The Seventh Lisbon Architecture Triennale Calls for a Radical Rethinking of the Contemporary City

The Seventh Lisbon Architecture Triennial Challenges Us to Rethink the Future of Cities

In a world where climate change, social inequality, and technological disruption are reshaping our lives, the seventh Lisbon Architecture Triennial asks us to confront a fundamental question: how heavy is a city?

This year's triennial, titled "How Heavy is a City?", presents a coalition of architectural investigations that spiral into absurdity, echoing the complexities of the contemporary city. Curated by Territorial Agency (Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino), the triennial features three main exhibitions - "Fluxes", "Spectres" and "Lighter" - as well as numerous independent projects, a public program, and an accompanying publication.

The triennial's investigations are concerned with the material fluxes and dynamic processes of global cities, as well as the accumulation of energy and information that they are built upon: the so-called technosphere. The main exhibition, "Fluxes", explores how urban life is shaped by extraction, measurement, and the accelerating forces of the technosphere.

In a thought-provoking installation, visitors can walk through a corridor created by large-scale boards placed at an angle inwards above their head, containing the white-on-black schema of Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler's "Calculating Empires". The work poses the question 'Who measures?' by tracing the increasingly authoritarian systems of communication, computation, control, and classification.

Another exhibition, "Spectres", extends the concept of the city beyond its traditional borders into the "ghost acreages" that supply it with material and energy. The installation features a large-scale narration by Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith, which tells stories of ravaging forest fires, repeated extinction of species, rapidly melting glaciers, and catastrophic weather events.

The triennial's final major exhibition, "Lighter", offers a more optimistic vision for the future. In contrast to the horizontal grids of monitors found in "Fluxes" and "Spectres", the main monitors in "Lighter" are vertical, placed within a maze of curtains that requires the viewer to seek out the videos documenting projects that explore alternative possibilities for the future.

A standout work is Lynn Margulis' "The Tissue of Gaia", which delightfully refuses the myth of the Anthropocene by showing microorganisms as the true stewards of the Earth. Another notable work is WORKOVERTIME's "A Metabolic Commons—Many Hands Make Light Work", which focuses on the human relationship and emphasizes the need to develop an infrastructure of care rather than exploitation.

Ultimately, the seventh Lisbon Triennale of Architecture not only questions how heavy a city is but inspires an upturning of the status quo. By introducing a dizzying array of questions, data, and measures, the triennial prompts us to reject solution after solution until we reject solutionism in its entirety while refusing to give up, give in, or provide any answers.

The triennale is on view at MAAT—Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, MUDE—Design Museum, MAC/CCB—Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre, as well as Palácio Sinel de Cordes, MNAC—National Museum of Contemporary Art, Estufa Fria, and Atelier Amadeo through December 8, 2025.

omg i had the craziest dream last night i was walking around this city but everything felt so heavy like i was carrying a huge weight on my shoulders and then i started thinking about how we're all just living in these cities that are literally being drained of their resources like what's up with that? anyway i love how this triennale is trying to tackle the whole climate change thing and social inequality and stuff it's like, we need to rethink everything and i'm totally here for it, but at the same time it feels kinda overwhelming has anyone else been feeling really anxious about the future lately?

I think this triennial is like super important it's not just about architecture, its about how we design our cities to live with the planet . I mean, have you seen those installations? "Calculating Empires" and "The Tissue of Gaia"? Mind blown . It's like they're trying to make us think differently about who's in control - governments, corporations, or nature itself? It's all about the techosphere and how it affects our daily lives. I wish more cities would take this approach when building their infrastructure . We need to rethink what we mean by progress and innovation . The triennial's not just about the future of cities, it's about the present too - our choices today are gonna shape tomorrow

Ugh I'm so over how everything is just a competition . The triennial's focus on "solutionism in its entirety" just screams to me that they're trying too hard to impress everyone with their 'answers'. It's like, can't we just question the questions for once? And don't even get me started on how overwhelming it is going to be to navigate all those exhibitions and installations. Like, who has time to walk through a corridor of boards with schema on them while trying to make sense of the technosphere . Not to mention the fact that some of these 'projects' are just people talking about stuff... I mean, what's the point?

the more i read about this lisbon architecture triennial, the more confused i get they're trying to ask us if cities are too heavy but all i see is a bunch of abstract installations and confusing terminology what's wrong with just building stuff that works instead of all these fancy concepts about fluxes and spectres?

