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Event 18: Ben van Berkel, Sheikha Reem Al-Thani, Manuela Lucà-Dazio and David Goodman in conversation
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Back to HAY FESTIVAL SEGOVIA 2026
Fri, Sep 11, 2026
6 PM – 6:50 PM (GMT+2)
Private Location (sign in to display)
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Museums are no longer simply places to preserve and display collections. They have become catalysts for urban transformation, cultural dialogue and innovation. How can architecture, curatorship and cultural leadership shape the cities—and societies—of the future?
Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio, Sheikha Reem Al-Thani, Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing and Director of Central Exhibitions at Qatar Museums, Manuela Lucà-Dazio, Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and David Goodman, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design, come together to explore the evolving role of museums as living cultural institutions.
From iconic museum buildings to visionary cultural programmes, the conversation will examine how museums can foster creativity, strengthen communities and redefine the relationship between culture, education and the public realm. What makes a museum not only a destination, but a catalyst for social and urban change?
Speakers
Ben Van Berkel
Founder and principal architect of UNStudio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-van-berkel-298bab23/
Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal Architect of UNS, is renowned for his cutting-edge design, dedication to sustainability, and deep understanding of the impact the built environment has on health and wellbeing. His unconventional approach, which investigates the interconnections between culture and commerce, consistently breaks new creative ground and works to solve real world problems. He brings creative and visionary thinking to an expanding set of expertises within the fields of health, sustainability, technology and economics, delivering evermore value to clients and partners.
Sheikha Reem Al-Thani
Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing and Director of Central Exhibitions at Qatar Museums
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reem-al-thani-8b621761/
Sheikha Reem Al-Thani is the acting deputy CEO of exhibitions, public art, and Rubaiya, as well as the director of Qatar Museums (QM). She leads a comprehensive team of museum professionals, which services all museums and galleries under the QM umbrella. Sheikha Reem also oversees the development and implementation of QM's expansive exhibition schedule that brings world-class programming to Qatar, and introduces Qatar's culture and emerging art scene to the rest of the world. Most recently, she has overseen the development of several successful exhibitions, including Forever Valentino; Dior Designer of Dreams; Jeff Koons Lost in America; Kaws: He Eats Alone; Making Doha: 1950- 2030 in 2019; Contemporary Art Qatar in St. Petersburg and Berlin 2018/2017; and Picasso-Giacometti in Qatar in 2017. Sheikha Reem is an adjunct professor teaching exhibition design at Virginia Commonwealth Qatar, serves on the IE School of Architecture and Design International Committee, served on the board of IN-Q Enterprises, and has 14 years of experience in museums and exhibitions.
Manuela Lucà-Dazio
Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize
Manuela Lucà-Dazio holds a degree in architecture from the University of Naples, Italy, and a doctorate in architectural history from the University of Rome-Chieti, ltaly. From 2009 until 2019 she has been the Managing Director of the Visual Arts and Architecture Department of La Biennale di Venezia, where she was also responsible of the technical organization and production of the International Exhibitions. She is the Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Foundation, and Advisor to the LUMA Foundation in Arles, France.
David Goodman
Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgoodman-dean/
David Goodman is the Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and of Cornell University, he also holds a PhD in Business Studies from IE University, specializing in Strategy and Organization Theory. His current research deals with innovations in creative practice and production during times of socioeconomic turbulence and technological transformation. Goodman is co-author of the book An Introduction to Architecture Theory: 1968 to the Present, and his work has also appeared in the Journal of Architectural Education, Technology|Architecture + Design, A+T, Log, in the anthology Chicago Architecture: Histories, Revisions, Alternatives, and in the book Walter Netsch: A Critical Appreciation and Sourcebook.