A new exhibition in Spain highlights the collaboration between architects and engineers that is at the core of SOM’s design practice. Installed in the historic courtyard of the School of Architecture at the University of Alcalá—a 16th-century building that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—“Interconexiones: Arquitectura e Ingeniería en SOM” tells the story of interdisciplinary practice through seven exemplary projects, from the 1960s to today.

The connection joints, or nodes, in SOM-designed buildings often reveal the fundamental architectural and structural challenges that the team sought to resolve. The exhibition focuses on seven of these nodes. Each node is a substantial work of design in itself; it can also be seen as a part that gives insight about the whole. In examining the detail, we can extrapolate a larger story about each project, as well as SOM’s design process. The exhibition features 1:2 scale models of the connection joints from notable built projects in Barcelona, London, Chicago, and Berkeley, as well as details from design and engineering collaborations with artists Janet Echelman and Pablo Picasso.

On Thursday, October 16, Mark Sarkisian, SOM Structural and Seismic Engineering Partner, will give a lecture to inaugurate the exhibition, followed by an opening reception for students, faculty, and guests.

“Interconexiones: Arquitectura e Ingeniería en SOM”
On view: October 16 to November 17, 2025
Opening lecture: October 16, 11:30 a.m.

School of Architecture, University of Alcalá
Calle Sta. Úrsula, 8
28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain