Architectures of Global Governance. The spatial production of international politics
Master dissertation studio 2026-27
Supervisors: Sanja Banjeglav, Sven Sterken
Indiviual, max. 3 students
Campus: Brussels
Language: EN
Students aspiring to choose this master dissertation are required to discuss their motivation and prior experience with the supervisor prior to submitting their preferences.
Image: Herny Bernard, Palais de l’Europe, Luxemburg (1977) © Conseil de l’Europe, Strasbourg
Theme
At a time of growing scepticism or open dismissal of intergovernmental organisations (IGOs), questions of their legitimacy, representation, and institutional resilience have become increasingly urgent. Starting from the central question – how are international organisations materially constituted under conditions of societal and political change? – we seek to examine the architecture of international organisations as a distinct typology.
Canonical examples such as the Peace Palace in The Hague, The League of Nations Building in Geneva or the United Nations headquarters in New York can no longer serve as a model in this regard for they embody the internationalism of a bygone utopian idea(l) of a ‘world government’: a single world order based on a Western conception of power, democracy and policy making. Hence the need for new concepts and models to shape and express Global Governance. Established international organisations continue to shape human and non-human life across all continents, while undergoing significant shifts in focus toward security and crisis management. At the same time, newer and more fluid governance formations, such as the Group of Twenty (G20), the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), are gaining more geopolitical relevance.
In a deeply interconnected and complex world, it is difficult to imagine a near future without some form of international cooperation. What, then, can we learn from the historical trajectories of these institutions and their architectural expression? How might their spatial configurations help us understand emerging transformations in international relations? By studying the architectural and spatial dimensions of IGOs, this master dissertation aims to rethink how global governance is materially represented, organised, and experienced today.
Topics
Possible topics of investigation include the study of the headquarters of one IGO in relation to its bureaucratic procedures; the impact of development, economic, technical, or humanitarian aid programmes on local architectural production; the spatial or aesthetic expression of an IGO’s ideological, political, or technical biases; the ways in which buildings are transformed to host diplomatic summits and bilateral meetings; or the production of international politics through interior design decisions. Students are encouraged to focus their research on specific thematic categories according to their interests. Possible areas include security, access and publicness; architecture for women and minorities; mediatization; representation and legitimacy; and hierarchy and visibility. Projects engaging with a wide range of methodological approaches (oral history, archival and documentation analysis, and the study of visual materials) as well as both historical case studies and investigations of contemporary buildings are welcome.
The fact that this master dissertation is organized in Brussels – home to the headquarters and representations of numerous international organisations – offers a significant advantage. Nearby cities may also serve as valuable case studies, nevertheless. Yet, students who choose to investigate other sites, particularly where their methodology requires on-site research, should be prepared to travel. Proficiency in the relevant research languages is also an obvious prerequisite when selecting a case study. In this regard, possible topics include:
- The European Council – from summits in capitals to headquarters in Brussels.
- The study of international organizations in their urban environment, cf. the Kirchberg Plateau in Luxembourg.
- The Council of Europe historical buildings in Strasbourg, e.g. The Maison d’Europe and the Palais d’Europe.
- Regional integration organizations and the symbolism of their headquarters.
- Investigating the role of oral history sources for the architectural history of the European Union (testimonies, experiences, …).
- The spatial dimension of lobbying (in Brussels): where and how do lobbyists ‘meet and greet’?
Planning
Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the broad field of International Relations during the summer break of 2026 by engaging with reference literature and identifying a focus (concept, institution, or case study) they wish to explore.
The first semester will be devoted to group discussions based on assigned readings and audiovisual materials to be consulted in advance of each session. Each student will be invited to present and critically discuss one text in depth. Active participation, documented through a thesis journal containing reflections on each session, will form part of the evaluation for successful progression into the second semester. In parallel, students are expected to develop their individual thesis research proposals. By the final session of the first semester, a clear research plan needs to be completed, which includes getting acquainted with relevant literature, choosing a case study, checking available archives, preparing site visits, addressing practical issues such as accessibility, permission to take pictures or use archival documents, etc.
The second semester will be devoted entirely to fieldwork, research, writing, and bi-weekly feedback sessions with the main supervisor, Sanja Banjeglav and review sessions with prof. Sterken.
Outcome Text-based dissertation following a case study approach, that enriches the historiographical and conceptual apparatus of the architectural history and/or theory in this field.
Please note that the ability to read, discuss and write academic English is an absolute prerequisite for this dissertation.
Literature
- Badache, Fanny, Leah R. Kimber, and Lucile Maertens (eds.), International Organizations and Research Methods: An Introduction. University of Michigan Press, 2023. Introduction and Chapter 9
- Bak McKenna, Miriam, ‘Designing for international law: The architecture of international organizations 1922–1952’, Leiden Journal of International Law, Vol 34, 2021, p. 1–22.
- Bolle, Gauthier. L’Europe en ses capitals. Métis Presses, 2025.
- Katz Cogan, Jacob et al. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Organizations, Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Mackenzie, David, A World Beyond Borders, An introduction to the History of International Organizations, The University of Toronto Press, 2010. Chapter 1 and Chapter 5
- Touloumi, Olga. Assembly by Design: The United Nations and Its Global Interior, University of Minnesota Press, 2024.
- Sterken, Sven; Pohl, Dennis, ‘The Architecture of Global Governance: Paths of Approach’, Architectural Theory Review, Vol 27/1, 2023, p. 1-18.
- Vos, Renske; Stolk, Sofia; Bak McKenna (eds.), International Law and Architecture, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025.
Reference for the image: https://media-gallery.coe.int/file/v/preview?id=154728&indexInCurrentSeach=44
Council of Europe building in Strasbourg