Communiqués – 2019
23 December 2019 – Seasons Greetings
5 December 2019 – UIA2020RIO International ideas student competition Maré-Cidade
The Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil (IAB) invites students of architecture from all over the world to submit projects that propose innovative solutions for sustainable urbanisation in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The student competition is supported by the UIA and UN-Habitat.
4 December 2019 – UIA at COP25: Declaration
On the occasion of COP25, the United Nations climate conference meeting in Spain, the International Union of Architects (UIA) calls for immediate political action to enforce responsible building practices and sustainable architecture and urban design, putting a stop to harmful and wasteful construction.
15 Novembre 2019 – International Competition: Architectural Landscape Design Concept of Tuchkov Buyan Park in Saint Petersburg
The UIA is endorsing the international competition for the architectural landscape design concept of Tuchkov Buyan Park in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Architects and landscape designers from all countries are invited to submit their expressions of interest for this single-stage restricted competition.
12 November 2019 – Podcast now available: ACE-UIA International Conference on Design Competitions
Organised by the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) and the International Union of Architects (UIA), the Conference brought together architects, urban planners, the public sector and international organisations. Speakers and audience members reflected on the importance of quality in the built environment and how architecture competitions can act as a tool for quality, innovation, and opportunity.
1 November 2019 – World Capital of Architecture
The World Capital of Architecture UNESCO-UIA Joint Committee held its first meeting. The meeting was chaired by Architect Dominique Perrault, Committee President, and opening remarks were delivered by Lazare Eloundou Assomo, UNESCO Director of Culture and Emergencies, and Thomas Vonier, President of the International Union of Architects.
30 October 2019 – Architectural Design Competitions: A Key Policy Tool to Ensure Quality in the Built Environment
Architectural design competitions (ADCs) are among the most effective ways to achieve excellence in building and community design. They yield optimal concepts and plans for a given building programme, planning or landscape design task. Because they are based solely on the quality of proposed solutions, focused on the specific needs of a carefully defined project, competitions result in high-value solutions of great benefit to end-users, adding to the overall quality of life and design excellence in the built environment.
4 October 2019 – The Daylight Award 2020
The Daylight Award includes two categories. Daylight in Architecture is awarded to individuals or a group of architects whose projects showcase unique use of daylight. Special emphasis will be put on architecture that considers the overall quality of human life and its value to society. The Daylight Award for Research will be given to an individual or a group of researchers, whose work puts special emphasis on the effects of daylight on human health, well-being and performance.
30 September 2019 – UIA President’s statement – World Architecture Day
On World Architecture Day, Monday, 7 October 2019, the International Union of Architects (UIA) calls attention to the critical challenges of housing . . . for all. More than one billion of the 7.5 billion human beings on our planet live in places they build for themselves, using whatever materials they can scavenge, on whatever land they can claim, often tenuously. Millions lack permanent shelter altogether, as refugees and persons displaced by conflict and calamity.
26 September 2019 – Results of the National Concert Hall Architectural Design Competition (Lithuania)
Arquivio Architects (Spain) have been announced as the winners of the architectural design competition for the National Concert Hall in Vilnius, Lithuania. The international competition was endorsed by the International Union of Architects and organised by the Lithuanian Union of Architects and the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture. The competition attracted nearly 250 entries from across the globe.
23 September 2019 – 2019 Prix Versailles Results
The Prix Versailles held its World Awards Ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 12 September 2019. The UIA has endorsed the past three editions of the Prix Versailles, which represents a unique effort to recognize the contribution of commercial architecture to society.
18 September 2019 – 2020 Liang Sicheng Architecture Prize
The UIA is proud to announce the launch of the 2020 edition of the Liang Sicheng Architecture Prize, organised biennially by UIA Member Section, the Architectural Society of China (ASC), to honour practising architects and scholars. Established in 2000 by the Ministry of Construction of the People’s Republic of China (MOC) and the ASC, it was opened to international participants in 2016.
16 September 2019 – World Architecture Day 2019
The UIA marks World Architecture Day on the first Monday of every October, to celebrate architecture around the globe. It is an occasion for our Member Sections to stage events and actions that advance architecture in the public eye. As is tradition, World Architecture Day will coincide with the United Nations World Habitat Day.
