Rio de Janeiro was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the first world capital of architecture. The city, which was also the first to receive the title of world’s cultural heritage in the urban landscape category in 2012, will host the 27th World Congress of Architects in 2020.

The congress takes place every three years, and, as from the next edition, will grant the title of world capital of architecture to the host city. Rio was selected to apply to be the host city in 2014, and competed with Paris, in France, and Melbourne, Australia.

The event will take place between July 19 and 26, 2020 and is promoted by the International Union of Architects (UIA). Architects and city planners from around the globe will gather in Rio to discuss topics such as urban planning, culture, mobility, public works and construction of inclusive cities. Approximately 25 thousand people are expected to come to the city to participate in the congress.

It will be the first time that the event will take place in Brazil, and the chairman of the Institute of Brazilian Architects, Nivaldo Andrade, emphasises that the city is reference for harbouring works of renowned names such as Oscar Niemeyer, Roberto Burle Marx and Lúcio Costa.

He said to Agência Brasil,

“The city is also reference of contemporary challenges for architects and of positive experiences in the urbanism field, with the urbanisation of slum areas, for instance. We could say that Rio synthesises characteristics found in cities not only in Brazil, but in several countries of world.”

Among the venues that will host the event is Palácio Gustavo Capanema, one of the main landmarks of modernism in the city. The project of the building, located in Downtown Rio, is signed by renowned names of the Brazilian architecture, such as Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer and Affonso Eduardo Reidy.