Thom Mayne, Pritzker Prize-winning architect and founder of Morphosis and acclaimed writer and broadcaster Frances Anderton will open the 2026 IDC with a dynamic conversation that will set the stage for four days of programming exploring the conference’s central themes of climate, community, and creativity.

Hubert-Jan Henket, Dutch architect, scholar, and co-founder of Docomomo International, will address “What Is the Meaning of the Words Modern Movement Today?” and invite reflection on whether the classic definitions of the Modern Movement still hold true.

Frida Escobedo, award-winning Mexican architect and founder of her eponymous studio, will deliver the closing keynote Underlying Futures, unearthing a plural prospect of the future, engaging with the themes of climate, community and creativity as they relate to modern architecture.