DIVERSECITY
UIA 2024 International Forum theme is DIVERSECITY. DIVERSECITY is an encapsulation of diverse and city. Taking Kuala Lumpur as an example of multicultural growing Asian city, it offers a unique illustration of a diversified communities and a maturing model for developing city. This is in panning a global collective dialogue of the forum delegates, to question, discourse and propose ideas on questions of what is the evolving architects’ role in today’s economy, environmental, social movement, thinking and awareness of architecture, design and urbanism;
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i – a city for HUMANITY, with a diversed community; and
ii – SUSTAINABLE GROWTH as a holistic city paradigm.
Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomic paradise, it also contributes to many colourful festivals. Malaysians love to celebrate and socialise in our warm and friendly manner. Although Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, English is widely spoken throughout the country.
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Three sub-themes will be set under the forum to be further articulated as inquiries, discussions and to work upon by delegates and participants in the dialogues, workshops and programmes during the Forum. The sub-themes are:
S1 - Culture and Heritage
S2 - Density and Sustainable Growth
S3 - Equity and Ecology
S1
Culture and Heritage​
Cultural heritage, creativity, and diversity are the foundations for the humane, inclusive, holistic, and long-term development of cities. Cultural heritage is central to the definition of who we are by providing us with a connection to our past through social values, beliefs, customs and traditions. A city may have multiple cultures within its boundaries that reflects the diversity of its population.
Each layer of cultural heritage distinguishes itself with distinctive architectural styles and layouts of infrastructure and public space. In other words, the city of today has been shaped by its historical layers.
S2
Density and Sustainable Growth
Sustainable density refers to the number of people in a given land area that can sustain the services required to maintain a healthy life with the least impact to earth, the climate and biodiversity.
The challenge to balance urban density with sustainability requires smart planning and careful consideration for traffic and public transportation. Smart growth is such because it is planned to be self-supportive over a long time through its multi-functional uses and ease of access via walkability and bike trails, and public transit. Such growth is smart because it is meant to last and not be solely dependent on automobile use.
S3
Equity & ecology​
In the scenario of urban density, the frontier of urbanism lies in the realm of equity and ecology. Kuala Lumpur, like many other major cities today, is embarking on large scale urban projects that focus on ecological and infrastructural growth.
These projects realise the underlying value and unlock the potential of public places. There are multiple gains to be made from leveraging these opportunities, not least: increasing efficiency and accessibility to the city, and encouraging civic consumption.
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UIA 2024 Forum Logo
GEOMETRIC PERMUTATIONS
Geometries and patterns have a long tradition as a reference in art & design in Malaysian work. In this logo, the duality of the basic grid works derived from the screen pattern of the National Mosque Kuala Lumpur was the starting point of an abstraction of fragments, reimagined into modules of a basic unit in architecture, the house. The grid lines, nodes, plane and form gives a multidimensional sensation, and colours represent diversity.
The background of modules is akin to the universal community in diversity coming together to commune around the universal house.
The geometric pattern of the logo derived from the screen wall design of the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. The pattern was incorporated into the base component and repeated to form an arch that suggests as the profile of a shelter.
