Honorary Lecture, Prof. Marco Bakker
Event details
| Date | 05.05.2026 |
| Hour | 17:30 › 19:30 |
| Speaker | Prof. Marco Bakker |
| Location | |
| Category | Inaugural lectures - Honorary Lecture |
| Event Language | French, English |
Date: 05 May 2026
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Introduction by Dean Katrin Beyer and IA director Pier Vittorio Aureli. Lecture by Prof. Marco Bakker. Followed by an apero.
Place: EPFL, SG 1138
Live stream: link
Title:
A World Made of Traces, ANEKDOTA!
Abstract:
MANSLAB, The Spatial Workshop: In our view, architecture is a craft in which creativity and relentless discipline lead to innovation. Alongside a 'plurality of time', we are interested in the 'plurality of space'. Rather than transparency, it is the arrangement of different worlds face-to-face or side-by-side that creates this impression of density and richness in relationships.
To craft sustainable development, we believe that, alongside a body of fundamental knowledge, a spirit can be cultivated through tireless attempts, including failure, to develop a 'knowledge of the hand' capable of finding new forms of expression. The countless experiences that we have accumulated at MANSLAB over the past 15 years can undoubtedly be best recounted in the form of anecdotes. An anecdote is a historical detail or a characteristic of customs or character that becomes a short, entertaining story evoking emotions such as laughter or horror.
The students’ work that I am about to present illustrates certain tested, refined and proven principles, such as the indestructible link between ideas and the hand through the slow and joyful acquisition of knowledge; the economy of means to highlight the essential; errors and non-linearity as inspiring methods in the design process; and the cultivation of empirical, manual and physical knowledge that prioritises grasping sensory, supra-sensory and memory-based reality and is capable of creating new spaces. The launch of the book ANEKDOTA will take place at the same event.
About the speaker:
Marco Bakker is born in Harlingen, Netherlands, in 1960. He first earned a degree in Civil Engineering from HTS Leeuwarden, before continuing his studies in Architecture and Urban Planning at Delft University of Technology, including spending a year abroad at EPFL. Following four years of experimentation in architecture and photography, he founded the firm Bakker & Blanc Architects (BABL) with Alexandre Blanc in 1992. At the same time, he worked as an assistant to Prof. Vincent Mangeat and visiting professor Kaschka Knapkiewicz at EPFL. From 2003 to 2009, he taught architectural design and theory at the BFH in Burgdorf. Following four years as visiting professors together with Alexandre Blanc, they were appointed associate professors at the EPFL Institute of Architecture within the 'MANSLAB, Laboratory of Spatial Manufacturing' chair from 2013 to 2025.
He also served on the Arts and Architecture Commission of the Canton of Bern and was a member of the editorial board of Werk-Bauen & Wohnen. He chaired the jury for the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Biennale on behalf of Pro Helvetia. Marco Bakker also regularly participates in various photographic and editorial projects related to art and architecture.
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Introduction by Dean Katrin Beyer and IA director Pier Vittorio Aureli. Lecture by Prof. Marco Bakker. Followed by an apero.
Place: EPFL, SG 1138
Live stream: link
Title:
A World Made of Traces, ANEKDOTA!
Abstract:
MANSLAB, The Spatial Workshop: In our view, architecture is a craft in which creativity and relentless discipline lead to innovation. Alongside a 'plurality of time', we are interested in the 'plurality of space'. Rather than transparency, it is the arrangement of different worlds face-to-face or side-by-side that creates this impression of density and richness in relationships.
To craft sustainable development, we believe that, alongside a body of fundamental knowledge, a spirit can be cultivated through tireless attempts, including failure, to develop a 'knowledge of the hand' capable of finding new forms of expression. The countless experiences that we have accumulated at MANSLAB over the past 15 years can undoubtedly be best recounted in the form of anecdotes. An anecdote is a historical detail or a characteristic of customs or character that becomes a short, entertaining story evoking emotions such as laughter or horror.
The students’ work that I am about to present illustrates certain tested, refined and proven principles, such as the indestructible link between ideas and the hand through the slow and joyful acquisition of knowledge; the economy of means to highlight the essential; errors and non-linearity as inspiring methods in the design process; and the cultivation of empirical, manual and physical knowledge that prioritises grasping sensory, supra-sensory and memory-based reality and is capable of creating new spaces. The launch of the book ANEKDOTA will take place at the same event.
About the speaker:
Marco Bakker is born in Harlingen, Netherlands, in 1960. He first earned a degree in Civil Engineering from HTS Leeuwarden, before continuing his studies in Architecture and Urban Planning at Delft University of Technology, including spending a year abroad at EPFL. Following four years of experimentation in architecture and photography, he founded the firm Bakker & Blanc Architects (BABL) with Alexandre Blanc in 1992. At the same time, he worked as an assistant to Prof. Vincent Mangeat and visiting professor Kaschka Knapkiewicz at EPFL. From 2003 to 2009, he taught architectural design and theory at the BFH in Burgdorf. Following four years as visiting professors together with Alexandre Blanc, they were appointed associate professors at the EPFL Institute of Architecture within the 'MANSLAB, Laboratory of Spatial Manufacturing' chair from 2013 to 2025.
He also served on the Arts and Architecture Commission of the Canton of Bern and was a member of the editorial board of Werk-Bauen & Wohnen. He chaired the jury for the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Biennale on behalf of Pro Helvetia. Marco Bakker also regularly participates in various photographic and editorial projects related to art and architecture.
Links
Practical information
- Informed public
- Registration required
Organizer
- IA - Gesualdo Casciana