“Architecture—housing for all” is not just a tagline; it is a duty, a demand, and a commitment.” Thomas Vonier, UIA President.
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.
Every year, World Architecture Day represents an opportunity to draw the attention of professionals and the public to the numerous issues concerning cities and housing. Architects around the world are invited to highlight the role of architecture in surmounting the challenges of our era through events, exhibits, lectures and other activities.
This year’s theme will be “Architecture… housing for all”. Affordable housing is part of the New Urban Agenda, constituting one of the main axes of UN Sustainable Development Goal number 11: “to make cities and human settlements safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable”. With over a billion people living in slums and informal settlements, this year’s theme explores how architects can contribute to solutions ensuring universal access to safe housing.
The International Union of Architects (UIA)—the only global organisation representing the world’s 3.2 million architects—recently concluded the 2019 edition of the international competition to design the poster for World Architecture Day. The jury of graphic designers evaluated over a hundred entries and chose the winning design by Huda Gharandouqa from Jordan (download here), to be the unifying visual identity for the programmes and activities organised.
To see the President’s Declaration in English click here
The UIA invites its Member Sections to share information about events for this year’s World Architecture Day at: news@uia-architectes.org
