About Summit 2021

The World Around Summit 2021, presented in partnership with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, was a day-long global gathering of visionary architects, designers, artists, and thinkers, streamed live to audiences worldwide. Curated by Beatrice Galilee, the program unfolded in three thematic sessions—Pollinators, Keepers, and Builders—spotlighting 20 groundbreaking projects shaping architecture’s now, near, and next. Participants included Sir David Adjaye, Francis Kéré, SO-IL, Counterspace, Cave_Bureau, Alice Rawsthorn, and many more, sharing urgent ideas at the intersection of design, climate action, equity, and cultural heritage. From speculative urban futures to the preservation of Indigenous traditions, the summit offered a dynamic platform for exchange, bridging disciplines and geographies. As the launch of The World Around’s year-long residency at the Guggenheim, the 2021 edition reaffirmed the organization’s mission to connect diverse global practices with broad audiences, celebrating design’s capacity to respond creatively and meaningfully to the defining challenges of our time.