During the 29th Congress of the International Union of Architects (Union Internationale des Architectes — UIA) in Barcelona, new UIA leadership was elected. Professor Jerzy Grochulski —a Polish architect and former president of SARP— was re-elected as Vice President of the Council.
On July 5, 2026, the first meeting of the newly elected Council of the International Union of Architects (UIA) took place; its composition was determined during the UIA General Assembly, which was held as part of the 29th UIA World Congress in Barcelona.
The Council, which is elected every three years, consists of the president, the immediate past president, the secretary general, the treasurer, and one vice president from each region (Region I: Western Europe, Region II: Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Region III: the Americas, Region IV: Asia and Oceania, Region V: Africa), as well as four Council members from each region.
Li Zhang, an architect from China, dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and founder of Atelier TeamMinus,was electedpresident for the2026–2029term. The outgoing president, who will also serve on the Council, is Swiss architect Regina Gonthier, and the Secretary General is Teresa Táboas of Spain. Marco Antonio Vergara Vázquez of Mexico was elected as the new treasurer. Prof. Jerzy Grochulski was re-elected as Vice President responsible for Region II for the 2026–2029 term.
“Professor Grochulski is a prominent figure in the Polish architectural community. His extensive experience in building relationships within architectural organizations in Poland and abroad guarantees a successful second term in this position,”
— wrote the National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland in its letter of recommendation.
Jerzy Grochulski is a Polish architect, urban planner, and professor at the Warsaw University of Technology. From 1998 to 2012, he served as the Polish delegate to the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE). From 2006 to 2012 (and again in 2022, following the resignation of Bohdan (Bis) Lisowski), he served as president of the Association of Polish Architects. In 2012, the architect was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. For over twenty years, he was a partner and director of the architectural firm PRO-ARTE11, which specializes in sports facilities, schools, public and residential buildings, and places of worship. He is currently a partner at the architectural firm NM Architekci.
