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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 on 28 June 1948 in Lausanne, Switzerland, following the merger of the Comité permanent international des Architectes and the Réunion International des Architectes. Its General Secretariat is located in Paris. The organisation is recognised 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 (2023–2026) president is Regina Gonthier from Switzerland.
Through its Member Sections, the UIA is represented in over 100 countries and territories, geographically grouped into five regions:
The governing bodies of the UIA are:
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
| 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] |
On 23 November 2018, the UIA published a Memorandum of Understanding [5] with UNESCO on the new joint label World Capital of Architecture. The title is awarded every three years, according to the rhythm of the UIA World Congresses. Since 2020, the world congress has always taken place in the respective world capital. There is a formal application process for this. The World Congress selects the World Capital for the year of the next World Congress from the shortlist of applications, the formal announcement being made by the Secretary General of UNESCO. In 2020 Rio de Janeiro was the world capital of architecture, 2023 Copenhagen [6] and 2026 Barcelona. A program and a series of major events take place in the respective world capital throughout the calendar year.
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:
| Year | Architect | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Hassan Fathy | Egypt |
| 1987 | Reima Pietila | Finland |
| 1990 | Charles Correa | India |
| 1993 | Fumihiko Maki | Japan |
| 1996 | Rafael Moneo | Spain |
| 1999 | Ricardo Legorreta Vilchis | Mexico |
| 2002 | Renzo Piano | Italy |
| 2005 | Tadao Ando | Japan |
| 2008 | Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon | Mexico |
| 2011 | Álvaro Siza Vieira | Portugal |
| 2014 | Ieoh Ming Pei | USA |
| 2017 | Toyo Ito | Japan |
| 2021 | Paulo Mendes da Rocha | Brazil |
The UIA also awards the following five prizes:
The UIA manages international architecture competitions.
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