International Union of Architects

International Union of Architects (UIA)

Abbreviation	UIA
Formation	1948
Type	INGO
Location	Paris, France
Region served	Worldwide
Official language	English, French
President
Website	www.uia-architectes.org

The International Union of Architects^[1] (French: Union internationale des Architectes, UIA) is the only international non-governmental organization that represents the world's architects, now estimated to number some 3.2 million in all. The UIA was founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1948. The General Secretariat is located in Paris. It is recognized as the only global architecture organisation by most United Nations agencies, including UNESCO, UNCHS, ESOSOC, UNIDO, and the World Health Organization, as well as the WTO. The current (2021-2023) president is Jose Luis Cortes from Mexico.

Congresses[]

The UIA World Congresses are key events for professional and cultural exchange among all the world's architects, bringing together thousands of participants from around the globe. Each event focuses on a different architecture-related theme, developed by eminent personalities from the international architectural, planning and construction fields. Debates, exhibitions, tours and networking events make the UIA Congresses the perfect meeting place for experts, colleagues, friends, and students of architecture.

UIA Congresses are organised by a host UIA Member Section. Congress bids are submitted to the UIA General Assembly and selected by vote six years in advance of the event.

List of congresses from 1948 to 2026

USSR stamp and souvenir sheet of 1958 dedicated to the 5th World Congress of Architecture

Nr.	Year	Location	Theme
1st	1948	Lausanne	Architecture Faced with its New Tasks
2nd	1951	Rabat	How Architecture is Dealing with its New Tasks
3rd	1953	Lisbon	Architecture at the Crossroads
4th	1955	The Hague	Architecture and the Evolutions of Building
5th	1958	Moscow	Construction and Reconstruction
6th	1961	London	New Techniques and New Materials
7th	1963	Havana	Architecture in Underdeveloped Countries
8th	1965	Paris	The Training of Architects
9th	1967	Prague	Architecture and the Human Milieu
10th	1969	Buenos Aires	Architecture as a Social Factor
11th	1972	Varna	Architecture and Leisure
12th	1975	Madrid	Creativity and Technology
13th	1978	Mexico City	Architecture and National Development
14th	1981	Warsaw	Architecture, Man, Environment
15th	1985	Cairo	Present and Future Missions of the Architect
16th	1987	Brighton	Shelter and Cities - Building Tomorrow's World
17th	1990	Montreal	Cultures and Technologies
18th	1993	Chicago	Architecture at the Crossroads - Designing for a Sustainable Future
19th	1996	Barcelona	Present and Futures. Architecture in Cities
20th	1999	Beijing	Architecture of the 21st Century
21st	2002	Berlin	Resource Architecture
22nd	2005	Istanbul	Grand Bazaar of Architectures
23rd	2008	Turin	Transmitting Architecture
24th	2011	Tokyo	DESIGN 2050 Beyond disasters, through Solidarity, towards Sustainability
25th	2014	Durban	Architecture otherwhere
26th	2017	Seoul	Soul of City
27th	2020	Rio de Janeiro	All Worlds. One World. Architecture in the 21st Century.[2]
28th	2023	Copenhagen	Design for a Sustainable Future[3]
29th	2026	Barcelona	One day, One tomorrow[4]

UIA Gold Medal[]

Since 1984 the organisation also awards the UIA Gold Medal to honour an architect (or group of architects) having distinguished themselves through their work and professional practice by the quality of services rendered to man and society. Past recipients of the award were:

UIA Triennial Prizes[]

The UIA also awards the following five prizes:

• The Patrick Abercrombie Prize for Urban Planning and Design
• The Auguste Perret Prize for Technology in Architecture
• The Jean Tschumi Prize for Architectural Writing & Critique
• The Robert Matthew Prize for Sustainable & Humane Environments
• The Vassilis Sgoutas Prize for Implemented Architecture Serving the Impoverished

International design competitions[]

The UIA manages international architecture competitions for some of the most important spaces of our age. The UIA managed international design competitions that resulted in these important buildings:

• Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris
• Indira Gandhi Centre, New Delhi
• Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris
• National Museum of Seoul
• Prado National Museum, Madrid (rehabilitation and extension)
• Opera House, Sydney

Working bodies[]

The UIA is dedicated to advancing and promoting the profession and reinforcing global architectural quality through the efforts of specialists from around the world. The UIA's working bodies are divided into specialised commissions and work programmes that are led by experts in their fields.

Commissions[]

• International Competitions Commission
• Education Commission
• Professional Practice Commission
• Sustainable Development Goals Commission

Work Programmes[]

Architecture & Society[]

• Heritage and Cultural Identity
• Architecture and Children
• Architecture for All

Habitat[]

• Intermediate Cities:Urbanism and Architects Learning Platform (UIA-CIMES)
• Community Architecture: Architecture and Human Rights (UIA-CA+HR)
• Social Habitat

Public Facilities[]

• Public Spaces
• Educational and Cultural Spaces
• Sports and Leisure
• Public Health

References[]

External links[]

• UIA official website