In November, Arte is spotlighting Brussels, the birthplace of Art Nouveau, in conjunction with the “Brussels 1900” exhibition at the Petit Palais in Paris.
In the documentary “Three Faces of Art Nouveau,” Benjamin Zurstrassen, director of the Horta Museum, takes viewers on a tour of three iconic buildings by architect Victor Horta: the Hôtel Tassel (1893), considered the founding manifesto of Art Nouveau; the Maison du Peuple (completed in 1899), commissioned by the Belgian Workers’ Party and unfortunately demolished in 1965; and the former Waucquez department store (1903–1906), with its splendid Art Nouveau glass roofs, which now houses the Comic Strip Museum.
Arte is also airing “Victor Horta, Architect of a European Dream,” a documentary by Stéphane Ghez tracing the career of this master of architecture. Available on arte.tv starting November 10, it will air on Sunday, November 29, at 5:45 p.m.
Two events not to be missed before setting out to explore “Brussels 1900,” on view at the Petit Palais from November 10, 2026, to April 25, 2027.

Fernand Khnopff, *Des Caresses*, 1896. Oil on canvas, 50.5 x 150 cm. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. © Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels / photo by J. Van Seghbroeck

In 1933, Japanese writer Jun’ichirō Tanizaki published a very short essay that, since its translation into French in 1977, has become a cult classic among architects: *In Praise of Shadows*. The magazine *AMC* (No. 344) features an insightful article on the subject by Manuel Tardits, an architect based in Japan.

In it, Tanizaki makes a bittersweet case for traditional interiors that Western modernity is erasing: glass windows replace paper screens, electricity drives out lanterns, and luminous tile flooring supplants wood and the garden. But his “shadow” is not an absence of light: it is a twilight, a subtle chiaroscuro where shadow is merely a dimmer light. In contrast to Le Corbusier, who celebrates “volumes assembled under light,” Tanizaki extols the rich palette of interior shadows.

The irony, as Tardits points out, is that the writer never really lived in the twilight he so extolled; his homes blended Western comfort with tatami mats, and at age 70, he gave up his traditional villa, which was too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.

Why read it today? Because this chiaroscuro aesthetic resonates remarkably well with sustainable, bio-based architecture, and reminds us that a beautiful place isn’t necessarily a well-lit one.

Learn more: Full article in AMC No. 344

In Dieppe, the Université populaire offers year-round events open to everyone, providing opportunities to discover, explore, and discuss a wide range of topics. Run by a team of volunteers and hosted primarily at the cultural “third place” L’Inattendu, the Université populaire is based on a simple idea: making knowledge accessible to as many people as possible. The sessions are led by qualified professionals who are passionate about their fields, with a focus on sharing knowledge and fostering dialogue.

For more information, download the program by clicking HERE and on Facebook

Tarik Abd El Gaher, in his article “We Must Restore Architecture’s Rightful Place as an Expression of Culture,” published in the journal *Architectures* (No. 337), quoted Catherine Pégard in connection with the National Architecture Days, which will take place October 15–18, 2026.

The article shares the Minister of Culture’s thoughts on the role of architecture in public policy, the climate challenges that lie ahead, heritage preservation, and ongoing reforms.

Read the full interview in D’Architectures No. 337 available at the library

Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture © Jeanne Accorsini / MC / SIPA Press

September 26 through October 11, 2026 –

STEP BACK TO SEE BETTER.
Since 2019, the Maison de l’architecture de Normandie – le Forum has been organizing Zigzag—a festival of architecture and spatial arts—with the aim of bringing together different perspectives to gain a better understanding of our living spaces.

Explore and wander through the familiar landscapes—whether natural or built, known or unknown—of the Seine Valley; question, engage, understand, and participate in the transformations of this ever-changing region. But above all, be surprised, impressed, and filled with wonder at the natural and human riches of our region.

The Zigzag Festival is a grassroots festival, closely connected to sites, places, elements, and the landscape.
It fosters encounters—sometimes unexpected, related to plants and geology, but above all human and social—with those who live there, those who build, those who design, and those who dream.

Zigzag—a festival of architecture and spatial arts—is an invitation to discover, understand, and participate in the transformations of a dynamic region, the Axe Seine, through:

WALKS
INSTALLATIONS
TRAILS
HIKES
RESTAURANTS
TOURS

More information HERE

What does it mean to build the future? Faced with today’s challenges, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. Yet creative professionals—architects, designers, landscape architects, artisans, urban planners, and others—have a crucial role to play in shaping the world of today and tomorrow. It was with this in mind that Affordance.podcast was launched: a media platform designed for those who ask questions but, above all, want to take action. Each month, the podcast features creators who are making a difference. With a solutions-focused approach, each episode addresses a current issue, features inspiring stories, and highlights very concrete steps. Created by a young architect and designer, this podcast offers a dose of inspiration and positive energy intended to reignite a true wave of hope for the new generation of architects and designers.

Affordance is available on all streaming platforms as well as on social media

June 19 to December 31, 2026 – In Normandy, climate change is already having an impact on our regions. Landscapes are changing as a result of several now-observable shifts: rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, an increase in extreme weather events, and coastal erosion.
These changes are affecting our cities, rural areas, and coastlines, and directly challenge the ways we live, produce, and develop our communities.

The exhibition “Territories and Climate: Understand, Discuss, Act” explores these changes on a regional scale in Normandy. Drawing on scientific research from the Normandy branch of the IPCC*, it sheds light on current climate trends and highlights initiatives already underway in the field.

More information HERE

Since 2006, the Bellastock festival has brought together hundreds of students each year to design, build, and live in a life-size temporary city. Twenty editions. Nearly 10,000 participants. An architectural cooperative born out of this movement, and recognized expertise in reuse and bio-based construction.
In 2025, the festival takes a new step forward. Bellastock and Les Grands Ateliers are transforming it into a biennial: Beaux Détours—a biennial of architectural and urban experimentation. Two years in one region. One theme. Stops along the way—workshops, conferences, exhibitions, construction sites—that mark the journey. And a pop-up city as the grand finale.
What’s changing: the format, the location, the partnership. What remains: we arrive, we build on a real-world scale, we sleep on-site, we cook together, we debate in the evening, we party, we take it down. We return home transformed.

All the info HERE

Image: All rights reserved ©Bellastock and Les Grands Ateliers

In the fall of 2025, first-year master’s students atENSA Normandie, under the guidance of Soraya Haffaf and Julien Choppin, explored a novel approach to architecture: ecological construction through the lens of reuse. Part of the Experimentation program, this workshop during the S7-25 semester offered an immersive learning experience, where materiality and engagement with the real world replaced traditional design approaches.

With support from the Ministry of Culture and the Quartus Endowment Fund ( Les Expérimentales program), the workshop was able to draw on local partnerships—notably with the Les Bâtines recycling center and the design firm Espace Disponible—to provide students with hands-on experience.

The results of this work were featured in an exhibition at the Maison de l’architecture de Normandie in April 2026, titled“Passé recomposé.”

Building on this experience, Julien Choppin will lead the DPEA Rebond program starting in the 2026 academic year —the first post-master’s program in France focused on reusing materials in the construction industry.

Quartus Endowment Fund for Architecture

The Dredgers

Visual © All rights reserved