2026 AIA UK/ RIBA Keynote Lecture - Craig Dykers of Snøhetta

We are excited to announce the 2026 AIA UK/ RIBA Keynote Lecture with Craig Dykers of Snøhetta! When: Tuesday 27 October 2026, 18:30. Doors open from 18:00 Where: Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London), Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA CES Credits: Estimated 1.5 LU/ HSW for AIA Members RIBA Members may count this activity towards their CPD recording requirement. Tickets £10 - AIA and RIBA members £20 - General admission £5 - Students (not from UAL) Free - UAL/ CSM students (with UAL ID) UAL/CSM students - please go here to register >>> NB: Some ticket purchasing details including names and email addresses will be shared with UAL ahead of the lecture to enable access to the venue. Description The lecture is jointly convened by the American Institute of Architects UK (AIA UK) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), in partnership with Spatial Practices at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. The AIA and RIBA have a long history of collaboration dating back to the founding of their institutes in 1857 and 1834 respectively, and are delighted to present this year's keynote lecture with Central Saint Martins. This event is being held in person with drinks to be served after the lecture. Craig Dykers. Image credit: © Elliot Schwartz About Craig Dykers Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Craig Dykers is an architect, educator, and founding partner of the internationally acclaimed design practice Snøhetta. Educated at the University of Texas at Austin, he co-founded the Oslo-based practice in 1989 and later helped establish its New York studio, contributing to the firm's emergence as one of the world's most innovative multidisciplinary design practices. For more than three decades, Dykers has led projects that blur the boundaries between architecture, landscape, urbanism, and cultural infrastructure. His work is distinguished by a commitment to creating environments that strengthen the relationship between people, place, and the natural world while fostering social interaction and civic engagement. Throughout his career, Dykers has championed an inclusive and collaborative design process that brings together multiple disciplines to address the environmental and social challenges facing contemporary cities and communities. He has lectured extensively across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and has served as a visiting critic, professor, and juror at leading architecture schools and institutions. His work has received widespread international recognition, including projects honoured with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award), among many other distinctions. SFMOMA – San Franciso Museum of Art Image credit: Iwan Baan About Snøhetta Founded in Oslo in 1989 by Craig Dykers, Kjetil Thorsen and colleagues, Snøhetta is an internationally recognised transdisciplinary practice working across architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, product design, graphic design, art, and strategic planning. Today the practice operates from studios across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia and employs hundreds of designers working collaboratively across disciplines. Named after one of Norway's highest mountain peaks, Snøhetta first gained international prominence through its winning competition entry for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Since then, the practice has completed numerous award-winning projects that combine cultural significance, environmental responsibility, and public engagement. The firm's design philosophy is rooted in a non-hierarchical and collaborative methodology, bringing together architecture, landscape, interiors, graphics, and product design from the earliest stages of every project. This approach has enabled the practice to create innovative solutions for cultural institutions, educational buildings, civic infrastructure, landscapes, workplaces, and public spaces around the world. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Image credit: Gerald Zugmann --------------------------- The venue is wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs are allowed. There is disabled parking available by the Central Saint Martins Loading Bay, which is accessible from Handyside street. The spaces are not bookable however. There may or may not be a unisex toilet available. BSL will not be provided. --------------------------- This lecture is sponsored in part by Axalta Powder Coating Systems UK. Please consider them for your next project. Further information at: https://www.axalta.com/gb/en_GB.html.