Architectural events like biennales, urban festivals or the World Expo provide a framework for research and experimentation, allowing architects to showcase their visions on an international stage, with the aim of advancing the practice and driving innovation. World Expos, in particular, allow for these lines of inquiry to unfold at an architectural scale rather than that of an installation. Within these platforms for discourse and knowledge exchange, temporary architecture becomes a medium for communicating ideas about architecture and the city, its challenges and possible lines of development.

There are now at least 35 architecture biennials and triennials worldwide, and many more architecture festivals or exhibitions which take on a variety of formats and focuses, as well as the World Expo, held every five years. While many architectural biennales are more in-ward looking, the World Expo is a highly inclusive platform by tradition. Although they are different in scope, these recurring events are a living record of the architectural preoccupations of the moment, a barometer for the profession’s state and its challenges. They all take on temporary architecture as a display and communication tool as a way to convey research.