On Saturday, November 17, 2018, at the Tartini Theatre in Piran, the 36th international conference Piran Days of Architecture took place, this time with the title theme Architecture is culture about which the architect Andrej Hrausky wrote, among others: "... Good architecture doesn’t come by itself although it is the most important part of social superstructure called culture. Architecture is not an economic activity pursuing the profit. It enriches our society and brings sense to it. Good architecture doesn’t bring survival but rather life itself, in its most precious form..."  Seven European architectural bureaus presented their work at the conference – Gernot Hertl, Amir Vuk Zec, Mccullough Mulvin Architects, Palmar Kristmundsson, Pedevilla architetti, Dekleva Gregorič arhitekti and unparelld'arquitectes, as well as three students from Ljubljana Faculty of Architecture – Aljoša Kotnjek, Žan Šebeder in Nikolaj Salaj. 

Each year, a part of the conference is an exhibition and the international Piranesi award. In 2018 it was conferred for the thirtieth time. The first Piranesi award was given in 1989 to Bogdan Bogdanović for the Dudik Memorial Park in Vukovar, Croatia. The award, named after an Italian artist from the 18th century, Giovanni Battisti Piranesi (1720-1778), whose family roots originate from Piran, prizes the best architectural realizations created in the last two years in the region of Central Europe. Since 2008 it also provides awards for the most innovative student ideas. Its focus is on the relation of contemporary architecture to the natural and cultural context, and the criteria are: well thought-out integration into the urban or natural environment, modern and innovative layout, respect for natural and cultural heritage, modern understanding of traditional and indigenous architectural elements, innovate details, subtle and well thought-out use of colours, textures and light as well as spatial and design accordance with the context.