CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION
23rd October 2026 - Leibniz University Hannover, DE

We warmly invite friends, colleagues, collaborators, students, and everyone who appreciated Oliver Thill's work to join us in Hannover on 23rd October 2026 for a symposium dedicated to his memory and legacy.

Rather than a conventional memorial, this gathering is conceived in Oliver’s spirit: as a forum for exchange, reflection, and discussion. Bringing together architects, teachers, students, critics, clients, and friends whose paths crossed his, the symposium will continue the conversations that shaped his work and thinking. The day will explore architecture and its contemporary challenges, from education and practice to future possibilities.

Distinguished architects, long-time friends, collaborators, and intellectual companions of Oliver Thill will reflect on their shared experiences with him—through projects, teaching, criticism, friendship, and the many conversations that influenced a generation of architects (see programme below). It will also mark the closing of the “Learning Landscapes” exhibition at Leibniz University Hannover, a collaborative research and teaching project by Studio Kempe Thill and the university.

We look forward to welcoming you to Hannover.
 

SCHEDULE

14:30 – 15:30    Reception
15:30 –  17:00    Part 1

Opening remarks and introduction
Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz University
Prof. Marieke Kums, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Architecture
Prof. André Kempe

Lectures 1+2
Prof. Johannes Kühn, Kuehn Malvezzi, Berlin, DE
Prof. Pier Paolo Tamburelli, Baukuh, Milan, IT

17:00 – 17:15    Break
17:15 – 18:15    Part 2

Lectures 3+4+5
Prof. Kersten Geers, Office KGDVS, Brussels, BE
Prof. Éric Lapierre, Expérience, Paris, FR
Prof. Andrea Zanderigo, Baukuh, Milan, IT

18:15 – 18:30    Break
18:30 – 19:00    Panel discussion with all speakers
19:00                    Official closing of the exhibition and symposium
                               Food & Drinks

The event will take place at the Welfenschloss (University Main Building),
Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover.

Pre-registration until July 30 via the following link:

OLIVER THILL (1970–2026)
Architect – Teacher – Thinker

Oliver Thill was one of the most distinctive architectural voices of his generation. As co-founder of Atelier Kempe Thill, professor at Leibniz University Hannover, and an influential participant in European architectural discourse, he combined intellectual rigor with a deep commitment to practice, teaching, and society.

Raised in the German Democratic Republic, and coming of age during the profound transformations following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Oliver embraced architecture as both a cultural and social project. Together with André Kempe, whom he met on his first day of architecture studies in Dresden in 1990, he developed a lifelong partnership founded on friendship, debate, and a shared passion for architecture.

For Oliver, architecture was more than the design of buildings. It was a way of understanding the world and creating meaningful places for collective life. He sought architecture as atmosphere, structure, and presence rather than image, and believed in spaces that encourage concentration, encounter, and reflection.

As a teacher, he inspired generations of students through his eloquence, generosity, and critical engagement with history and contemporary challenges. He pursued a simple but profound question: how can architecture still create something meaningful—even magical—in a complex world?

His buildings, writings, teachings, and conversations offer many possible answers. Together they form a legacy that continues to inspire architects, students, colleagues, and friends across Europe and beyond.

For more informations about Oliver Thill's work see ATELIER KEMPE THILL.