Mumbai hosts second edition of ADFF:STIR celebrating architecture and design

A rendering of Bose Krishnamachari’s concept, The Pavilions of Conversation. Pics Courtesy/ADFF STIR

January often brings with it new beginnings. People make plans, resolutions, new starts that promise progress. And progress is precisely what the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF:STIR) brings to the city with its second edition starting January 9. The festival made its debut with a splash in 2025, after being founded by New York-based architect and film enthusiast Kyle Bergman in 2009. "The city's audience is deeply engaged, passionate and eager to explore how films can influence the world of architecture and design," shares Kyle Bergman, festival director and founder, ADFF.

Festival director and founder and editor-in-chief, STIR, Amit Gupta, adds that films are one of the central focus elements of the festival, and influence conversations on architecture through the medium. Another key element will the conversations under the umbrella of LOG(UE) programme. "The programme encourages active engagement, multiple points of view, and responsive discourse," the director reveals.

Amit Gupta and Kyle Bergman

These conversations will be supported by the tactile presence of the Jaquar Pavilion Park, which will be installed on the grounds of the NCPA lawns. Curated by Aric Chen, director, Zaha Hadid Foundation, the visionary proposals of 10 winning practices will find expression at the Nariman Point venue.

Gupta adds, "Down the line, they [the pavilions] are imagined to travel and evolve, becoming catalysts for wider public discourse in prominent civic and cultural spaces such as the Dr BDL Museum, Marine Drive, the Pune International Centre, and similar public forums," he says.

Renderings of The Streets of Aspiration by SJK Architects

With the concerns over ecological impact of projects, and a need to refocus on sustainable living models growing, the festival becomes a ground for a sharing of new ideas. "We want to engage a significantly broader and more diverse audience, bringing together government bodies, civic authorities, institutions, corporates, patrons, collectors, and the creative community at large," concludes Gupta.

FROM January 9 to 11; 11 am onwards
AT NCPA, Nariman Point.
LOG ON TO in.bookmyshow.com
ENTRY Rs 500 onwards

PAVILION PARK

The Pavilion of Conversations Bose Krishnamachari
Tectonics of Mumbai
Anagram Architects
The Streets of Aspiration
SJK Architects

THE GUIDE'S TOP PICKS

FILMS

A moment from the film, Sketches of Frank Gehry. Pics Courtesy/stirworld.com

Sketches of Frank Gehry by Sydney Pollack
ON January 9, 8.15 pm; January 10,6.30 pm
AT Tata Theatre, Godrej Dance Theatre

A shot of architect Geoffrey Bawa's creation in Sri Lanka from the film, Bawa's Garden. Pics Courtesy/YouTube

Bawa's Garden by Clara Kraft Isono
ON January 9, 3.15 pm
AT Tata Theatre

TALKS

People who architect the legend of Mumbai Rahul Kadri, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Nyrika Holkar, Kiran Rao, moderated by Rohan Shivkumar
ON January 9; 11.30 am
AT Tata Theatre

Building the contemporary: Power, public and the new Indian institution Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Martha Thorne, Bose Krishnamachari, Raj Rewal, moderated by Ranjana Dave
ON January 11; 4 pm
AT Tata Theatre

WORKSHOPS

Team Tree! A children's timber workshop
Joseph Goodwin
ON January 10; 11 am
AT Jaquar Pavilion Park

Thinking cities in
narratives
Anuj Kale and Shreya Khandekar
ON January 11; 2 pm
AT Jaquar Pavilion Park

In the making:
Mentoring sessions with Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
ON January 9, 3 pm;
January 11, 3pm
AT Tata Gardens