The Hay Festival Segovia 2017

The Hay Festival of Literature and Arts has been a fixture on the international arts calendar since its inception and is attended and supported by key players from across the globe. This year's Segovia program included 94 events that took place between September 16 and 24, and were attended by 13,000 people.

The Festival program featured speakers and participants at the top of their fields, including several acclaimed architects. The line-up reflected the prestige of the event as well as IE’s commitment to the diffusion of knowledge and the promotion of learning.

“Cities” was the central theme of a series of discussions featuring world-renowned speakers. The Pritzker Prize-winning Richard Rogers spoke to Martha Thorne, Dean of the IE School of Architecture and Design, about his vision for the future of our cities. A rock star in the world of architecture, Rogers is behind some of the most iconic buildings on the planet—from Paris's Pompidou Center to the European Court of Human Rights and Madrid's own Barajas Airport T4.

Luis Vidal and Simon Manley.

Deyan Sudjic, the Director of the Design Museum, London, talked with Monocle Magazine's Madrid correspondent Liam Aldous about the impact of urban planning. Lorenzo de' Medici brought a historical angle to the topic, discussing great cities of the past, while Spanish architects Luis Vidal and Benedetta Tagliabue appeared alongside Japan's Sou Fujimoto. The Hay Festival was also proud to host Guillermo Solana, the artistic director of the Thyssen-Bornemisza, who presented a series of screenings, documentaries and workshops.

Richard Rogers stopped by the studios of IE University's Bachelor of Architecture program to engage with students and offer insight on their projects. While he was there, Rogers reflected on the key skills that architects and designers must develop in order to deal with the challenges facing the industry.

Richard Rogers with students of the Bachelor in Architecture.

He identified the importance of "realizing that architecture is much more than a single act; it’s a complex overlapping of specialties, you have to work with other people to solve the problems."

Rogers also emphasized the importance of embracing technological change and understanding that these developments will shape the future of architecture, as well as society in general. Nevertheless, he noted that architects should strive to maintain a connection to the poetry of their designs, refusing to let the technological eclipse the aesthetic.

When it comes to the need for design, Rogers is clear: "Design matters because it has an aesthetic element that allows us to make beautiful things, but most importantly because it solve problems."

The IE School of Architecture and Design was proud to host Rogers, as well as the other speakers and guests who made this year’s Hay Festival Segovia a resounding success.