuser
Philipp Meuser is a German architect, author, and publisher renowned for his extensive documentation of African architecture and urban development. As the head of DOM publishers, he has spearheaded the ambitious Architectural Guide Sub-Saharan Africa, a monumental project that catalogues the diverse built environments across the continent. Meuser’s work transcends traditional Eurocentric narratives, offering a nuanced exploration of how post-colonial identity, rapid urbanisation, and local traditions intersect to define modern African cities.
His research often highlights the “invisible” layers of the African urban fabric, from modernist legacies to informal settlements. Through his writing and editorial leadership, Meuser has become a pivotal figure in bringing African architectural discourse to a global audience, advocating for a deeper understanding of the continent’s spatial challenges and creative resilience. His interdisciplinary approach bridges the gap between architectural history, social geography, and contemporary practice, making him an essential authority on the transformation of the Global South.
22 May
The Foodscapes of Lisbon
Today, urban foodscapes face significant social, environmental, and economic tensions, intensified by rapid urbanisation, globalised food systems, and climate change, prompting cities to seek more sustainable, locally grounded models. Food has historically been integral to urban life, shaping public spaces, buildings, and local identities, and Lisbon’s foodscape clearly reflects this coevolution. Just a century ago, the city was characterised by extensive agricultural areas, river- and land-based supply routes, and dense neighbourhood food networks. In recent decades, however, food has largely retreated from the public realm, with production displaced, distribution concealed, and retail increasingly privatised, despite some counter-current initiatives. Mapping past and present food assets through food cartography is therefore essential to understanding Lisbon’s evolving foodscape and to identifying pathways toward a more sustainable and resilient urban future.
Mariana Sanchez Salvador
Mariana Sanchez Salvador is an architect and researcher whose work explores the vital intersection between architecture, urbanism, and food systems. With a PhD focused on the spatial dimensions of food, her expertise lies in understanding how the way we produce, distribute, and consume food shapes our domestic spaces and the urban fabric. She is a prominent voice in the study of Food Urbanism, investigating how architectural design can foster more sustainable and resilient food environments.
As a researcher at ISCTE-IUL and other prestigious institutions, Mariana has dedicated her career to uncovering the “invisible” infrastructures of food. Her approach combines rigorous academic analysis with a creative spatial perspective, addressing contemporary challenges such as food security and urban sustainability. Beyond her research, she is known for her ability to bridge the gap between complex territorial systems and the everyday reality of the dinner table, making her a key figure in rethinking the future of our cities.