At the end of February, the annual assembly of Guiding Architects took place in Madrid. As every year, our international partners gathered in a member destination for a long weekend of tours, talks, and exchange sessions – and catching up with friends.

This year's meeting was a special occasion: it marked the unofficial 30th anniversary of Guiding Architects. In 1996, Thomas Krüger (Ticket B, Berlin) and Hans Geilinger (GA Barcelona) met at a bar in Berlin and decided to found an international network for architecture tours. It took several years until the first official meeting, and even longer until the network was formalized as an association – but that encounter can still be seen as our founding moment.

Guided Tours and Exchange with International Partners

The assembly in Madrid was organized by our local partner Werner Durrer (Madrides). He found an excellent meeting space on the top floor of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, with panoramic views over the city, and arranged lunches and dinners at great restaurants for the nearly 50 participants. Most importantly, he and his co-guide Iván del Ama led us through Madrid's architecture, tracing the development of the city and arranging access to several special buildings. Among the highlights were the Escuelas Pías Library by José Ignacio Linazasoro (2004) and the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela by Eduardo Torroja (1935–41).

New Members in Rome, Singapore and Bordeaux

In Madrid we also welcomed three new destinations to the network: Archiroaming from Rome, architourSG from Singapore, and Bordeaux Architecture Tours.

We look back on long days of experiencing architecture, exchanging ideas – for our businesses as well as for the network – and eating far too much delicious Spanish food. We are already looking forward to our next assembly in 2027.