10th International Sophia Journal Conference brings together researchers at ETSAB and highlights the launch of Sophia Vol. 11 and the LFA Prize
The Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB-UPC) hosted, on November 21st and 22nd, 2025, the 10th International Sophia Journal Conference, part of the thematic cycle Landscapes of Repair. The meeting brought together researchers, photographers, architects, and academics from diverse geographical locations to discuss the role of photography, film, and visual practices in the documentation, interpretation, and repair of contemporary architectural and urban landscapes.
Opening: talks by Félix Solaguren Beascoa, Cristina Gastón, and Pedro Leão Neto
The opening session took place in the main auditorium of ETSAB.
Félix Solaguren Beascoa, the School's director, welcomed the participants, highlighting the importance of hosting this international conference at a time when visual reflection on the city and architectural heritage is assuming increasing relevance in academic debate.
This was followed by a speech from Cristina Gastón, architect and professor at ETSAB, who briefly introduced Pedro Leão Neto, contextualizing the work and trajectory of the editor and coordinator of the Sophia Journal. Gastón emphasized the continuity and ambition of the journal—today a consolidated international platform for research on architecture, photography, and image—and framed the conference within Sophia's critical trajectory over the last decade.
In his speech, Pedro Leão Neto presented the editorial project of the Sophia Journal, officially announcing the launch of the journal's new volume, Sophia Journal Vol. 11, integrated into the Landscapes of Repair cycle. He emphasized the volume's focus on how photography and film reveal the invisible tensions, fragilities, and transformations of contemporary cities, bringing visual research closer to urgent debates about ecological responsibility, public space, and urban life.
Program Highlight: LFA Prize Presentation (3:00 PM–3:30 PM)
One of the most anticipated moments of the first day occurred at 3:00 PM, with Pedro Leão Neto presenting the winning photographic series and announcing the Luís Ferreira Alves Prize (LFA).
In a presentation that combined historical context, visual analysis, and critical reflection, Pedro Leão Neto described the selection process, the curatorial criteria, and the role of the LFA Prize as a platform for the internationalization of contemporary architectural photography. The presentation sparked particular interest among participants, due to the way it articulates visual research, artistic practice, and reflection on architectural heritage—a dimension reinforced by the editorial partnership between scopio Editions and the Spanish publisher Turner.
Two days of debate, research, and visual practices
The conference program included thematic roundtables, communication sessions, and a series of parallel initiatives that illustrated the vitality of the meeting:
• Panels dedicated to the modernity of the 1950s–60s, coordinated by Jaime Ferrer;
• Sessions on intermediate states of the city and construction processes, chaired by Cristina Gastón;
• Panel “Other Realities”, moderated by Judit Taberna and Luis Ángel Domínguez, focused on emerging documentary practices;
• Lecture by Manolo Laguillo, an unavoidable figure in contemporary Spanish architectural photography;
• Exhibition “ARXIU ICARIÀ 1987–1992 / Coreografia d’un territori en transformació”, by Martí Llorens;
• Visit to the Oriol Bohigas Library curated by Neus Vilaplana.
The diversity of perspectives and geographies represented highlighted the international character of the meeting and the growing impact of Sophia Journal on the global academic debate on city, image, and architecture.
A conference that strengthens networks and broadens horizons
Over two days, researchers and creators reflected on how photography, film, and other visual practices can document, reveal, or transform the understanding of the built environment—emphasizing the ethical and ecological urgency of the theme Landscapes of Repair.
The close collaboration between ETSAB-UPC and Sophia Journal consolidated this 10th edition as a privileged platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, strengthening international research networks that integrate leading universities and cultural centers.
The conference reaffirmed, once again, Sophia Journal's mission: to critically consider the role of the image in the construction of knowledge about architecture, city, and territory, and to open space for visual practices that contribute to new ways of repairing, imagining, and inhabiting the contemporary world.