The International Union of Architects UIA organises every three years a World Congress of Architects. The World Congress in 2023 will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark
The Nordic Section of the UIA (which is composed of Denmark, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) won the 2023 bid and it is the first time it is held in a Nordic country.
Previous destinations count RIO (2021), SEOUL (2017) DURBAN (2014) and TOKYO (2011) amongst others.
A team based in Copenhagen is in charge of organising the next UIA World Congress of Architects, which will take place from 2-6 JULY 2023, in collaboration with a large group of partners and organisations.
THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ARCHITECTS (UIA)
The International Union of Architects was founded in 1948 to unite the architects of the world through an association of their national organizations. From the 27 delegations present then, the UIA has grown to include the key professional architects’ associations in more than 100 countries, organizing an estimated 1.3 million architects and will celebrate a 75 years anniversary in 2023.
The UIA is an international non-governmental organization recognized by UNESCO as the only architectural union operating at an international level.
The Coordinating Council, under the Presidency and direction of the UIA President, is responsible for the establishment of the general principles governing the UIA World Congress in Copenhagen, the monitoring and orientation of the preparatory works, the achievement of coordination and cooperation among different parties, as well as the management of the agreement signed between the UIA and the Danish Association of Architects.
COORDINATING COUNCIL
The Coordinating Council, under the Presidency and direction of the UIA President, is responsible for the establishment of the general principles governing the UIA 2023 CPH Congress, the monitoring and orientation of the preparatory works, the achievement of coordination and cooperation among different parties, as well as the management of the Agreement signed between the UIA and the Danish Association of Architects.
President: José Luis Cortés Delgado (MX, UIA President), First Vice-President: Johnny Svendborg (DK, President of the Danish Association of Architects), Second Vice-President: Natalie Mossin (DK, UIA Vice President, Region 1 and President of Congress, UIA 2023 CPH).
Members:
Tan Pei Ing (MY, UIA General Secretary), Seif Allah Alnaga (EG, UIA Treasurer), Nivaldo Andrade (BR, Representative of the UIA Congress in Rio de Janeiro 2021), Paula Huotelin (FI, CEO of the Finnish Association of Architects), Kari Bucher (NO, CEO of the Norwegian Association of Architects), Tobias Olsson (SE, CEO of the Swedish Association of Architects), Elzélina Van Melle (DK, Landscape Architect MDL, IFLA delegate), Andreas Blohm Graversen (DK, Head of Office, the Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs), Janet Nielsen (DK, Ministry of Transport and Housing), Louise Bang Jespersen (DK, Head of Office, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Camilla Van Deurs (DK, City Architect of the City of Copenhagen), Mette Ramsgaard (DK, General Reporter, UIA2023CPH),
HONORARY COMMITTEE
The Honorary Committee is composed of eminent persons who will lend strength to the UIA 2023 CPH through their support and contributions to the Congress and/or to the profession:
Jesper Nygaard (DK, CEO of Realdania Foundation), Bjarke Ingels (DK, Architect MAA, Founder of BIG), Mogens Lykketoft (DK, former Minister for Finance and former Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly), Kristian Jensen (DK, Special Envoy for DK regarding the election for UNSC-2025-26, former Minister for Finance and former Minister for Foreign Affairs), Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (DK, Lord Mayor of The City of Copenhagen, member of the C40 Cities Steering Committee, UIA.UNESCO World Capital of Architecture), Martha Thorne (US, Senior Advisor to the Obel Awards, Former Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design, Madrid, Member of the Pritzker PrizeD)
COPENHAGEN TEAM
Chief Advisor, Architecture and the SDGs
Ingeborg Christiane Hau
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS
Natalie Mossin
CEO, THE DANISH ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS
Lars Autrup
CEO, DANISH ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS
Lene Espersen
RECTOR, THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS - SCHOOLS OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND CONSERVATION
Lene Dammand Lund
PHILANTHROPY DIRECTOR
Nina Kovsted Helk
RECTOR, AARHUS SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Torben Nielsen
Q&A
We do our best to answer all your questions!
The UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 will take place from July 2nd – July 6th, 2023 in Copenhagen. The congress programme is from 8:30 am to 4 or 4:30 pm Monday to Wednesday and from 9 am to 14:30 pm Thursday. Other activities will take place outside congress hours, in and around Copenhagen so there is plenty to experience while you are there.
The official programme of the UIA World Congress of Architects Copenhagen 2023 takes place at the conference center Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. A welcome reception takes place at Copenhagen City hall Sunday afternoon (July 2) , a celebratory dinner at Øxnehallen, Copenhagen can be purchased Wednesday evening (July 5) and tours around the city will be organised and shared in the congress programme. (July 2-6)
The whole built environment is invited!
You should consider participating in the congress if you are:
-Architect
-Landscape Architect
-Designer
-Developer
-Urban planner
-Scientist
-Researcher
-Student
-Politician
-Business leader
-Part of the building industry
-Work in consultancy
-From an art or culture associations or federations or from an NGO
or simply – if you are passionate about architecture and how it can contribute to a sustainable future – leaving no one behind.