Festival of Architecture in Spanish (FAE) 2025

Festival of Architecture in Spanish (FAE) 2025 

September 4 and 5, Mexico City

This September, Mexico City becomes the epicenter of Spanish-speaking architecture with the 2025 Festival of Architecture in Spanish: a two-day international gathering that celebrates contemporary design through dialogue, exploration, and shared experiences.

Over two days, leading voices in global architecture gather in some of Mexico’s most iconic modern landmarks, not just to lecture, but to walk through, inhabit, and reflect on these spaces alongside attendees.

A curated architectural encounter Designed as an intimate gathering, the Festival offers rare access to international guests through direct conversations, guided tours of Modern Movement landmarks, and informal moments where dialogue moves beyond the professional into the personal.

It’s not just about talking about architecture, it’s about inhabiting it, moving through it together, and sharing it as a lived experience.

Framing the program is an exclusive multi-course meal by chef Miguel Sánchez Navarro, founder of CARDO, paired with signature cocktails and curated to spark genuine exchange between guests, architects, and festival participants.

Venues

September 4 – Los Manantiales, Xochimilco The first day unfolds in the iconic Los Manantiales, a masterpiece by Félix Candela set among the canals of Xochimilco. This sweeping concrete shell, one of the architect’s most celebrated works, stands as a testament to 20th-century structural experimentation and sculptural beauty.

September 5 – Bacardí Plant, Tultitlán The second day moves to the Bacardí Plant in the State of Mexico, an extraordinary site that brings together two Modern Movement icons: the vast bottling hall by Félix Candela and the office building designed by Mies van der Rohe. Here, industrial architecture becomes a manifesto of design ambition.

Featured Guests

FAE 2025 welcomes leading voices in contemporary architecture, each bringing their own perspective, process, and body of work:

Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA, Japan) Pritzker Prize laureate (2010), co-founder of SANAA, and author of celebrated works such as the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the Teshima Art Museum.

Jimenez Lai (Bureau Spectacular, USA) Architect and artist known for experimental installations and a narrative-driven approach to the spaces we inhabit.

Cristina Díaz Moreno & Efrén García Grinda (Amid.cero9, Spain) Founders of the influential Madrid-based studio and professors at institutions including Harvard, Princeton, and the Universität für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna.

Mauricio Rocha (Taller Mauricio Rocha, Mexico) Winner of the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize 2023, with works including the expansion of the Anahuacalli Museum and the San Pablo Academic and Cultural Center.

Félix Candela Prize Ceremony — Volume 7 September 5, during FAE 2025 As part of the festival, the Félix Candela Prize will be awarded: an international ideas competition in Spanish organized by IESARQ. Aimed at students and emerging professionals in architecture, landscape, urbanism, and design, the prize honors conceptual proposals that bring a philosophical, critical, and culturally relevant perspective to contemporary challenges.

Unlike traditional competitions, the goal is not to propose buildable projects, but to imagine ideas with depth, creativity, and critical intelligence. Winning entries will be featured in publications and exhibitions, gaining international recognition as part of a new generation of visionary voices.

Theme Volume 7 — BABEL In a world marked by hyper-individualism, ego, and fragmentation, BABEL invites designers to imagine spaces for ecumenical encounter that transcend the local — architecture as a threshold to contemplation, community, and collective meditation.

The competition closed in July and is now in the deliberation phase. The awards ceremony will take place on September 5 during the festival’s closing event at the Bacardí Plant.

2025 Call — Discoveries For the first time, the Festival of Architecture in Spanish launches Discoveries: an open call for emerging Spanish-speaking architects seeking to showcase their work and join an international network of architectural dialogue.

A Curatorial Committee will review all submissions anonymously and select up to 15 finalists, who will present their portfolios in person before an international jury during the 2025 festival.

To participate, applicants must submit a PDF portfolio (maximum 25 pages) with at least three built projects. The deadline for submissions is August 25, 2025.

More information: fae.mx/descubrimientos

Organization Presented by the Spanish Institute of Architecture (IESARQ), under the direction of Jesús Rubio (Director) and Cynthia de Jesús (Commercial Director).

Tickets and contact Tickets for FAE 2025 are available via [email protected] or on the official website www.fae.mx