Marcelle Rabinowicz (ULB) invited to Villa Albertine in Chicago

From 24 to 26 September 2026, Marcelle Rabinowicz, Dean of the La Cambre Horta Faculty of Architecture at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), will take part in Shaping Contemporary Realities: Architecture and Beyond, an international symposium organised in Chicago by Villa Albertine.

Bringing together architects, researchers, universities, cultural institutions and professionals, the programme aims to bring different approaches to architecture into dialogue with major contemporary challenges. Over three days, lectures, panel discussions, visits and professional meetings will foster exchanges between European and American perspectives.

Marcelle Rabinowicz will present research developed at La Cambre Horta on new technologies applied to the documentation and promotion of architectural heritage, with a particular focus on the work of the ALICe laboratory.

Three days to explore contemporary transformations

The symposium is structured around three themes:

• The first day, dedicated to innovation and adaptation (Innovative Adaptation), will take place on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), shaped by the architectural legacy of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is within this academic context that Marcelle Rabinowicz will speak on 24 September, presenting research conducted in Brussels on architectural heritage, its documentation and the tools that can open up new ways of understanding it.
• The second day will address civic transformation (Civic Changemaking) from Chicago’s South Side, in the context of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.
• The final day, dedicated to sustainable environments (Flourishing Environment), will take place at the Chicago Architecture Center around Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem, the manifesto exhibition by French-American architect Jeanne Gang.

Marcelle Rabinowicz’s participation will provide an opportunity to present the research conducted within the La Cambre Horta Faculty of Architecture to an international academic and professional network. It also builds on existing exchanges with architectural education stakeholders in Chicago and opens up new prospects for scientific and educational cooperation.

Six Chicago universities are involved in the symposium, making the event an opportunity to develop connections between architectural education, research and practice on both sides of the Atlantic.

With the support of the WBI Culture Department.