The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO) supports Hong Kong's participation in the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026, held in Barcelona, Spain, from June 28 to July 2 (Barcelona time). Led by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA), the Hong Kong delegation presented award-winning architectural projects from Hong Kong, and showcased Hong Kong's achievements in sustainable and innovative architecture through a series of professional exchange activities, echoing the theme "Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition" of the Congress.
      
     Speaking at the opening of the Hong Kong exhibition titled "Architecture N.O.W.!" on June 29 (Barcelona time), the Deputy Representative of the Brussels ETO, Mr Kasper Ng, welcomed the strong delegation led by HKIA to the Congress this year, which was part of the celebration for HKIA's 70th anniversary. He remarked that architecture plays a key role in Hong Kong's transformation into a greener, smarter and more sustainable city for our future generations to thrive. "Together with our partners, including HKIA and our talented architects, we are advancing on various fronts, including building decarbonisation, accelerating energy retrofits, developing low-carbon new urban areas, promoting district-scale solutions that reduce energy demand, encouraging investment in green projects, just to name a few." Mr Ng said.
      
     Mr Ng also spoke at the gala dinner hosted by HKIA which welcomed over a hundred guests including those from Spain and other parts of the world. He highlighted that in addition to enhancing our built environment, architecture is also a key pillar of Hong Kong's creative industries, providing impetus for economic development and shaping the city's cultural identity, such as the West Kowloon Cultural District which has become not just a collection of iconic museums but a global iconic arts and cultural hub rooted in Hong Kong through revolutionary architectural and urban planning designs.
      
     The UIA World Congress of Architects is an international gathering for professional and cultural exchange among all the world's architects, bringing together about 200 speakers and more than 10 000 participants across over 100 sessions on eight stages over three days in Barcelona this year. The Hong Kong delegation, led by HKIA, comprises around 50 professionals from the built environment professions, and also the Urban Renewal Authority. It is also a project supported by the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Ends/Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Issued at HKT 22:34

NNNN