13 September 2019 – 2020 International Velux Award
The International VELUX Award (IVA) is a biennial ideas competition for students of architecture. It invites students from all over the world to create projects investigating the role of daylight in our everyday lives. The award has been endorsed by the UIA since 2004.
23 August 2019 – Results of the UIA-CBC International Student Competitive Construction Workshop
The 2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop reached its conclusion on 18 August 2019. The workshop, co-hosted by Siyang County People’s Government, CBC (China Building Centre) and the Tianjin University School of Architecture, is the first, and currently the only, competitive construction workshop in China to receive official recognition and support from the UIA.
9 August 2019 – World Architecture Day 2019: 7 October 2019 UIA International Poster Competition Winner
The International Union of Architects is happy to announce that the winner of the UIA 2019 World Architecture Poster Competition is Huda Gharandouqa (Jordan).
31 July 2019 – Barbara Cappochin Biennial International Architecture Prize
The Barbara Cappochin International Architecture Prize is organised by the Barbara Cappochin Foundation, the Council of Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Conservationists of Padua. It recognises architectural work spotlighting the vital role that architecture plays in the evolution of landscape and has been supported by the UIA since its creation in 2005.
29 July 2019 – Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards Call for entries
Organised by the UIA Architecture for All Work Programme, the Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards were established to promote inspiring buildings and sites that have created socially sustainable environments through high quality architectural design.
26 July 2019 – The Daylight Award 2020: Call for Nominations
This year, the International Union of Architects is proud to endorse the Daylight Award, a biennial prize that honours and supports daylight research and daylight in architecture, for the benefit of human health, well-being and the environment.
22 July 2019 – ACE-UIA International Conference on Design Competitions UNESCO Headquarters, Paris – Registration open
The conference is jointly organised by the Architects Council of Europe and the International Union of Architects. It is sponsored by the European Commission and has received the patronage of UNESCO.
15 July 2019 – International Architectural Design Competition for the Knowledge and Innovation Center in Tripoli, Lebanon Results
The UIA is happy to announce the results of the International Architectural Design Competition for the Knowledge and Innovation Center in Tripoli, Lebanon. The competition was organised by the Lebanese Federation of Engineers and Architects on behalf of the Tripoli Special Economic Zone and the Government of the Republic of Lebanon. It was endorsed by the UIA and also supported by the Union of Mediterranean Architects (UMAR).
12 July 2019 – Architectural Competition “Projet Loi 130” of the European Commission in Brussels Results
The UIA is proud to announce the results of the “Projet Loi 130” architectural competition, organised in Brussels by the European Commission, with support from the UIA and its Belgian section, the Fédération Royale des architectes de Belgique.
10 July 2019 – UIA International Forum on Overtourism in Historic Cities
Following the UIA International Forum on Overtourism in Historic Cities in Baku, we would first and foremost like to extend our thanks to our host country, Azerbaijan, for their hospitality and organisational support, as well as to all those who participated.
3 July 2019 – UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture Logo Competition Winner
The International Union of Architects (UIA) announced last week (28th June) the winner and runners up of the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture Logo Competition. The winning design will be used globally for the promotion of the triennial World Capital of Architecture programme.
26 June 2019 – Results of the Baku International Architecture Award
The Fourth Edition of the Baku International Architecture Award has been successfully concluded. The open, biennial award, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan, is endorsed by the International Union of Architects (UIA).
10 June 2019 – Baku Declaration: Tourism and Heritage
To help counter threats to our greatest assets, UNESCO adopted in 1972 the Convention Concerning the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage. Today, more than 1,000 places around the world enjoy at least some protections afforded by their designation as World Heritage.
27 May 2019 – UIA Declaration UN-Habitat General Assembly
Environmental degradation and human poverty result in part from building and development patterns that destroy heritage, degrade habitat, squander resources and perpetuate socioeconomic imbalances. If we hope to counteract these forces, we must stop the indiscriminate destruction of natural landscapes and agricultural land. We must build responsibly, and we must build well.
10 May 2019 – Barbara Cappochin Biennial International Architecture Prize
The eighth edition of the Barbara Cappochin Biennial International Architecture Prize was launched on 3 May 2019 during the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) Congress in Innsbruck, Austria. Organised by the Barbara Cappochin Foundation, the prize seeks to spotlight the central role that architecture plays in the evolution of landscape
17 April 2019 – UIA Sustainable Development Declaration Signed in Dhaka
Over the last few decades, tremendous progress has been made in improving the health, education, and well-being of people around the world. However, this development has been accompanied by environmental damage, climate change, and resource depletion as well as social and cultural challenges. In 2015, the nations of the world came together and laid out the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.
