The Congreso de la Union Internacional de Arquitectos (Congress of the International Union of Architects) refers to the recurring world congresses organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA), a non-governmental organization founded in Lausanne in 1948 that represents architects worldwide [1]. Each congress is hosted by a UIA member section, and the organization convenes the World Congress of Architects every three years [2]. The visual identity for each congress is typically created specifically for that event, often through a design competition, rather than being a single permanent mark shared across all editions [3].
Design and History
The XII World Congress of the International Union of Architects was held in Madrid in May 1975, under the theme “Creativity and Technology” [4][5]. The congress took place from May 5 to 10, 1975, in Madrid [6]. The official proceedings were published by the UIA in 1974-75 [7].
Each UIA congress develops its own graphic identity. For example, the 27th World Congress, UIA 2020 RIO, held in Rio de Janeiro, had its logo designed by Brazilian designer Glaucio Campelo, who won a competition for the event’s mark [8]. Similarly, the 2026 UIA congress in Barcelona announced a competition for the design of its new graphic identity, with the winning proposal to be built around a new logotype [3].
For the XII Congress in Madrid, the congress was organized by the UIA together with the Consejo Superior de los Arquitectos de España (CSCAE) [9]. The congress materials were published in multiple languages, including Spanish, French, English, and Russian [10].
Meaning and Symbolism
Because each UIA congress has its own distinct visual identity, the symbolism of the mark varies by edition. For the 2020 Rio congress, designers Glaucio Campelo and Suzana Fonseca created the winning mark starting from different geometric figures with common sides, such as triangles that became squares [11]. For the 2026 Barcelona congress, the competition brief specified that the new identity should pivot around its new logotype and align with the congress objectives [12].
For the XII Congress in Madrid in 1975, the congress theme was “Creativity and Technology” [4]. The congress program also included a parallel film festival, the V Festival del Cine de Arquitectura, sponsored by the organizing committee of the XII World Congress [6].
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