Between 24 March and 4 April, founding partner, architect, and urban planner Jacob van Rijs will lead the international workshop "Caracoles 2.0" alongside Alberto Moletto and Cristóbal Tirado at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The workshop focuses on a proposal for developing public programmatic areas of mixed use which will extend the "Caracoles" - the spiralling shopping centres whose continuous circulation negates the need for the visitors to use stairs or an elevator - and help configure a new urban landscape. On 4 April, Jacob will also be joined by TU Berlin colleague Professor Ralf Pasel and Uruguayan architect Pedro Livni, together with Pep Avilés, Francisca Astaburuaga, Guillermo Hevia, and Francisco Quintana who will serve as the external critics for the final review.

The ‘VR’ of MVRDV, Jacob van Rijs is renowned for his dedication to bold concepts combining daring ideas with a humane and user-friendly approach. Van Rijs has developed this approach over the past 30 years in practice, leading to a wide range of the office’s most notable projects, from cultural and civic buildings to transformations, and from residential buildings and social housing to interiors. Recently appointed Full Professor of Architecture Design at TU Eindhoven, he teaches and lectures worldwide.