The Sharjah Architecture Triennial has revealed the theme for its third edition (SAT03). 

The theme, titled Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures, will examine the urgent question of how architecture can help shape collective life in a world marked by rapid urban transformation.

Set to open in November 2026, the triennial is curated by Vyjayanthi Rao, with Tau Tavengwa as Associate Curator.

Vyjayanthi Rao. Photographed by Alfonse Chiu. Image courtesy of Alfonse Chiu

This edition examines the increasing complexity and domination of urban life, especially in rapidly emerging nations, continuing SAT's objective to reinterpret architectural discourse from the perspectives of West Asia, South Asia, and the African continent. 

The way we live, interact, and construct together has been drastically altered by the convergence of social, economic, political, technical, and ecological factors in cities, which have developed into hyper-connected infrastructure networks. 

Nowadays, urban environments transcend the actual borders of cities, embracing digital spaces, migratory movements, and enormous territorial and cultural disparities. 

Every change has an impact on communities and may have global repercussions. In this regard, architecture needs to regain its position as a creative and critical force that can address the subtleties and complexity of the modern world in which we live.

Tau Tavengwa. Photographed by Samer Moukarzel. Image courtesy of Tau Tavengwa

"This edition adopts a multi-disciplinary perspective"

"This edition adopts a multi-disciplinary perspective, exploring architecture through the lens of anthropology, grounded in the locality of phenomena and context and remaining attentive simultaneously to global conditions and cultural difference," said the curator, Vyjayanthi Rao. 

"We are especially interested in exploring migratory movement and the rapid extension and localization of urbanism as building blocks of contemporary social life."

"The edition will foreground propositions for building civic infrastructure hospitable to these flows, creating new pathways for collective life to prosper in an uncertain and rapidly mutating world," Rao added.

Rao, an anthropologist and Yale School of Architecture professor who studies urbanism in India and the United States, and Tavengwa, a writer and co-founder of CS Studio, who creates experimental techniques to reframe cities through plural, interdisciplinary lenses, are both represented in this curatorial vision.

"Architecture Otherwise" will use site-specific installations, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and public events to integrate the Triennial with the city and the Emirate of Sharjah. 

In order to engage the Triennial in direct communication with the Gulf and the Global South, it will bring together architects, artists, designers, academics, cultural institutions, and local people. 

Urban development has encroached upon mangroves at Versova, raising concern over the fragile marine ecosystem of Mumbai’s coastline. Photo © Rajesh Vora

For the first time, a few chosen participants will also stay in Sharjah for a month, which will enable them to integrate their work into the city's social and cultural milieu. Numerous metropolitan areas will be brought to life by these projects, which will also encourage viewers to participate in thought-provoking discussions regarding the direction of architecture and public life.

This edition will produce permanent tools, insights, and frameworks that go beyond the event itself, supporting a more comprehensive and inclusive architectural debate in keeping with SAT's dedication to long-term involvement and study. 

One year before the Triennial opens, in November 2025, SAT03 will have its second public event. The first group of participants will be announced during the program, and then the curators will speak with the chosen individuals.

The top image in the article: Lunchtime recreation at Horniman Circle Garden, Mumbai. Image © Rajesh Vora.

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Sharjah Architecture Triennial theme