Barcelona unveils the program for its year as World Capital of Architecture 2026

Barcelona has announced the full program for its year as World Capital of Architecture 2026, an international honor awarded by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA). The initiative will take place from February 12 to December 13, 2026, featuring over 1,500 multidisciplinary activities across the city’s ten districts and throughout Catalonia.

The event will showcase the values and transformative potential of architecture, urbanism, and landscape design. It offers an opportunity to promote Barcelona’s architectural heritage and raise the international profile of Catalan architecture. Developed from proposals by 170 architectural, cultural, and educational organizations, the program features over 200 projects for the public, professionals, and educational communities.

 
Activities will include guided tours, workshops, debates, conferences, exhibitions, and cultural events connecting architecture with cinema, dance, and music. The program is supported by professional associations, universities, and key partners in the architectural sector.

Barcelona 2026 is co-funded by three public administrations—the Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and Spain’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda—with a total budget of €11 million.

International Reach and a Lasting Legacy for Barcelona

The initiative aims to create a lasting legacy for the city. Planned outcomes include a large-scale model of Barcelona, to be permanently installed at the former headquarters of publisher Gustavo Gili, which will become the Casa de l’Arquitectura de Barcelona, a new center for architecture and urbanism beyond 2026. Additionally, ten party walls, one in each district, will be transformed into new façades through an international competition for young architects, enhancing urban quality, sustainability, and livability.

As part of its international scope, Barcelona will host the UIA World Congress of Architects from June 28 to July 2, 2026. Organized by the Spanish Council of Architects (CSCAE) and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), the Congress will bring together over 10,000 professionals and more than 200 speakers worldwide. Under the theme “Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition,” the program will address ecological, social, material, and cultural transitions through lectures, international student workshops, a public exhibition, and various activities.

Thirty years after hosting the Congress in 1996, Barcelona will become the only city to host the UIA World Congress twice, reinforcing its role as a global meeting point for architectural debate.

Through this year-long program, Barcelona 2026 aims to position architecture as a collective and transformative force, connecting local initiatives with international dialogue and extending its impact throughout the city and Catalonia.

Source: Barcelona City Council