Atlantic Circulations. Architecture and travel between Americas and Europe from XVIII century.

The inclusion of the Americas within the horizons and intellectual concerns of travelers interested in architecture and the city since the Age of Enlightenment is essential within a series dedicated to the architect’s journey. The Americas, understood as a plural and heterogeneous continental space encompassing North, Central, and South America, were not only the stage for the extension of European itineraries but also the starting point for journeys to Europe by figures of American architectural culture, as well as a substantial part of the beginnings of Atlantic circulations that, since the 18th century, have intensified between both shores of the Atlantic.
The aim of the congress is to investigate the role of architects’ journeys in the evolution of architectural culture between the Americas and Europe from the mid-18th century to the present day.
The congress will focus on different types of journeys, traveler profiles, and territories across the American continents, from North to Central and South America, that have contributed to the Atlantic circulations of architectural culture in the Americas, from the twilight of the Enlightenment, the processes of identity construction following independence phenomena starting with the United States and later the Ibero-American nations, journeys in search of identity within Pan-American architecture up to the European wars, America and Europe in early modernity, or the role of travel in the circulation and networks of architectural culture during the second half of the 20th century.The congress will address both journeys through Europe by architects from the Americas, and journeys through the different American regions by Europeans, with special interest in transatlantic circulations and the back-and-forth exchanges of architectural culture on both sides of the ocean, emphasizing both the interpretation of architecture in the places visited and the repercussions of these journeys for the travelers’ own architectural culture, as well as for the construction of transoceanic ties, including those of a conflictive nature.

The international congress aims to gather a limited number of contributions, representing original studies on specific cases or themes to be debated at the meeting in order to reflect on the role of architects’ journeys in the evolution of architectural culture between the Americas and Europe from the mid-18th century to the present day. The selected proposals for presentation at the congress will be published in a collective volume within the series I viaggi dell’architetto by Campisano Editore (Rome).

Submission of proposals
Abstract (maximum 2,500 characters, including spaces), including a brief author biography (maximum 500 characters, including spaces), 2 representative images, and a reference bibliography.

Submission deadline for abstracts
- by 2:00 p.m. on 28 February, 2026, to the email address: viajes.arquitectura.americaeuropaus.es

From the proposals received, the scientific committee will select a maximum of 20, which must be presented during the congress, either in person or online. Selected proposals will be invited to participate in the collective volume derived from the congress, published in the series I viaggi dell’architetto by Campisano Editori (Rome).

Scientific coordination
Joaquín Medina Warmburg (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) and Carlos Plaza (University of Seville)