At the dawn of the 19th century, the invention of new materials, structures, and machinery gradually began to transform the relationship between architecture and architectural tradition, a time coinciding with the establishment of national patent systems. Although it is hard to imagine the innovative, technical, and creative aspects of architecture without patents, it is only in recent years that they have received increased academic attention in the history of architecture and construction. The ongoing research project “Architecture & Patents” at the Professorship Construction Heritage and Preservation of Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg, ETH Zurich, investigates the role of patents within the extensive building stock of the ETH Domain from 1855 to the present day. The international conference “Architecture & Patents” - opening June 18, 2025 - will provide an academic platform for exchanging on the topic in a wider context. It covers the 19th through the 21st centuries and deals with legal, historical, and architectural questions; materials and processes; construction heritage and newest developments in digital fabrication.

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