UIA 2011 Tokyo: The 24th World Congress of Architecture

Described as the “Olympics of architecture,” the UIA World Congress is a major international architectural event that attracts around 10,000 architects, engineers, researchers and students.

Since the inaugural World Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1948, the UIA has taken place triennially in twenty-three cities around the world. UIA 2011 Tokyo, the first UIA World Congress held in Japan, will provide participants with opportunities to discuss the future of architecture and cities through keynote speeches, technical sessions, international competitions, workshops, exhibitions and tours.

With “Design 2050” as the key concept, architects once again have the opportunity to lead innovation. In the twenty-first century, we will need to overcome many challenges related to the environment, energy, the economy, population, food and education. The architectural community cannot solve these problems alone. Solutions will only be found when people can work together across national borders, and when the barriers of religion, ethnicity, gender, generation or industry have been removed. The UIA World Congress aims to create a future vision of the world of 2050, within which it will seek out ideas for the future for cities and architecture.