International Union of Architects Congress – UIA2014

Architects from around the world will converge in Durban next week for the International Union of Architects Congress (UIA2014) to debate and discuss their common interests and concerns about the built environment and urbanisation.

Minister of Public Works Thembelani Nxesi, on 29 July 2014, officially launched the countdown to the Congress in Durban which will be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Approximately 4000 delegates are expected to attend the five day event.

Nxesi said he was positive Durban would maintain the high standards of hosting such a prestigious event.

“As a country, our confidence to host this prestigious event is built on a solid record and our recent experience of having successfully staged the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010 for the first time in the African continent. This was closely followed by the experience of hosting the 17th UNESCO Conference of Parties on Climate Change and Global Warming in 2012,” he said.

Nxesi added that the opportunity to host UIA 2014 comes at a special time in the history of South Africa and central to Government’s National Development Plan is the national Infrastructure Plan, which is a strategy of rolling out infrastructure to drive national and regional economic development and job creation.

Commissary General for UIA 2014 Durban, Karen Eicker said the UIA Congress taking place at the Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre from 3- 7 August will showcase the development of our built environment over the 20 years of our democracy.

“The Congress takes place during the time when global debate is currently raging around city development. The Congress will offer theoretical and practical solutions around infrastructure and sustainable human settlements,” she said.

An Architect in the eThekwini Municipality’s Architecture Department and member of the organising committee for UIA 2014 Congress, Nina Saunders said the preparations for the event were a “smooth” process as it took nearly a decade to plan for the Congress.

“A lot of projects have been started by the Municipality and are currently underway, such as the pocket parks where the Municipality encouraged private land owners and entrepreneurs to utilise left over spaces to plant small gardens to assist those in need,” she said.

Saunders said the Municipality also wanted to involve the broader public and not only architects during the Congress.

“Members of the public are invited to attend local exhibitions where they can learn more about architecture and its different spheres and how they can use it in their daily lives. Architecture is not just about buildings but people need to be more aware about the open spaces around them,” she added.