curated by xristina argyros and ryan neiheiser (neiheiserargyros.com), and entitled the school of athens the project examines the architecture of universities and academia around the world, focusing on the common spaces outside of the classroom, and addressing their importance as informal spaces of debate, exchange and ultimately, learning. the curatorial duo reimagines the greek pavilion as its own kind of learning ‘freespace’, adopting the architectural trope of the stepped landscape. dotted around the stepped elements, almost 60 3-d printed architectural models of common spaces within academic buildings, both realized and non, will be on display. the models include spaces across the five continents, and across history, in recognition of the common space – un-programmed spaces for impromptu conversation, casual gossip, heated debate, pop-up lectures networking and informal teaching – as vital to academia’s continued relevance and vibrancy. spaces that demand and deserve intelligent critique and update. the project is delivered in collaboration with architectural courses at architectural association in london and the university of athens.