Panama - September 2020
The present year 2020 has been and continues to be an exceptional year, with surprising challenges in our daily life and profession. In this context, full of uncertainty and challenges, I am grateful for the honor that the AIA International Region has given me by designating me as Country Representative of Panama, before such a prestigious and recognized institution, which brings together and summons architects from the United States and the world.
Panama, as is well known, has completed more than eight months of confinement with severe economic effects. Before this difficult scenario, we have appealed to creativity, imagination, cooperation and the various tools that our discipline offers us. In this sense, we decided to focus on the participation of young and talented Panamanian architects with the international community to develop ideas that can improve and seek answers to the needs and new demands of the city.
In compliance with these objectives, the first activity carried out was to consolidate this group of successful young architects and to add them to the development of ideas and projects related to the proposed future agenda. Among those participants were architects Ramón Zafrani, Johann Wolfschoon, Gilberto Guardia, Ignacio Mallol Azcárraga, with the purpose of creating a seed group responsible of organizing events, conferences and seminars under the auspices of the AIA International Region in Panama.
This first meeting was held last August 30th via zoom with architect José Salinas, AIA Country Representative -Costa Rica- to agree on what would be our goals and objectives to maintain, and at the same time strengthen cooperation with Latin American architects.
A second activity carried out as Country Representative of the AIA, was the participation in the 7th International Congress of Architecture promoted by the College of Architects of Mexico and the Society of Mexican Architects, CAM-SAM.
This event, under the title, "Synchronizing Architecture", was held on October 1st of this year in virtual format, coordinated by architects Jorge and Arturo Arditti. Featured architecture professionals such as RCR Architects, winners of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, participated on the agenda. Mallol Arquitectos, during our participation, gave an account of our mega projects and how these have impacted the city.
The main goal of all these events is to integrate outstanding young architects through seminars and courses that will elevate and strengthen the future Panamanians in this profession.
Ignacio Mallol Tamayo
Country Representative - Panamá
