Image Credit
© Courtesy of IESARQ

On September 4 and 5, 2025, Mexico City will host the “Festival of Architecture in Spanish (FAE) 2025,” a two-day international gathering that celebrates contemporary design through dialogue, exploration, and shared experiences. Leading voices in global architecture will convene in some of Mexico’s most iconic modern landmarks, not only to lecture but to walk through, inhabit, and reflect on these spaces with attendees.

Venues
・September 4 – Los Manantiales, Xochimilco
Designed by Félix Candela, this sweeping concrete shell is one of the architect’s most celebrated works, embodying 20th-century structural experimentation and sculptural beauty.

・September 5 – Bacardí Plant, Tultitlán, State of Mexico
This extraordinary site brings together two icons of the Modern Movement: the vast bottling hall by Félix Candela and the office building by Mies van der Rohe.

Featured Guests
・Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA, Japan) – 2010 Pritzker Prize laureate, co-founder of SANAA, with works including the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and Teshima Art Museum.
・Mauricio Rocha (Taller Mauricio Rocha, Mexico) – Winner of the MCHAP 2023, with projects such as the Anahuacalli Museum expansion and the San Pablo Academic and Cultural Center.
・Jimenez Lai (Bureau Spectacular, USA) – Architect and artist known for experimental installations and a narrative-driven approach.
・Cristina Díaz Moreno & Efrén García Grinda (Amid.cero9, Spain) – Founders of the influential Madrid-based studio, also professors at Harvard, Princeton, and the Universität für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna.
・Manuel Cervantes (CC Arquitectos, Mexico) – Recognized for projects in mobility, housing, and urban infrastructure, noted for social sensitivity and technical rigor.

Program Highlights
FAE 2025 offers an intimate setting with direct conversations, guided tours of Modern Movement landmarks, and informal moments of dialogue. Framing the program is an exclusive multi-course meal by chef Miguel Sánchez Navarro, founder of CARDO, paired with signature cocktails to encourage exchange among guests, architects, and participants.

Félix Candela Prize — Volume 7
As part of the festival, the 7th edition of the Félix Candela Prize will be awarded on September 5. This international ideas competition, organized by IESARQ, targets students and emerging professionals in architecture, landscape, urbanism, and design. Unlike traditional competitions, the focus is not on buildable projects but on conceptual proposals with depth, creativity, and critical intelligence. The theme of Volume 7 is “BABEL,” inviting designers to imagine spaces of ecumenical encounter beyond fragmentation. The competition closed in July and is currently under deliberation.

2025 Open Call — Discoveries
For the first time, FAE launches “Discoveries,” an open call for emerging Spanish-speaking architects. Applicants are required to submit a PDF portfolio (maximum 25 pages) including at least three built projects. A Curatorial Committee will review submissions anonymously and select up to 15 finalists, who will present in person before an international jury during the festival. The deadline for submissions is August 25, 2025. More information: fae.mx/descubrimientos

Organization
Presented by the Spanish Institute of Architecture (IESARQ), directed by Jesús Rubio with Cynthia de Jesús as Commercial Director.

Official Website
https://www.fae.mx