5 April 2019 – Winners announced in KFAS headquarters design competition (Kuwait)
Topotek 1 (Switzerland/Germany) has been officially announced as the winner of the international competition for the design of the new headquarters of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).
2 April 2019 – 2019 World Architecture Day International Poster Design Competition
The UIA has chosen the theme “Architecture… housing for all”. It will focus on how architects can contribute to the realisation of affordable housing for all; the implementation of the New Urban Agenda; and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 11, “to make cities and human settlements safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable”.
30 March 2019 – Earth Hour UIA Sustainable Development Commission
For the past 11 years, people around the world have come together every Earth Hour in support of efforts to tackle climate change. But this is about more than just switching off the lights for an hour: Earth Hour represents a worldwide call to action for governments and individuals to protect and respect our environment
29 March 2019 – Cyclone Idai – UIA President’s Declaration
The International Union of Architects expresses its concern and support for the people of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. We join and support the efforts of our partner organisations, including the Africa Union of Architects (AUA) and the Emergency Architects Foundation.
19 March 2019 – International Student Architectural Competition – UIA-HYP CUP 2019
The Tianjin University School of Architecture and Chinese media company, Urban Environmental Design (UED), have launched the eighth edition of the 2019 UIA-HYP Cup, an annual, open international competition for architecture students from all over the world. The competition is organised with the support of the UIA.
12 March 2019 – UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture Logo Competition Meet the Jury
Meet the Jury for the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture logo competition
8 March 2019 – International Women’s Day
Women are notoriously underrepresented in the architecture field, although, with three outstanding female Pritzker Prize winners since 2000: Zaha Hadid, UK (2004); Kazuyo Sejima, Japan (2010); and Carme Pigem Barceló, Spain (2017), the tables are slowly starting to turn.
1 March 2019 – International Architectural Design Competition – Vilnius National Concert Hall
The UIA is endorsing the international architectural design competition for the National Concert Hall in Vilnius, Lithuania. Architects from all over the world are invited to design one of the most important future spaces in the capital city of Lithuania and to submit their proposals to the Vilnius City Municipality.
28 February 2019 – Fourth Cycle of the Golden Cubes Awards
The UIA Architecture & Children Work Programme is now launching its fourth cycle of the triennial Golden Cubes Awards for the year 2020
27 February 2019 – International Architectural Design Competition Knowledge and Innovation Center in Tripoli, Lebanon
The UIA is endorsing the International Architectural Design Competition for the Knowledge and Innovation Center in Tripoli, Lebanon. The competition is managed by the Lebanese Federation of Engineers and Architects on behalf of the Tripoli Special Economic Zone and the Government of the Republic of Lebanon
19 February 2019 – International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas – Call for projects until 15 March
The International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH) has a mandate to offer concrete support for the protection and reconstruction of cultural heritage in conflict zones or post-conflict situations.
13 February 2019 – Renzo Piano Interview
Renzo Piano, winner of the 1998 Pritzker Prize and the 2002 UIA Gold Medal (among others), is one of the most prolific architects of our time, with an architectural repertoire that numbers over 50 landmark buildings spread right across the world
6 February 2019 – UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture Logo Competition
The UIA is launching a competition for the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture logo. The World Capital of Architecture is a new triennial programme launched by UNESCO and the UIA, whereby the two organisations will designate cities hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects as World Capitals of Architecture for a period of 1 year.
21 January 2019 – First UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture -Rio de Janeiro
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, announced the designation of the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) as the first UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2020, in the presence of Marcello Crivella, Mayor of the city, and Thomas Vonier, President of the International Union of Architects (UIA), on Friday 18 January at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris
2 January 2019 – Invitation Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture Conference
Established in 2011, the aim of this award is to recognize architectural innovation in mosque design. It considers urban issues influencing mosque design, going beyond form and addressing the socio-cultural impact of the mosque and its role in shaping social practices. For this edition, the international jury will meet in Paris from 21 to 23 January 2019