Tribute from the world community of architects

Tribute from the world community of architects

Giancarlo Ius passed away suddenly in the early morning hours of Saturday 5 July 2008. The tragedy took place in Turin, Italy, where the International Union of Architect's General Assembly had convened on 3 July.

Giancarlo Ius was to pronounce his candidature speech for the UIA presidency on the day of his passing.

It was his wife Caterina who with immense courage and absolute dignity read to the delegates from around the world the address that Giancarlo had dedicated to his vision of the future, to a new renaissance and the building of a world of peace, a world reconciled with nature and able to offer a sustainable future to the next generation and to their children.

In a climate of profound emotion, the Assembly adjourned temporarily to meditate as a whole on its remembrances of Giancarlo Ius following this address and the homage presented by UIA President Gaetan Siew. A Catholic mass was celebrated in the late afternoon in the presence of Giancarlo's wife Caterina, his brother and son, members of the UIA Bureau and Council, and many of the delegates to the UIA Assembly. A final homage was paid to him at the close of the General Assembly by the four former presidents present in Turin: Georgi Stoilov, Rod Hackney, Olufemi Majekodunmi and Vassilis Sgoutas.

Giancarlo Ius was devoted to the cause of architects and architecture, which he often said was a source of energy. Energy is one of the best ways to describe Giancarlo Ius, along with a natural kindness and generosity that conquered all those who crossed his path. He defined himself as a man of action but was also close to many forms of culture, passionate about music, an amateur of art and design, and a lover of nature and the Italian landscapes that were the background to his life.

Giancarlo Ius was the UIA Vice-President for Europe and directed the Union's Development Commission. He had served as Vice-President of the UIA Italian Section and headed the Italian delegation to the Architect's Council of Europe.

In Giancarlo Ius, the International Union of Architects lost one of its most ardent defenders and one of its most precious friends.

The UIA General Secretariat will communicate the contact information for Caterina Ius to all those who wish to send their condolences.

UIA General Secretariat uia@uia-architectes.org

24th UIA General Assembly. TURIN 2008
Three resolutions dedicated to Giancarlo Ius

Today, Sunday, 6 July 2008, at the closing session of the UIA General Assembly, three resolutions were approved.

1. The current presidency of the International Union of Architects, held by Gaetan Siew since his election in Istanbul in 2005, will be officially shared with Giancarlo Ius and will be recorded in the annals of the UIA as a joint mandate.

2. The 2008 World Day of Architecture on 6 October will be dedicated to Giancarlo Ius and the theme "Child Be the Architect" in honour of the song with the same title, for which he composed the lyrics.

3. The International Union of Architects will institute a new prize to be awarded every three years: the "Giancarlo Ius Prize for Architecture", on the theme "Child Be the Architect". This prize will be given for the first time in Tokyo on the occasion of the 2011 UIA World Congress.

“When we remember Giancarlo, the first words that come to mind are generosity and energy. For us, he was an ever-present breath of fresh air. His guiding principles were and shall remain a moderate use of technology, respect for our shared legacy, participation, the transformation of the city into a generator of hope and respect for cultural diversity.” Gaétan Siew.

"Child be the Architect" Videoclip
Lyrics by Giancarlo Ius
Music by Tiziano Forcolin
Performed by Orchestra e Coro San Marco - Pordenone & Friuli Venezia Giulia Gospel Choir

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24th UIA General Assembly. TURIN 2008
Candidature speech for the UIA presidency, read by Caterina Ius

"Good morning dear friends,
architects coming from all over the world, it is with pleasure that I am here today. On behalf of the Italian architects, who had the honour of organizing this event, and myself, I thank you all for your convinced participation. The issues that were discussed and decided during the congress and in the final manifesto that was presented on Thursday represent an epochal turning point for a renewed commitment of architects in a global society. It is the victory of a widespread quality architecture that takes care of mankind's needs, with a vision of the future based on solidarity and sustainability while respecting the cultural and geographic differences. We have to "make peace with nature". My candidacy as President of UIA is exactly the expression of this renewed commitment. Even if I belong to the values of Italian culture (but also Mediterranean and mitteleuropean), I have always showed my wish to promote the general interests of UIA: I have worked on issues such as CPD, Validation, Communication and Competitions, and promoted the sectors of education and professional practice. I have supported the promotion of various activities for the development of the improvement in urban and rural landscape on a global level. I am ready to support the high objectives we have set. I pick up the challenge to build up the UIA of the future with you, and if you will support me, I commit myself, because I truly think we can:

