Gwangju becomes the first city in Korea to adopt the IFI Interiors Declaration
The International Federation of Architects/Interior Designers (IFI), along with the Korean Society of Interior Architects/Designers (KOSID) announce the adoption of the IFI Interiors Declaration by the City of Gwangju, officially signed by Mayor Mr. Jang-hyun Yoon and President Mr. Sebastiano Raneri. The ceremony took place immediately prior to the opening of the, “Eeum: Design Connects”: International Design Congress (IDC), hosted by Korea Craft & Design Foundation and Gwangju city.
Since its adoption, the IFI Interiors Declaration has been met with great enthusiasm by our global membership and others from the design community committed to advancing the Interiors profession and the rights of all individuals to benefit from good design all over the world. It has been called “a triumph for the profession and human dignity”, a “historic opportunity”, and a document giving rise to great expectations for the Interiors profession in support of humanity, society and culture.
In its short existence, the IFI Interiors Declaration has already become the attention of national and city governments. By adopting or proclaiming the Declaration, governmental bodies acknowledge the importance of Design and Interiors. We have already gathered 118 city adoptions/proclamations across the globe, with several pending. The success of this program has been with the active support of IFI members and the global community who have worked hard to promote and advocate for the adoption in all the 5 regions of the world.
Gwangju has been known as a city of democracy, human rights and peace. A city of taste, famous for its rich and diverse cuisine, it boasts a clean, beautiful, natural environment and has deeply rooted traditions of Korean culture and art. Adoption of the IFI Interiors Declaration is testament to Gwangju City’s belief in the value of design. In doing so it demonstrates their commitment to the built environment as a permanent part of global landscape, and as a common advantage to the progress of its local community. We at IFI applaud the city’s vision to develop Gwangju’s international relations by transforming it into an effective center, within the network of major East Asian region, as a city of design and innovation.
The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) is the global voice and authority for professional Interior Architects/Designers. IFI is the sole international federating body for Interior Architecture/Design organizations, and acts as a global forum for the exchange and development of knowledge and experience, in worldwide education, research and practice. Often considered as the “United Nations” of the Interior Architecture/Design field, IFI connects the international community in order to further the impact, influence and application of the design of interiors, promote global social responsibility, and raise the status of the profession worldwide. For more information visit www.ifiworld.org
The IFI Interiors Declaration is the result of the IFI Design Frontiers: The Interiors Entity (IFI DFIE) Global Symposium, held in New York City in February of 2011, a first in the history of the Interiors’ profession. A consensus based vision/mission statement for the Interiors discipline forms a unanimous agreement of 88 delegates from 30 nations establishing the essential foundations and their advancement for Interior Architecture/Design worldwide. The ideas contained in the Declaration provide clear goals for and affect the fundamental understanding and shaping of our practice, its education and research, and for the outcomes required of our built environment in support of humanity, society and culture. To download a copy of the IFI Interiors Declaration, Click Here.
Korean Society of Interior Architects/Designers (KOSID) is a non-profit organization of experts gathered in 1979 founded by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation affiliated to design the living environment, Korea, interior architecture through enhancing qualities of Interior Architects and Friendship and International Affairs to contribute to the qualitative improvement and further development of a culture of human and environmental purposes. For more information visitwww.kosid.or.kr.
Korean Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) is a public institution of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, founded to establish the identity of Korean crafts and design through the extension and promotion of creative crafts culture and design and enhance the competitiveness to contribute to the improvement of life of quality of the nations. For more information visit www.kcdf.kr.