The Van Alen Institute has convened its new International Council of architecture, planning, and design leaders in Venice, Italy during the Biennale this month. The inaugural group represents 13 firms from across more than 17 cities and ten countries. Five of these Council members have offices in NYC — Allied Works Architecture, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Jan Gehl Architects, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, and Snohetta.
The Council "will meet twice annually to identify and investigate issues facing cities internationally, and to guide the impact of the Institute's public programming, research, and design competitions." Kai-Uwe Bergmann, partner at international architectural firm BIG, Trustee of the Van Alen Institute, and Council Chair, noted the importance of the group's global perspective, which will be explored through conversations and working sessions to identify topics that warrant deeper exploration. The Council's fall meetings will take place in New York, while spring meetings will be held in other global cities.