IBA’27 takes centre stage in Berlin: Andreas Kipar on reconnecting cities and nature

The International Building Exhibition 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA’27) opened its travelling exhibition at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg in Berlin. Organised in collaboration with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Regional Development and Housing, the event brought together leading voices from architecture, urban planning and public institutions to discuss the opportunities and challenges of urban transformation.

Under the title “Shaping Transformation: IBA’27 and the Future of Living, Housing and Working”, the opening event featured a keynote address by Andreas Kipar, member of the IBA’27 Board of Trustees, entitled “Thinking Cities and Nature Together – Climate Adaptation as a Future Challenge for Urban Development”.

Drawing on experiences from Milan and other European urban transformation processes, Kipar highlighted the importance of reconnecting urban development with natural systems. His contribution emphasised how landscape can act as a strategic framework for transforming post-industrial territories, strengthening climate resilience and creating more liveable environments.

Following the keynote, Andreas Kipar joined Theresa Schopper, Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Andreas Hofer, Director of IBA’27, and Professor Elisabeth Endres, member of the IBA’27 Board of Trustees, for a panel discussion moderated by Lars-Christian Uhlig. The conversation addressed the challenges of transforming existing urban environments and the need for new approaches to planning, architecture and landscape design.

Looking ahead to IBA’27

Under the motto “UM!BAUEN”, IBA’27 StadtRegion Stuttgart will take place from 24 April to 30 October 2027, exactly 100 years after Stuttgart’s pioneering Weissenhof Estate of 1927.

Building on this architectural legacy, the exhibition will present innovative ideas and projects addressing the future of housing, working environments, public spaces and urban life across the Stuttgart metropolitan region. It aims to demonstrate how an industrially shaped region can evolve towards a more sustainable, inclusive and liveable future.

The travelling exhibition, open to the public in Berlin from 13 to 26 October 2026, offers an early insight into the projects, ambitions and working methods that will shape next year’s international exhibition.

Through its participation in IBA’27, LAND continues to contribute to the dialogue on the future of urban development, promoting a landscape-led approach that places the relationship between people, nature and the built environment at the centre of sustainable transformation.