Dezeen promotion: architects David Chipperfield, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Ma Yansong and Elizabeth Diller will join Dr Joan Clos of UN-Habitat for the centrepiece conference of the Royal Institute of British Architects' International Week in July.
RIBA International Week, which takes place from 3 to 7 July 2017, is a programme of events and keynote speeches exploring the New Urban Agenda – the United Nations' global strategy for sustainable development and housing over the coming two decades.
The centrepiece of the week will be a day-long conference on 4 July, opened by a keynote speech about the United Nations' agenda by RIBA Royal Gold Medalist, former mayor of Barcelona and current executive director of UN-Habitat Dr Joan Clos.
The conference's morning talks will look at the topic from the perspective of architects and also a mayoral, planning and urbanist standpoint.
Key speakers include British architect David Chipperfield, Ma Yansong from Chinese firm MAD, Elizabeth Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, V&A museum director Tristram Hunt, leading sociologist Saskia Sassen and Arup associate director Dan Hill.
The afternoon session will focus on international case studies around three core areas from the New Urban Agenda where architects can contribute: social cohesion, housing and cultural heritage.
Key speakers in the afternoon include designer of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2017 Diébédo Francis Kéré, award-winning international practice Urban-Think Tank, former mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes and director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Farrokh Derakhshani.
The RIBA International conference is a ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased at www.architecture.com/internationalweek.
Other events in the RIBA International Week programme include an exhibition called Beyond Borders featuring a series of site-specific architectural installations.
The week will kick off with a RIBA Late event on Monday 3 July at RIBA in London, where visitors will be able to explore the installations as well as take in films, lives performance and DJs.
The call for entries for the second RIBA International Prize, which recognises the best new international civic building, will be launched on Tuesday 4 July, and there will also be a series of masterclasses for architecture students, culminating in a student charrette and a series of manifestos on city-making on Wednesday 5 July.
RIBA International Week will conclude with the Ambassadors' Debate on Thursday 6 July, which will involve each of the RIBA president's ambassadors sharing proposals on their area of expertise – from ethics and diversity to technology and sustainability.
Visit www.architecture.com/internationalweek for the full programme of events and to purchase tickets for the RIBA International conference.
RIBA International Week 2017
Dates: Monday 3 – Friday 7 July 2017
Venue: RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD
RIBA International Conference: Change in the City: opportunities for architects in the New Urban Agenda
Date: Tuesday 4 July 2017
Venue: RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD