Groundwork

How can architecture be conceived and practiced today—in the face of social crises and ecological challenges? The exhibition “Groundwork” addresses this question and explores current approaches to architectural practice. At its core is a series of three new documentary films produced by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal and originally presented there as part of individual exhibitions.

The exhibition showcases diverse methods of architectural creation: Xu Tiantian (DnA_Design and Architecture) develops precise interventions on Meizhou Island in China at the intersection of cultural heritage, tourism, and ecology. The Berlin-based collective bplus.xyz, or b+, has launched a European Citizens’ Initiative to strengthen the preservation and transformation of existing buildings in the face of speculative urban development. In Brazil, Carla Juaçaba creates minimalist pavilions that support local communities in the context of extractive agriculture. “Groundwork” focuses not on the finished building, but on the design process in its early stages. Films, documents, and fragments reveal how architectural concepts emerge under specific social, political, and ecological conditions.

Exhibition and film series conceived by: Francesco Garutti & Irene Chin (CCA)

Films directed by: Joshua Frank
Adapted by: Yuma Shinohara (S AM)

Opening: May 8, 2026, 7 p.m.