ARCHTHEO ’25 / XIX. International Conference on Theory and History of Architecture Theme: Rethinking Architectural Theory and History in the 21st Century Format: In-Person Date: 12 December 2025 Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
Abstract submission deadline October 10, 2025.
The XIX. International Conference on Theory and History of Architecture (ARCHTHEO ’25) will be held as an in-person event in Istanbul. The conference is coordinated by DAKAM (Eastern Mediterranean Academic Research Center) and organized by BILSAS (Science, Art, Sport Productions).
About the Conference
Since its foundation, ARCHTHEO has provided a dedicated platform for in-depth discussions on architectural theory, independent of practice, while also embracing the historical dimensions of architecture. Over the years, the conference has brought together hundreds of scholars, critics, and historians from around the world, resulting in numerous published proceedings that contribute to the global discourse on architectural thought.
ARCHTHEO ’25 aims to continue this tradition by encouraging a critical and interdisciplinary dialogue that re-examines the intellectual, cultural, and historical underpinnings of architecture. It welcomes both established and emerging voices to engage with the theories, narratives, and frameworks shaping the discipline in the 21st century.
All submitted abstracts will undergo a double-blind review process. Accepted papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings E-Book (ISBN), which will be distributed to participants in digital format after the conference.
Conference Focus
Architecture has always been more than the production of physical spaces—it is also a cultural and intellectual act that reflects and shapes societies. In today’s complex and rapidly transforming world, revisiting architectural theory and history offers new ways to address global and local challenges, rethink disciplinary boundaries, and re-evaluate the role of architecture in shaping collective memory, identity, and experience.
The current landscape calls for:
Critical reassessments of canonical narratives and historiographies.
Theoretical frameworks that respond to shifting political, social, and environmental realities.
Interdisciplinary approaches linking architecture with philosophy, art theory, literature, and cultural studies.
Comparative and cross-cultural studies in architectural history.
Reflections on the role of criticism, narrative, and theory in contemporary practice.
In this context, ARCHTHEO ’25 invites participants to explore how theory and history can illuminate, challenge, and inspire architecture today.
Why Participate?
Engage with leading scholars, historians, and theorists in architecture.
Present your research to an international, multidisciplinary audience.
Contribute to critical debates on architecture’s past, present, and future.
Publish in a proceedings book with an e-ISBN, ensuring academic recognition.
Network with experts and peers in the unique cultural setting of Istanbul.
Themes and Topics
The conference welcomes submissions addressing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
• Theory for the 21st Century: New paradigms, posthumanism, decoloniality, and environmental ethics.
• Historical Case Studies: Regional and global perspectives on architectural heritage.
• Architecture and Culture: Cross-disciplinary dialogues with literature, visual arts, music, and film.
• Criticism and Discourse: The role of architectural criticism in shaping theory and practice.
• Memory, Identity, and Space: Architecture’s role in shaping collective and individual identities.
• Architectural Historiography: Methods, narratives, and critical approaches.For the full list of conference tracks and topics, please see below.
TOPICS
ARCHITECTURE, WRITING, THEORY
Criticism and history of architecture
Architectural criticism, critical theory, and ‘critical architecture’
Essential texts on architectural theory
Architect as author: writings by architects
Multidisciplinary studies on architecture
The structural relationship between architecture and text
Philosophy and architecture
Case studies on terminology and points of view
Definitions and concepts by architectural movements or periods
The role of theory in shaping architectural education and practice
Comparative studies of theoretical approaches across cultures
DESIGN IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Kinetic architecture
Programmable matter
Ideology and architecture
Genetics and architecture
Gender issues and architecture
Architects, race, and minorities
Refugee crises and architecture
Pandemic and architecture
Emerging materials and construction innovations
Ethical considerations in technological integration
GREEN ARCHITECTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Architecture in the age of climate crisis
Green architecture
Sustainability strategies
Biomorphism
Biomimetics
Ecological urbanism
Low-energy and passive design
Circular economy in architecture
Nature-based solutions
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Artificial intelligence in design and theory
Cognitive neuroscience and architectural experience
Neuroscience and architecture
New digital technologies
Computational design
Robotics and automation in architecture
Virtual and augmented reality applications
Data-driven design and smart systems
CITIES AND URBAN DESIGN
Urban design case studies
The future and past of cities
Everyday life, ideology, and culture
Phenomenology and architecture
Anthropology, locality, and "low" architecture
Body, movement, and space
Perception, feeling, and space
Metaphors, symbols, and people
Lives of buildings
Public and private life
Objects and interiors
The problem of scale in architecture
Buildings, urban life, and environment
Urban heritage preservation and adaptive reuse
Social justice and equity in urban design
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
Historical styles and periods
Case studies
Influential figures from the history of architecture
Historiography
Modern architecture
Contemporary trends
Reinterpretations of architectural heritage
Cross-cultural influences in architectural history
