MUNICH, 13 NOVEMBER 2025
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? | New digital technologies in design and practice
On 13 November, the JUNG Architecture Talks will take place in Munich for the twelfth time. The evening at the Künstlerhaus am Lenbachplatz is dedicated to the theme What does the future hold? Together with our guests, we will explore how new digital technologies are making their way into architecture and interior design. What applications of artificial intelligence are already in use? How might architecture-specific AI tools evolve? And what opportunities and risks do these technologies present for the design process and professional practice?
Highlights include a keynote by Mari Randsborg, CEO of the Copenhagen-based architecture office Cobe, who sees the integration of data-driven models into the planning process as a foundation for smarter and more sustainable cities. The panel will also feature Florian Beck, Associate Partner at blocher partners and lecturer at the Chair of Design and Construction at the Technical University of Munich. In both practice and academia, he examines how digital transformation influences the creative act of design. Last but not least, we welcome Berlin-based architect and designer Fabian Freytag of Fabian Freytag Studio, who intensively uses AI-based imaging to visualise architectural visions. His work blends artificial intelligence with other tools to create seductively imaginative spatial scenarios.
The evening will be moderated by Katharina Matzig, an architecture journalist based in Munich.
Highlights include a keynote by Mari Randsborg, CEO of the Copenhagen-based architecture office Cobe, who sees the integration of data-driven models into the planning process as a foundation for smarter and more sustainable cities. The panel will also feature Florian Beck, Associate Partner at blocher partners and lecturer at the Chair of Design and Construction at the Technical University of Munich. In both practice and academia, he examines how digital transformation influences the creative act of design. Last but not least, we welcome Berlin-based architect and designer Fabian Freytag of Fabian Freytag Studio, who intensively uses AI-based imaging to visualise architectural visions. His work blends artificial intelligence with other tools to create seductively imaginative spatial scenarios.
The evening will be moderated by Katharina Matzig, an architecture journalist based in Munich.
Impressions
Photography: Tim Dornaus
MARI RANDSBORG
COBE, COPENHAGEN (DK)
Mari Randsborg is Managing Director of the Danish architecture office COBE, founded in 2006 by Dan Stubbergaard and known today for visionary and sustainable projects in the fields of urban planning, landscape architecture, and architecture. She studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and has been leading creative businesses for more than 20 years. Prior to joining COBE, Mari Randsborg was Managing Director and co-owner of e-Types, one of Scandinavia’s leading branding agencies. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Danish Industry Association for Professional Services, Vice President of the branding agency Kontrapunkt A/S, board member of the design company VIPP A/S, and board member of the art institution Copenhagen Contemporary.
“BIM (Building Information Modeling) and LIM (Landscape Information Modeling) are changing the way we design, communicate, and coordinate urban and landscape projects. By integrating data-rich models into the planning process, we gain clarity, precision, and interdisciplinary collaboration – laying the foundation for smarter and more sustainable cities.”
www.cobe.dk
Image: © Cobe
“BIM (Building Information Modeling) and LIM (Landscape Information Modeling) are changing the way we design, communicate, and coordinate urban and landscape projects. By integrating data-rich models into the planning process, we gain clarity, precision, and interdisciplinary collaboration – laying the foundation for smarter and more sustainable cities.”
www.cobe.dk
Image: © Cobe
FLORIAN BECK
BLOCHER PARTNERS | TUM, MUNICH
Florian Beck studied architecture and urban planning at the University of Stuttgart, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Over more than 30 years of professional experience – both as an independent architect and as a partner in major architecture firms – he has realised numerous large and small-scale projects across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He has taught at various universities for many years and, since 2018, has been a lecturer at the Chair of Design and Construction at the Technical University of Munich, where he leads a design seminar that explores changing societal issues through conceptual approaches. He is Associate Partner at blocher partners and heads the Munich office. In addition, he currently holds a visiting professorship in Architecture and Urban Planning at Jianzhu University in Shenyang, China.
“The times they are a-changin’, Bob Dylan sang in 1964. Times have always changed – but through digitalisation we’ve accelerated this transformation to such an extent that we can hardly keep up. But there’s no need to fear the new tools for design and planning. I approach them with openness and curiosity – they offer enormous creative potential and fast ways to find solutions. What we need now is a new mindset for thinking differently about planning. One approach is the Always Beta principle. Designing always means making decisions – and the concept and direction of a project should remain in the hands of the architect.”
www.blocherpartners.com | www.arc.ed.tum.de
Image: © Olaf Becker
“The times they are a-changin’, Bob Dylan sang in 1964. Times have always changed – but through digitalisation we’ve accelerated this transformation to such an extent that we can hardly keep up. But there’s no need to fear the new tools for design and planning. I approach them with openness and curiosity – they offer enormous creative potential and fast ways to find solutions. What we need now is a new mindset for thinking differently about planning. One approach is the Always Beta principle. Designing always means making decisions – and the concept and direction of a project should remain in the hands of the architect.”
www.blocherpartners.com | www.arc.ed.tum.de
Image: © Olaf Becker
FABIAN FREYTAG
FABIAN FREYTAG STUDIO, BERLIN
Fabian Freytag, born in 1984 in Hamburg, is an architect and designer. He studied architecture at the Berlin University of the Arts, graduating in 2010. Immediately after, he founded Fabian Freytag Studio, an interdisciplinary practice for architecture, interior design, and visual communication based in Berlin. The studio is known for its expressive, colour-intensive, and spatially expansive designs that deliberately break away from standardised design conventions. Freytag’s work sits at the intersection of architecture, art, and technology and is often defined by a sensually provocative design approach. He was included in the AD100 (Architectural Digest) and named Ambiente Designer of the Year in 2025.
“Since 2023, we have actively integrated artificial intelligence into all design processes. For me, AI is not a replacement for creativity but a new tool for thinking beyond familiar design horizons. AI is like an additional arm, drawing from the collective knowledge of design history. It helps us make the undiscovered visible.”
www.fabianfreytag.com
Image: © Birk Alisch
“Since 2023, we have actively integrated artificial intelligence into all design processes. For me, AI is not a replacement for creativity but a new tool for thinking beyond familiar design horizons. AI is like an additional arm, drawing from the collective knowledge of design history. It helps us make the undiscovered visible.”
www.fabianfreytag.com
Image: © Birk Alisch
MODERATION
The evening was moderated by Munich-based architecture journalist Katharina Matzig.
Born in 1968, Katharina Matzig studied architecture at the Technical University of Braunschweig. She completed an internship at Bauwelt and later worked as an online editor at Baunetz in Berlin. Today, she heads the Public Relations Department of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects. She writes for professional journals and daily newspapers and served as a juror and author for the “Häuser des Jahres” (Houses of the Year) series published by the Callwey Verlag from 2017 to 2023.
Image: © Katharina Matzig
Born in 1968, Katharina Matzig studied architecture at the Technical University of Braunschweig. She completed an internship at Bauwelt and later worked as an online editor at Baunetz in Berlin. Today, she heads the Public Relations Department of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects. She writes for professional journals and daily newspapers and served as a juror and author for the “Häuser des Jahres” (Houses of the Year) series published by the Callwey Verlag from 2017 to 2023.
Image: © Katharina Matzig
