CONVERSATIONS ON ARCHITECTURE: A new series of events in Milan dedicated to Design Culture

During May and June, the first two events of CONVERSATIONS ON ARCHITECTURE took place at Casalgrande Padana’s showroom in Milan’s Brera district. Organized and promoted by the architecture magazine IQD, the new series aims to foster talks and critical reflections on some of the most relevant issues shaping contemporary architectural practice.

Each event starts with the presentation of selected winning projects from the Casalgrande Padana Grand Prix, the international architecture competition now in its 13th edition. The projects provide the starting point for an open dialogue between architects, industry professionals, and the public, encouraging discussion on the design, technical, and cultural issues that define contemporary architecture.

The inaugural event, held in May, featured architects Andrea Grimaldi and Filippo Lambertucci, who presented their Colosseo–Fori Imperiali Metro Station project in Rome, awarded the First Prize in the Large Surfaces and Façade Cladding category of the Grand Prix. The project stands as an outstanding example of the integration of infrastructure, archaeological heritage, and public space, transforming the station into a genuine underground museum where architecture, art, and historical artefacts coexist within a single spatial experience. The discussion that followed also explored a highly topical issue: the role architecture can play in improving safety within public transport environments.

The second event, held on 25 June, welcomed architect Gianluca Facchinelli, of firm Facchinelli, Da Boit e Saviane, who presented the Lower Secondary School in Puos d’Alpago, winner of the First Prize in the Shopping and Office Centres, Public and Service Buildings category. Conceived not merely as a place of education but as a civic infrastructure, the project redefines the school building as a public space capable of fostering social and territorial regeneration. Thanks to the
active participation of the audience, the discussion expanded to address topics including the relationship between architecture and the urban context, spatial flexibility, the value of imperfection as a design principle, and the role of architecture in creating new places for social interaction.

The success of these first two events confirmed the strength of the format, encouraging an open exchange between architects and participants while generating valuable insights into architecture’s contribution to improving the quality of the spaces in which we live.

The CONVERSATIONS ON ARCHITECTURE series will continue in October with its third event, featuring architect Jacopo Mascheroni and Villa Dellago, winner of the First Prize in the Residential Buildings category of the Casalgrande Padana Grand Prix. Perfectly integrated into its landscape and distinguished by its refined use of materials, the project will provide the basis for a discussion on the relationship between architecture, materiality, and context – the central theme of the upcoming event.

At the end of each session, participants receive a copy of IQD magazine together with informational material on Casalgrande Padana‘s ceramic solutions, reflecting the shared commitment to combining cultural dialogue with ongoing exploration of architectural innovation
and material research.