Shifting the Center from Fragility to Resilience - Pan African Architecture Biennale 2026 Pre-Launch Event
The Department of Architecture and Design (DAD) and the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST) are pleased to welcome Omar Degan to Turin for the Pre-Launch of the Pan-African Architecture Biennale 2026.
A graduate of Politecnico di Torino, Omar Degan is a Somali architect and curator, and the founder of DO Architecture and Design, a Mogadishu-based practice specializing in sustainability, emergency architecture, and post-conflict reconstruction. His work is dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities and contributing to the reconstruction and future resilience of Somalia through architecture.
The Biennale he is curating, which will open in Nairobi on 1 September 2026, proposes a paradigm shift: bringing Africa back to the centre of the global architectural discourse by foregrounding its spatial intelligences, building cultures, and the forms of resilience shaped through historical, political, and environmental fragilities.
The event in Torino, which concludes the global series of pre-launch events, will present an exclusive preview of the Biennale’s curatorial vision — introducing its theme, objectives, and international collaborations — with contributions from guests from both academia and professional practice.
We look forward to welcoming you to a moment of dialogue, exchange, and anticipation of a project that seeks to redefine Africa’s role within contemporary architecture.
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