Our yearly Kromhout Lecture takes place during our Graduation Weekend. The lecture is named after architect Willem Kromhout, one of the founders of the Academy in 1908. Every year the lecture is delivered to our alumni, by one of our alumni. This year, the Kromhout Lecture will be held by Lorien Beijaert and Arna Mačkić (studio L A), who collectively graduated from the Academy as a duo.
Studio L A is an architecture studio founded by architects Lorien Beijaert and Arna Mačkić. The studio focuses mainly on the design of public architecture. For L A, the practice of architecture is a device through which to investigate societal issues, such as the accessibility of buildings and public space, the housing of refugees, the impact of war on people and their living environment, dealing with and commemorating painful historical episodes and the destructive impact of gentrification. Studio L A works from the existing context. Understanding the past, present and future of a place and the experiences and needs of its communities and future users is essential to Studio L A’s work. The projects are realized in the form of meeting places in public space, places of remembrance, pavilions, exhibition architecture and design research. Studio L A’s work focuses on creating a more equal society in which encounter and dialogue between people is central.
The Kromhout Lecture will be held on Saturday, 9 November, at 16.30 at the Academy of Architecture in English. Seats are free and on a first-come, first-served basis—no advance registration is needed. To see the rest of the Graduation Weekend programme, please click here.