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03.05.26

Slow Down: Dispatches from the Copenhagen Architecture Biennial

Event Big Swings (2025)
March 5th, 2026
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Perkins Eastman
115 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, USA

Søren Pihlmann is the founder of the award-winning Copenhagen-based architecture studio Pihlmann Architects. Søren is well-renowned for his focus on the sensuous and honest architectural experience, be it within the repurposing of old industrial buildings, temporary pavilions or single-family homes. He explores the potential of repurposed materials and how we can create an aesthetic based on the new sustainability requirements. Søren was appointed Curator of the Danish Pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia 2025, and serves as member of the Academy Council advising the Danish state on architectural matters. His work has been exhibited and published widely, and he has been awarded numerous prizes and grants.

Josephine Michau is Head curator and Director of Copenhagen Architecture Biennial and Director and founder of Copenhagen Architecture Forum CAFx, spanning exhibitions, events, podcasts, short films, articles, publications, workshops, and educational initiatives. She is co-founder of the pan-European architecture platform LINA and was appointed Curator of the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023 with the exhibition "Coastal Imaginaries" and the adjacent publication "Critical Coast". She has been awarded the Henning Larsen Foundation's honorary grant, the Lille Arne prize, and the Danish Arts Council's work grant for her contributions to the field of architecture. She has furthermore contributed to several international architecture committees.

Pernille Maria Bärnheim is Deputy Director of Copenhagen Architecture Biennial and Copenhagen Architecture Forum CAFx, Associate Director of the SDGs Local Learning Studio, guest researcher at the Royal Danish Academy, and serves as board member of Building Diversity. Pernille has authored several articles and books on the built environment with a focus on sociality and sustainability, curated talk programmes and exhibitions, conceptualized and led educational projects on architecture and urbanism for youth, and undertaken international research on low-income housing strategies. Her background is in critical urban studies, curation, and film making.

Nick Leahy is co-CEO of Perkins Eastman, providing visionary, human-centered, and sustainability-driven design leadership across the firm. He maintains a highly hands-on approach, working closely with teams to ensure design intent is carried through every phase. His work spans scales from urban planning to exhibitions and crosses multiple sectors. Internationally recognized, his projects balance place, program, and craft, grounded in deep attention to context, history, and use, with award-winning civic, cultural, and institutional work worldwide.

Join us for a conversation on adaptive reuse with the Copenhagen Architecture Forum and architect Søren Pihlmann. 

The Copenhagen Architecture Biennial 2025, Slow Down, challenged fast-paced, consumption-driven architecture, advocating for a regenerative, long-term approach that considers ecological and intergenerational impacts. Biennial directors Josephine Michau and Pernille Maria Bärnheim and architect Søren Pihlmann will reflect on creative approaches to material use and reuse. Pihlmann will share Danish examples such as Thoravej 29, an adaptive reuse project that recycled original pieces of the building, treating the building as its own material bank. Following presentations, Nick Leahy will moderate a conversation and invite Forum members to discuss:

What can we learn from architectural practices that consider resource scarcity and climate urgency?

RSVP
Guest & Accessibility Policies

This event is open to Urban Design Forum Fellows, Global Circle members and their invited guests.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully.

  • The venue will have an entrance and elevators that are ADA-accessible.
  • This event will have microphones and speakers.
  • If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. Face masks are encouraged, particularly if you have been recently exposed to colds, flus, or other illness. If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, a high-quality, well-fitting face covering is required at all times.
  • Please refrain from wearing strong fragrances to accommodate guests with allergies or environmental sensitivities.
  • If you have additional needs, we will do our best to accommodate. Please contact rsvp@urbandesignforum.org.
About Big Swings

Our 2025 Global Exchange initiative, Big Swings seeks to build solidarity between leaders in New York and other cities taking “big swings” at their housing crises. By exploring the cultures and politics behind housing shifts around the world, we will equip decision-makers to better advocate for reform and support a new generation of leaders to house every New Yorker. 

Continuing Education

This event is been approved for 1.5 AIA CES LUs.

Support

Lead Sponsor

We thank Global Circle sponsors Akerman LLP, Apple Bank, Fogarty Finger, HKS, Jamie von Klemperer, KPF, Office for the Next Environment, Skylight, and Upside Collab.

Global Exchange is made possible with additional support from our Board of Directors, Circle Members, and company and individual members. Our programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

To learn more about supporting Global Exchange, please contact Miranda Bellizia, miranda@urbandesignform.org.

Image Credit: Hampus Berndtson

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