10 must-see architecture and design events to check out this July

With summer in full effect, there are many opportunities to go outside and experience the variety of exciting architecture and design events on show this July.

From the roster of ongoing and upcoming events listed on Bustler, here are our featured picks worth checking out.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Momentum Park(our) | July 3–20, Washington, DC

"This summer, the National Building Museum invites visitors of all ages to experience Momentum Park(our), a bold new installation that transforms the Museum’s Great Hall into an immersive parkour environment. Open from July 3–20, this limited-time exhibition offers a thrilling physical and educational journey through the intersections of movement, design, and spatial awareness.  Rooted in the athletic discipline of parkour, developed in France in the 1980s and shaped by early 20th-century military training, Momentum Park(our) celebrates the human body’s ability to move fluidly and creatively through space. Guests will navigate a custom-designed obstacle landscape that challenges agility and invites new ways of engaging with the built environment."

Dignify by Design Summit 2025 | July 9–10, Santa Fe

"Join us for a gathering of leaders in the fields of design, craft, art, architecture, and film to discuss their creative process and how dignity informs their work. Together with you, our invited guest, we will examine how design can respectfully engage cultural material as a source of inspiration, build community and allow members to flourish."

Two Words: No Plastics — Making Buildings Plastic-Free | July 9–September 25, Washington, DC

"This exhibition explores the ways in which companies worldwide are making impressive strides in the movement away from plastic-use in architecture, and how we as everyday consumers can aid in this cause. [...] Join us in exploring how the architecture of the future can advance beyond plastics and learn why the move away from plastics is so crucial- for ourselves and our planet."

More than Human | July 11–October 5, London

"Featuring art, design, architecture and technology, this thought-provoking show will present visitors with radical ideas on how to design with — and better understand — the living world. By bringing together over 140 works spanning contemporary and traditional practices, fine art, product design, architecture and interactive installations, the exhibition will explore how humans can relearn to design with and for the natural world in the face of climate emergency."

ONGOING EVENTS

RA Summer Exhibition 2025 | Until August 17, London

"Held every year without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition showcases a diverse array of contemporary works, including prints, paintings, films, photography, sculpture, and architectural works. Spend the day exploring over 1,700 fabulous pieces by famous artists and members of the public, which have been selected by architect Farshid Moussavi RA and her Summer Exhibition committee."

Kengo Kuma: Landscape Architecture Hills, Mountains, Forests, Caves | Until August 31, Nagano

"The exhibition "Kengo Kuma: Landscape Architecture" being held at Karuizawa New Art Museum will display a number of architectural works themed around landscape (natural scenery). The venue is designed to allow visitors to experience a variety of architectural works inspired by hills, mountains, forests, and caves through models, photographs, drawings, videos, and more. The various works and materials on display at the venue are arranged in such a way that visitors can move around and view them from different angles, just as if they were visiting an actual building, making this an exhibition where visitors can experience the diversity and beauty of Kengo Kuma's architecture around the world."

J.MAYER.H – PLACESHIPS | Until November 1, Berlin

"For over three decades, J.MAYER.H has redefined the boundaries of architecture, creating a bold, unmistakable design language that continues to surprise, provoke, and inspire. Now, for the first time, a major retrospective charts the trajectory of this visionary practice. But this is no static showcase. PLACESHIPS is an immersive dive into the multiverse of J.MAYER.H’s creative cosmos. More than just buildings, these are living thought structures – bold, biomorphic entities born from sketches, models, and bozzetti that unlock entire constellations of parallel possibilities. This is quantum architecture: unpredictable, nonlinear, radically alive. Breaking free from earthly conventions, J.MAYER.H’s – PLACESHIPS rise from the flat grid of the planet’s surface, the "Monumento Continuo", echoing the utopian visions of Superstudio – yet aiming even further."

Design and Disability | Until February 15, London

"Both a celebration and a call to action, Design and Disability showcases the radical contributions of Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people and communities to design history and contemporary culture, from the 1940s to now."

Split Diopter 2 | Until July 20, Los Angeles

"Split Diopter 2 explores the relationship between fine art and cinema, as well as the impact of technical optics on creative practice. This exhibition disassembles the cinematic apparatus of the “waking dream” into a collection of parts: still frame, action sequence, mise-en-scene, soundtrack, film reel, promotional poster, etc.—each of which is assigned to an individual work of art. Navigating this array of objects in the space of the gallery, viewers are enjoined to imagine their own filmic narrative, while also reflecting on its material means of construction."

The Prize is the Beginning | Until October 26, Chicago

"In partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), we are beyond pleased to announce the opening of “The Prize is the Beginning”, an exhibition that reconsiders what architectural excellence means today. Housed in the CAC’s Usher Lambe Gallery, “The Prize is the Beginning” highlights a selection of MCHAP-nominated built works that demonstrate a deep commitment to craft, community, and context. Rather than positioning the prize as an endpoint, the exhibition frames recognition as a point of departure, a catalyst for dialogue, reflection, and continued impact."

Do you have an architecture or design event you want to promote? Submit it to our event calendar via Bustler for review and a potential feature.