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The World Around conference January 2020 New York curated by Beatrice Galilee
Ur Rouf Mosque by Marina Tabassum Architects. Photo by Sandro Di Carlo Dassa

Competition: win two tickets to The World Around's inaugural conference in New York

Dezeen promotion: in our latest competition, we've partnered with architecture forum The World Around to give away two tickets to its conference taking place for the first time in January 2020.

This competition has now closed. Congratulations to the winner, who is Muhammad Ali from New York, USA. 

Curated by Beatrice Galilee, the inaugural conference will take place on Saturday 25 January 2020 at The Times Centre in New York designed by Renzo Piano.

The World Around was developed as a continuation of Galilee's symposium Our Time: A Year of Architecture in a Day, which she organised in 20162017 and 2019, while the first curator of architecture and design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

One winner and their guest will attend the day-long event, which includes a series of talks from 20 speakers covering disciplines such as art, film, game design and architecture.

The World Around conference January 2020 New York curated by Beatrice Galilee
Art Biotop by Junya Ishigami Architects

Leading industry figures, including co-founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro Elizabeth Diller, MoMA's senior curator of architecture and design Paola Antonelli, architect Junya Ishigami and Architectural Association director Eva Franch i Gilabert will join discussions focusing around the day's three themes: Now, Near and Next.

The conference will explore 10 of this year's most significant projects, places and exhibitions for the theme of Now. The day will continue by looking at how the ideas of architects, designers, and thinkers could shape the evolution of cities in Near.

The third part of the day, Next, will review worldwide architectural projects and initiatives proposed by local studios in New York, with sessions exploring the potential of data and the consequences of its use in between all the talks.

Leaders in the design field will be offering their responses to increasingly prominent ecological challenges.

The World Around conference January 2020 New York curated by Beatrice Galilee
Tanzhaus Zürich by Barozzi Veiga. Photo is by Simon Menges

"We want to reflect on how new ideas in architecture are impacting lives, from urban planning to game design, from tech development to community-based projects," explained Galilee.

"We also want to consider the broader forces that are sparking contemporary architectural culture, whether they're art or activism, environmental studies or spatial research."

Other speakers on the roster include V&A curator Catherine Ince, Shohei Shigematsu, partner at OMA New York, Alberto Veiga, founder of eponymous Spanish architecture studio Barozzi Veiga, Canadian designer Bruce Mau and local artist Michael Wang.

The World Around conference January 2020 New York curated by Beatrice Galilee
Pearling Path Visitor's Centre by Noura Al Sayeh Holtrop. Photo by Valerio Oligiati

Galilee established The World Around alongside private equity executive Diego Marroquin and arts administrator Alexandra Hodkowski of AREA Capital.

The conference aims to dissolve the barriers between architects and other creative fields in order to create collaborative ideas that will benefit the built environment.

The World Around conference January 2020 New York curated by Beatrice Galilee
Everything Game by David O Reilly. Photo is by the artist

"The realities of building the spatial environment need to go hand-in-hand with the most thoughtful and imaginative discussion of what we want that environment to become," said Marroquin, whose company AREA Capital is the founding sponsor of the event.

Galilee explained further that the conference is targeting a universal audience, as the future of architecture will affect "how we think, feel, live, work, play, and dream".

Dezeen is media partner for The World Around NYC
Dezeen is media partner for The World Around NYC

Throughout the year, additional retreats, workshops and gatherings will be held in New York, and the architecture forum is set to expand to other cities in the future.

Tickets to The World Around's first edition in New York are available to buy online and the event will be live-streamed on Dezeen. It will also simulcast to architecture and design institutions on request, in the efforts to ensure it's accessible to all.

One reader will win two tickets to the inaugural day-long conference.

Competition closes 12 December 2019. One winner will be selected at random and notified by email, and his or her name will be published at the top of this page. Flights not included.