On 6 July 2023, H.E. Mrs. Sirilak Niyom, Ambassador of Thailand to Denmark, hosted a dinner for 25 Thai architects who attended the 28th UIA World Congress of Architects organized by the International Union of Architects (Union Internationale des Architectes : UIA) in Copenhagen between 2-6 July 2023, as Copenhagen is elected the world capital of architecture for 2023.
Thai Architects consisted of Mr. Chana Sumpalung, President of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage, Mr. Chutayaves Sinthuphan and Associate Professor Dr. Rattapong Angkasith, Vice Presidents of the Association, Mr. Prayong Posriprasert, Dean of Architecture, Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts, including Thai architecture students and Thai architects who study and work in Copenhagen. The Danish architects who attended the dinner were Mr. Lars Autrup, President of the Danish Association of Architects, Mr. Jakob Brandtberg Knudsen, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, the Royal Danish Academy, Ms. Eva Seo-Andersen, architect from BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, Ms. Lisbeth Philipsen, architect from Gehl Architects and Mr. Lorenz von Seidlein, Lecturer from Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) who started the project of architecture for health in the Makong region.
On this occasion, Her Excellency the Ambassador welcomed the participants and congratulated Arsomsilp Institute of the Arts for winning the award for the design of Benjakiti Forest Park in the UIA Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards (Public and Open Spaces Category), which has received unanimous votes from the jury. Ms. Chatchanin Sung, a landscape architect from Arsomsilp Institute of the Arts and designer of Benjakitti Forest Park presented her work at the congress and received the award from Mr. José Luis Cortés Delgado, President of UIA. The award has demonstrated the world-class potential of Thai architects who are ready to collaborate with architects around the world in creating sustainability for life and well-being for humanity.
After that, Mr. Lars Autrup, President of the Association of Architects, organizer of The UIA World Congress, congratulated the Arsomsilp Institute for receiving the award, and pleased to meet Thai architects who attended the congress in Copenhagen under the theme "Sustainable Futures - Leave no one behind”, which featured talks and discussions on how to make architecture a tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, design to fight against climate change, increase biodiversity and promote social integration.
The organization of this dinner, in addition to congratulating the award of Thai architects, is also to promote a network between Thai and Danish architects. During the dinner, both sides exchanged ideas and best practices in sustainable architecture that both sides can learn from each other and lead to future cooperation and partnership.
The UIA is the world's biggest architecture organization founded in 1948. Association of Architects from more than 100 countries are currently members, including the Association of Siamese Architects of Thailand. Its 75th anniversary is celebrated this year in Copenhagen. The UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen 2023 is the world’s largest event on sustainable architecture. More than 6,000 people from 135 countries attended the congress. More than 400 renowned architects from around the world participated in the lectures. The UIA World Congress is held every three years, the next congress will be held in Barcelona, Spain in 2026.