ADFF Toronto 2025: Søren Pihlmann: Make Materials Matter

The global construction industry is one of the planet’s most resource-hungry and polluting sectors. Too often, buildings are torn down, their materials discarded, and entirely new structures built from scratch—a process that not only fuels the climate crisis but also ignores the hidden value, beauty, and potential in what already exists.

But a shift is underway. In recent years, a distinct Danish voice has emerged in the global conversation about how we live, build, and shape our surroundings. At the forefront of this movement is architect Søren Pihlmann, whose projects explore how existing materials can be given new life. In 2025, he brought this vision to the world stage as curator of the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Tasked with protecting and upgrading the pavilion itself, Pihlmann turned the renovation into a living exhibition, an experiment in transformation where the building’s own materials helped shape its future.

About the Architecture and Design Film Festival

The Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF)—North America’s largest film festival dedicated to architecture and design—is coming back to Toronto for another year of great films and insightful discussions! From November 12-15, catch one of their amazing lineup of 13 films, from all over the world. Looking for the full list of films showcased at this year’s ADFF: Toronto? See the complete programme on the festival’s website!

The TSA is proud to once again be partnering with ADFF: Toronto to bring a series of panel discussions and post-screening Q&As that complement this year’s film roster. These panels bring together architects, film-makers, and subject matter experts to further explore the themes of each film and bring them back to our local context here in Toronto.

TSA MEMBERS: Members get discounted tickets to all showings at ADFF: Toronto! Keep an eye out for the code in the announcement of the ticket sales launch.