China Beyond Exception - Spatial entanglements across Architecture and Urban Studies | 10 years of Polito China Room: Open Call

To mark 10 years of activities, China Room announces the conference China Beyond Exception. Spatial entanglements across Architecture and Urban Studies conceived to mobilize and extend the debate initiated within the group outward, in an attempt to broaden the discussion with new perspectives and trajectories. The conference will take place at the Castello del Valentino (Turin) on January 20–22, 2027. The open call for contributions is now open.

Over the past decade, China Room has developed interdisciplinary research at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and geography, exploring the spatial transformations associated with Global China and Chinese urbanisation processes through research, teaching, and international collaborations.

Building on the group’s research trajectory, the conference invites scholars to reflect on contemporary spatial transformations beyond the idea of China as an isolated exception, approaching it instead as a critical lens through which broader topics - such as architectural knowledge, planetary ruralism, and infrastructure-led urbanisation - can be explored and discussed.

The call welcomes theoretical, empirical, and design-oriented contributions from architecture and urban studies, and is open to PhD candidates, early-career researchers, and established scholars. Submissions may engage with China directly or address the conference themes from other contexts.

Key dates
Extended abstract submission deadline: 30 May 2026
Notification of pre-selection: July 2026
Conference dates: 20–22 January 2027

Submission
Extended abstracts and required materials should be sent to: china.beyond@polito.it

More information and full call online

For additional inquiries, please contact: china.beyond@polito.it