WHERE ART MEETS ARCHITECTURE

AIA INTERNATIONAL 2025 BRINGS THE WORLD TO COLOMBO

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Colombo last week transformed into a confluence of ideas, inspiration, and innovation as the world's architectural elite convened for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) International Conference 2025. Under the theme 'The Art within Architecture', the three-day conference, held from October 9-11 at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, marked the second time Sri Lanka has hosted this prestigious global gathering.

The event not only spotlighted Colombo on the international architecture map but also celebrated how art, sustainability, and cultural consciousness can redefine the built environment.

The inauguration brought together an illustrious audience that included the Mayor of Colombo Vraie Cally Balthazaar and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as Guests of Honour, along with ambassadors, international dignitaries, and leaders of the AIA.

Setting the tone for the event, AIA National President Evelyn Lee urged architects to confront the urgent realities of climate change and human wellbeing in design.

"It's hard to talk about Sri Lanka's incredible natural and cultural landscape without thinking about how fragile these gifts are, and how much responsibility we have as architects," she said.

"Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the depletion of natural resources are not abstract challenges; they are real. Their realities shape our work right now."

Lee reflected that the architectural profession, while powerful in influence, was lagging behind on climate action, stressing that the future must be designed with both urgency and optimism. She called for buildings that minimise carbon impact while protecting human health, underlining the role of architects as stewards of the planet's future.