Rio will host the world's largest architecture event.

Newspapers in Brazil - The World Congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA) had its destination defined for 2020 this Sunday morning (10). The city of Rio de Janeiro was chosen as the new venue for the largest and most important international architecture forum. The result was announced by the former UIA president and secretary of the session, Vassils Sgoutas, at the UIA General Assembly in Durban, South Africa. The Rio candidacy, led by the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB), beat two strong competitors: Melbourne (Australia) and Paris (France). Around 15 architects from around the world are expected at UIA 2020 in Rio to discuss the future of cities.

After the presentations of the three candidate cities to host the 2020 congress, the voting began. In the first round, Rio de Janeiro obtained 85 votes. Melbourne and Paris had 73 and 44, respectively. In the second round, Rio won 107 votes and Melbourne, 95. In total, 202 UIA delegates participated in choosing the city that will host the event. 

With the theme “All Worlds. One World. Architecture 21”, the Rio de Janeiro proposal aims to discuss the current urban reality, expressed through the diversity and multiplicity of forms of city construction, and to promote the reintegration of the profession into the social environment. For the IAB (Brazilian Institute of Architects), the capital of Rio de Janeiro, with its 12 million inhabitants, presents a rich and complex urban landscape, of inequalities and successes, representative of cities on the American continent and the emerging world that is rapidly urbanizing in this 21st century. 

The IAB's commitment is to use the six years leading up to the UIA 2020 Rio to work on strengthening architecture and architectural culture in Brazil. “We are delighted with the positive reception of Brazil's candidacy and the approval from colleagues around the world. Holding the 2020 congress will be an opportunity to strengthen international relations with the Americas, Africa, and Portuguese-speaking countries, which were our main supporters. This work will certainly strengthen the UIA's structure and improve living conditions in cities,” stated the president of the IAB, Sérgio Magalhães. 

According to the president of the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil (CAU/BR), Haroldo Pinheiro, holding the 2020 UIA congress in Rio is an opportunity that needs to be seized to discuss the new directions of architecture in the country and the world. "We will have six years to work and, in 2020, at the Rio de Janeiro Congress, unleash our ideas and thoughts," stated Haroldo Pinheiro. 

The president of the Rio de Janeiro Department of the IAB (Brazilian Institute of Architects), Pedro da Luz Moreira, believes that holding the UIA World Congress in Rio de Janeiro can introduce a leading role for planning and projects into the country's culture. The IAB and the Rio de Janeiro department also feel prepared to host the event. 

“Rio de Janeiro has all the conditions to host the UIA event. IAB-RJ is also prepared to help with coordination and collaboration with other departments to ensure that UIA 2020 Rio is a great success,” said Pedro da Luz Moreira.

According to the president of the International Council of Portuguese-Speaking Architects (Cialp), João Belo Rodeia, architects have much to learn from the architecture of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in 2020: 

“I am very pleased that the 2020 UIA World Congress will be held in Rio de Janeiro. It is a well-deserved victory, and all CIALP members are happy with the result. I believe that holding the congress in Rio will be important for the UIA itself, because it will bring together all the countries of Latin America. For CIALP, it will be an important moment for its international affirmation. I also believe that it will be a central moment for architecture and for architects, because I believe that Brazil is a microcosm of the world.”