Architecture accompanies us throughout our lives. The environment in which we live is shaped by architecture: that space where we live, where we work, where we socialize. The public space, the home, the office, the doctor’s office, the gym… everything is architecture. It has to provide us with comfort, functionality, well-being, harmony and beauty. Today, as we celebrate International Architecture Day, it is necessary to reclaim its protective and structuring role in modern society, and to reclaim architecture as an indispensable discipline to face the future with guarantees.
We now have the responsibility to address the structural challenges that come from the globalized society. We have to work and keep in mind: the fight against climate change, urban densification, the incorporation of new technologies, accessibility and aging of the population, heritage and cultural identity, decarbonization.
With the desire to add knowledge, in 2026, Barcelona will become the World Capital of Architecture, a prestigious title awarded by UNESCO and will also host the World Architecture Congress of the International Union of Architects. It will be a historical milestone and a great opportunity for the city to become the great center of the global debate on the future of architecture, cities and our profession.
This fact is not only a recognition of the architectural wealth of the city and the international prestige of our architecture, but also positions it, with its values, as the main axis in the resolution of problems. And here, the New European Bauhaus (the European Commission’s great project for the 21st century) has a fundamental role. It is about making our cities efficient and sustainable – a near future is foreseen with a lack of energy and mineral resources –, beautiful and beautiful, as well as functional and suitable for life together.
Proposals such as the 15-minute city or the superblocks represent an example of how the profession affects people’s well-being, the energy transition of cities and the generation of activity opportunities closer to home.
I would like to claim and value the work we do and assert the authorship of architectural projects. With the same energy with which we prepare to be able to offer the best of our technical knowledge to the end user, we also have the duty and obligation to demand recognition of the authorship of our projects that have intellectual property, as a symbol of responsibility and commitment. Whether it is a historical masterpiece, a single-family home, a small renovation of a facility or a public space, there is always an architect behind it to give it shape.
Today, International Architecture Day, we value the work of architects: there is a long way to go and we need to do it hand in hand with society.
