Barcelona, World Capital of Architecture 2026

07/03/2024 - 16:24 h

Barcelona will be the World Capital of Architecture in 2026, a prestigious event with activities in all districts that looks to the future and gets organisations and individuals involved. In the summer, the city will be hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects, thirty years after doing so in 1996.

Barcelona will take on its capital role with all sectors involved, working together with the city’s cultural and professional organisations, institutions, schools and citizens for this major event to become the epicentre of architecture. The organisations involved will be offering a broad programme, enabling people to engage with architectural knowledge in an easy, informative and attractive way.

Activities are planned in all ten districts over a ten-month period, from Santa Eulàlia to Santa Llúcia: exhibitions, routes, workshops, open days, installations, talks and competitions. The goal is to promote our heritage and the talent that exists in the city, at the same time disseminating the transformational qualities of architecture and urban planning.

Home to the congress by the International Union of Architects

Three decades after it hosted the 19th UIA congress in 1996, Barcelona will again be holding the meeting where this sector addresses the challenges that face us as a society, confirming that architecture is more necessary than ever for tackling problems such as climate change or access to housing.

Goals beyond 2026

The event aims to leave a permanent legacy in the city. On one hand, a large scale model of Barcelona will be created. On the other, an international competition will be organised with projects for party walls in the city to add value to the urban landscape. This will include artistic actions and themes linked to values such as habitability, sustainability and biodiversity.

In the meantime, Architecture Weeks

The city’s Architecture Weeks in 2024 and 2025 will act as the prelude to the event, with a hundred activities. This year’s edition is on from 14 May to 28 June, with an extensive seven-week programme of events and activities by different groups and organisations.