1. give continuity to the work we have done so far, high on the history of UIA, by reinforcing the coordination between the international organizations of architects, and especially by strengthening the role of the sections and harmonizing the regional organizations (CAE, ARCASIA, UAA, FPAA, ACCEE, CAA) with the new political and cultural needs, to overcome the barriers that separate us, bearing in mind the clear commitment to "have no fear in using culture and solidarity to open the political barriers among the people!";

2. improve work conditions of architects in all the world, to have more and more quality in architecture. This is part of a positive vision of the universe, where "Beautiful" is a synonym of "Good". The target is to modify the territory so as to have quality in life and "safety and happiness for people".

3. consolidate the structure of UIA on an international level as a GLOBAL network that is devoted to the profession of architects, and reinforce the presence and the connections of UIA with the international organizations and with the other non governmental bodies, promoting a widespread importance of the centrality of the figure of the architect and of their work, above all the modification of the environment from a natural to an artificial one (built);

4. Promote communication. The aim is to raise awareness on the figure of the architect and his/her job more and more, because architecture is for everyone. Thanks to our colleagues from Singapore who have decided to help us with their powerful means in this action.

5. develop the culture of architecture as a way to improve the environment, preserving it in the interest of mankind and for those to come, by means of an action of Urban Democracy where "the ethic of many must take the place of the aesthetics of few";

6. sustain the respect for cultural, social and geographic diversities, working for the well being of all the men and women of the world in a new global humanism to be architects and provide quality architecture for the future of our children.

7. in collaboration with science, politics and economics, promote a better use of intelligent energies and of those that come from renewable energy sources, with a non ideological or interested vision, aware that all this does have its consequences;

8. promote good professional practice according to ethical principles and respecting human rights;

9. defend the intellectual property of our work against the attacks of global unscrupulous speculators ;

10. approach students, so that they will be architects that are aware of the future, propellers of knowledge and the first force for a sustainable development of mankind in the third millennium, by helping them to get organized, and express themselves by means of work experiences and qualified training ;

11. aware that the third millennium will be the era of the knowledgeable workers, develop innovation by promoting:
- competitions and international awards in architecture where architects and clients become the main characters of a sustainable development;
- Continuing professional development by reinforcing what we are already doing with the help of our Spanish friends. We thank you and we hope that others will join in.

From knowledge to innovation
12. allow free circulation of architects, starting from mobility and finishing with internationalization of the profession, so that academic and professional titles will be accepted worldwide, harmonizing the rules that have been fixed in the UIA/UNESCO agreement on the validation/acrediting of the schools of architecture. With regard to this, I would like to thank our English colleagues who have decided to help us by improving the criteria of application of the international standards based on fair criteria that take quality into account first of all.

From mobility to internationalization
Solidarity allows everyone to satisfy their primary needs: health, food, peace and safety, suitable houses in pleasant and comfortable towns: let's preserve monuments, "trade in" our suburbs and build towns that draw hope. Let's build a new world together!

As President of IUA, I mean to take part in the renovation process that ideally starts today from the "Piazza/Square" of Turin to reach the cultural specificity of Tokyo.
From "Piazza/Square to Oriental Style"
From "Italian Art to Japanese Culture"
From modernity to internationalization, to eco-mega cities where culture and economy develop and merge respecting the environment, going beyond the deep religious and political barriers.

We are working for the wellbeing of all the men and women of the world in a modern global humanism to be architects and provide quality architecture for the future of our children.

I wish all of you keep up the good work, so that after Torino, also Tokyo will be a great success!"