Architect Oana Stănescu has been appointed the curator of this year’s edition of Beta - Timișoara Architecture Biennial.

Born in Romania, Stănescu, who is also a designer, writer, and educator, completed her architectural studies at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism from Timișoara (FAUT) and gathered experience across several continents before establishing her studio in New York and Berlin.

Her most recent works include the revitalization of a 500-meter funicular in her hometown, Reșița, in southwestern Romania, retail stores for Virgil Abloh’s Off White stores across the world, and large-scale installations such as Seriously Fun at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Mutts at the 2022 Coachella music festival in Indio, California, and Fresa at the 2023 Concéntrico International Festival of Architecture and Design in Logroño, Spain. She also co-founded the collaborative project Plus Pool in New York. Through her projects, she encourages the public “to rethink the relationship with the built environment and explore the possibilities of creating urban spaces that prioritize livability and sustainability.”

She has taught and lectured at Harvard GSD University, GSAPP, Columbia GSAPP, Princeton SOA, UCLA AUDLA, Architectural Association, and the Architectural Association in London. Most recently, she established the interdisciplinary Blueprints of Justice Studio at MIT in collaboration with the Stanford Legal Design Lab and Virgil Abloh. In 2023, she established and started curating the “Nonprofessionals” lecture Series at EPFL in Lausanne.

As curator, Stănescu will bring “her multi-disciplinary range and deep understanding of the contemporary architectural landscape to deliver a uniquely fresh biennial,” the organizers of the event said.

Established as a cultural project of the Romanian Order of Architects – Timiș Territorial Branch, Beta brings together leading and emerging architects, urban planners, design professionals, and artists to showcase their work, foster collaboration, and explore the future of the built environment. The theme of the fifth edition of Beta will be announced in early spring.

(Photo courtesy of Beta - Timișoara Architecture Biennial )

simona@romania-insider.com