Get ready to witness a groundbreaking event that promises to redefine the future of architecture and urban living! The Hiroshima International Architecture Festival 2025 is here, and it’s not just another exhibition—it’s a bold statement about how design can breathe new life into communities. But here’s where it gets controversial: Can architecture truly bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, or is it just an idealistic dream? Let’s dive in and explore.
Designboom takes you on an exclusive preview of Japan’s inaugural Hiroshima International Architecture Festival 2025, running from October 4 to November 30 across the twin cities of Fukuyama and Onomichi. Organized by the Kambara–Tsuneishi Cultural Foundation as a triennial event, the festival gathers 23 visionary architects and artists from Japan and beyond. Their mission? To reimagine the future of cities and explore how architecture can revitalize local communities. Through a dynamic mix of exhibitions, site-specific installations, and thought-provoking talks, the festival challenges us to think differently about the spaces we inhabit.
And this is the part most people miss: The festival isn’t just about showcasing big names; it’s a dialogue between generations and philosophies. Legends like Tadao Ando, Toyo Ito, Arata Isozaki, Sou Fujimoto, and SANAA share the stage with emerging talents such as Studio Mumbai, VUILD, and Clouds Architecture Office. From historical retrospectives to cutting-edge installations, the program highlights the ongoing evolution of Japanese architecture—a delicate dance between craftsmanship and technology, tradition and experimentation.
In Onomichi, the festival’s seven venues weave together Japan’s architectural heritage and its bold new visions. Tadao Ando’s Onomichi City Museum of Art hosts Nine Visions: Japanese Architects from Japan to the World, a landmark exhibition celebrating all nine Japanese Pritzker Prize winners. Outside the museum, Shigeru Ban’s Paper Log House—originally designed for disaster relief after the 1995 Kobe earthquake—stands as a powerful reminder of architecture’s social responsibility. But is this enough? Does architecture truly have the power to heal and transform?
Nearby, Studio Mumbai’s renovation of the 1960s LOG building into an exhibition space and hotel demonstrates how adaptive reuse can honor a city’s character while embracing modernity. Junya Nagasaka’s LLOVE HOUSE Onomichi transforms an abandoned home into a vibrant cultural hub, while photographer Yurika Takano’s Transferring Bodies, Transferring Architecture captures the evolving soul of Onomichi’s historic streets.
In Fukuyama, the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens presents Next Architecture: Connecting Futures Through Design, featuring works by Sou Fujimoto, Junya Ishigami, and others. The exhibition imagines cities in harmony with nature and culture, but it also raises a question: Can these utopian visions ever become reality, or are they destined to remain on paper? Meanwhile, a preview exhibition of Kenzo Tange’s self-designed residence—originally built in 1953 and later demolished—offers a glimpse into the planned reconstruction project in Fukuyama, celebrating Tange’s enduring legacy.
Scattered throughout the festival are temporary pavilions, or micro-architectures, designed by Yasushi Horibe, Junya Ishigami, and Hideyuki Nakayama. These structures, like Ishigami’s delayed Clouds Descend pavilion, remind us of architecture’s fragile relationship with the natural world. Is our pursuit of innovation sustainable, or are we building on shifting sands?
Beyond the exhibitions, the festival fosters creativity, education, and civic engagement through talks, workshops, and film screenings. By integrating architecture with historical temples, modern museums, and lived cityscapes, the event transforms Hiroshima Prefecture into a living laboratory of ideas. With its next edition planned for 2028, the festival’s debut hints at a long-term dialogue that could rival the Venice Architecture Biennale. But the real question is: Can it inspire meaningful change, or will it remain a showcase for the elite?
What do you think? Is architecture the key to revitalizing communities, or is it just a tool for the privileged few? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a conversation that could shape the future of design!