I'm not sure why they even need a triennial to remind us that cities are weirdly heavy with all the stuff we do there . Like, I mean, can't we just get over how much waste and pollution we generate already? This whole "How Heavy is a City?" thing seems like a no-brainer to me - what's next, "How Expensive is Food?" or "Why Do We Need to Sleep?"

And don't even get me started on the exhibition layout... I mean, who thought it was a good idea to make you walk around with your head bent down looking at tiny boards? It's like they're trying to make us feel smaller or something. And what's up with all the data visualization - can't we just have some nice, clean design for once?

But hey, I guess it's good that there are some interesting ideas popping up here and there... Lynn Margulis' work on the Tissue of Gaia is pretty cool, and WORKOVERTIME's focus on care over exploitation is something we could all get behind . Still, overall, this triennial just feels like more of the same old problems without a clear solution .

This Lisbon Triennale is like a wild ride to the future ! I mean, who wouldn't want to confront what's heavy in our cities? It's like they're telling us to slow down and think about all the stuff we just don't even realize we're carrying around with us - all that data, energy, tech... it's crazy!

And I love how it's got a mix of super dark vibes like "Spectres" and some hopeful messages in "Lighter" . It's like they're saying, hey, we can't just sit back and let the city keep going down this path... we gotta think about what we want our cities to be for future generations!

But honestly, I'm a bit concerned that it might all feel a bit overwhelming . Like, how do we even begin to process all these questions and ideas? It's like they're throwing a whole bunch of puzzle pieces at us and expecting us to figure out the entire picture .

Still, I think that's kinda what this triennale is all about - getting us to think outside our comfort zones and maybe, just maybe, come up with some new solutions . So yeah, it's definitely food for thought...

I'm low-key hyped for the Lisbon Architecture Triennial this year ! I mean, think about it, we're living in a time where climate change is literally melting our planet and social inequality is on a whole different level . The triennial is asking us to question what makes a city "heavy" - like, is it the energy consumption, the wealth disparity, or the tech that's running our lives?

I think "Fluxes", "Spectres", and "Lighter" all hit different notes, but in a good way . The whole technosphere thing got me thinking about how we measure success and who gets to decide what's important . And "Calculating Empires" is straight-up eye-opening .

I also love that there are alternative visions on display, like Lynn Margulis' work on Gaia . It's all about shifting our perspective and moving away from the whole Anthropocene thing .

What I'm really excited about is how this triennial inspires us to keep questioning and not just take the easy way out with solutions . Can't wait to see it in person!

So what's the point of a triennial that just makes us think about how heavy cities are? Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me Is it supposed to be some kind of commentary on our addiction to tech and growth? Because if so, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we're too lazy to make real changes"? I mean, what exactly does "Lighter" mean in the context of architecture? Are they suggesting we should just build more stuff and hope for the best? Can someone explain this to me with some actual data or sources, not just fluff about "spiraling into absurdity"?

omg u guys i just read about the Lisbon Architecture Triennial and it's SOOO mind-blowing ! they're asking us to think about how heavy a city is like literally what weight is on our shoulders and it's not just about buildings but also the energy we consume and the data that flows through tech . the installations are so thought-provoking, especially "Calculating Empires" which makes me think who controls the narrative and who gets lost in the system . and the last exhibition "Lighter" is like a breath of fresh air with projects that focus on sustainability and community care . i'm low-key obsessed with this triennial and can't wait to see it in person