UIA Barcelona 2026 Congress Announces Full Program with 10,000 Participants
Scheduled for June 28 to July 2, 2026, the UIA World Congress of Architecture will take place in Barcelona, organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA), CSCAE, and COAC. This event aims to attract 10,000 attendees and 250 speakers from more than 130 nations, utilizing various venues such as the Barcelona International Convention Centre and Disseny Hub Barcelona. The agenda includes six thematic areas and a mix of formats, featuring plenary sessions and workshops. Distinguished speakers will include Pritzker Prize laureates Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal. The UIA Gold Medal ceremony is set to occur at the Sagrada Familia, which recently finished its central tower, reaching a height of 172.5 meters. Barcelona has been named UNESCO World Capital of Architecture 2026.
Key facts
- UIA World Congress of Architecture Barcelona 2026 runs from June 28 to July 2, 2026.
- Organized by UIA, CSCAE, and COAC.
- Expected 10,000 participants and 250 speakers from over 130 countries.
- Main venues: Barcelona International Convention Centre, Disseny Hub Barcelona, Three Chimneys complex.
- Six thematic axes: Becoming More-than-human, Becoming Circular, Becoming Embodied, Becoming Interdependent, Becoming Hyper-Conscious, Becoming Attuned.
- Research by Design includes HouseEurope! with Brandlhuber+ and Anna Puigjaner with MAIO.
- Critical Antagonists: Timothy Morton, Marina Tabassum, Juan Herreros.
- Open Forum at Three Chimneys site for 1,500 people.
- Over 70 itineraries curated by AMOO.
- International workshops June 19-27 with 180 students led by Assemble, BeAr, TEN, Plan Común.
- Speakers include Anne Lacaton, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Shigeru Ban, Wang Shu, Smiljan Radić.
- UIA Gold Medal and Triennial Awards at Sagrada Familia.
- Barcelona is UNESCO World Capital of Architecture 2026.
- Five teams shortlisted for Liceu Mar cultural space in Port Vell.
- Sagrada Familia central tower completed at 172.5 meters.
Entities
Artists
- Anne Lacaton
- Jean-Philippe Vassal
- Shigeru Ban
- Wang Shu
- Smiljan Radić
- Architecten Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck
- Timothy Morton
- Marina Tabassum
- Juan Herreros
- Anna Puigjaner
- Kate Orff
- Dirk Sijmons
- Brandlhuber+
- MAIO
- Care.
- Pol Esteve
- Baukunst
- Structural Xploration Lab
- Assemble
- BeAr
- TEN
- Plan Común
- Cabosanroque
- Cube Studio
- Lacol
- Arquitectura G
- SANAA
- Camps Felip Arquitectura
- Batlle i Roig
- Snøhetta
- Barozzi Veiga
- Burgos & Garrido
- Sou Fujimoto
- GRAS
- Aldayjover
- David Chipperfield Architects
- b720
- Creus e Carrasco
- AMOO
- Forensic Architecture
- Centro de Tecnologías Espaciales
- Smiljan Radic
Institutions
- UIA (International Union of Architects)
- CSCAE (Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain)
- COAC (Architects' Association of Catalonia)
- Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB)
- Disseny Hub Barcelona
- Three Chimneys (Tres Chimeneas)
- HouseEurope!
- Structural Xploration Lab
- Amateur Architecture Studio
- Sagrada Familia
- CICA (International Committee of Architectural Critics)
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
- UNESCO
- Liceu Mar
- Port Vell
- International Union of Architects (UIA)
- Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE)
- Architects' Association of Catalonia (COAC)
- Barcelona International Convention Centre
- Three Chimneys complex
- Forensic Architecture
- Centre for Spatial Technologies
- AMOO
- International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA)
- Sagrada Família
- UIA World Congress of Architects
- CCIB
- Disseny Hub
- Tres Chimeneas
- Lacaton & Vassal
Locations
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Sant Adrià de Besòs
- Catalonia
- Port Vell
- Sant Adrià del Besòs