The first Monday of October is World Architecture Day, a celebration of both great architecture and the people who produce it. The brainchild of the Union International des Architects (UIA), its aim is to bring together architects, designers, planners and more to share their experiences and viewpoints in events at a host of global locations. Each year, the day has a theme, and for 2019 the idea is “Architecture…housing for all.”
That’s a particularly fitting topic, given that the day coincides with the United Nations’ World Habitat Day, an initiative to ensure the human right to have a decent, safe place to live. Obviously the connections between architecture and provision of decent housing is clear, and several years ago the decision was made to share the day between the two events – originally, World Architecture Day was on July 1, but was shifted when the parallels were recognised.
Amusingly, some countries around the world elect to celebrate on both days, while others choose different dates entirely – Brazil, for instance, has set aside
December 15 for the occasion, in honour of the birth of Oscar Niemeyer.Here at Hames Sharley – where around three-quarters of our
200 employees are architecturally trained – the idea of taking multiple days in recognition of what we do has a certain appeal. However the best way to celebrate great architecture is to create it. That’s what we’ll be doing on October 7 *, and we hope you’ll take the time to mark the day with us by exploring our website for details of our past work and to preview some of the major projects we’ll be delivering soon.
* Except in NSW, ACT and SA, where World Architecture Day and World Habitat Day is also shared with Labor Day, and in Queensland, where it’s the Queen’s Birthday (again). October 7 is also Bathtub Day, presumably because you’ll need a way to relax after observing all the other special occasions.
