The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona has released its full program, outlining the structure, participants, and range of activities scheduled to take place from June 28 to July 2, 2026. Expanding on the previously introduced theme, Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition, the Congress is conceived as a distributed event across multiple venues and urban contexts rather than a single-site conference. Organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in collaboration with the Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architects' Association of Catalonia (COAC), the event is expected to gather approximately 10,000 participants and 250 speakers from more than 130 countries.
The main venues of the Congress include the Barcelona International Convention Centre, the Disseny Hub Barcelona, and the Three Chimneys complex in Sant Adrià de Besòs, where the core program will be concentrated between June 29 and July 1, while the overall structure extends both before and after these dates through exhibitions, workshops, and itineraries that unfold across the region. The program continues to be structured around six thematic axes: Becoming More-than-human, Becoming Circular, Becoming Embodied, Becoming Interdependent, Becoming Hyper-Conscious, and Becoming Attuned, which frame discussions on ecology, resource cycles, construction practices, governance, digital systems, and cultural production.
The themes are explored through a wide range of formats, including plenary sessions, lectures, debates, roundtables, and workshops, complemented by one-on-one conversations that focus on specific methodologies and positions within contemporary practice. Within this framework, the "Research by Design" program introduces a set of twelve practices developing experimental and practice-based investigations into topics such as housing access, climate adaptation, and material reuse. Among the contributors, HouseEurope! with Brandlhuber+ focuses on the transformation of existing building stock as a central European concern, while Anna Puigjaner, together with MAIO, Care., and Pol Esteve, examines domestic space through a feminist lens. Other participants, including Baukunst in collaboration with the Structural Xploration Lab, explore processes of urban mining and the reuse of materials, expanding the research-oriented dimension of the Congress.
Additional layers of discussion are introduced through the "Critical Antagonist," integrated into plenary sessions to challenge dominant narratives and encourage debate across disciplines. Participants in this role include Timothy Morton, Marina Tabassum, and Juan Herreros, among others, contributing alternative perspectives to the program. At the same time, approximately 100 Spanish architects will act as hosts, moderating sessions and providing connections between international contributions and local contexts, in line with the Congress' intention to situate global discussions within a specific territorial framework.
The program also incorporates a series of focused conversations and debates that address specific themes in greater depth, including exchanges between landscape architects Kate Orff and Dirk Sijmons on water systems and ecological infrastructures. Other sessions bring together groups such as Forensic Architecture and the Centre for Spatial Technologies to examine the role of architectural tools in the analysis of geopolitical conflicts. Extending beyond formal conference settings, the Congress introduces the Open Forum, an outdoor platform located on the esplanade of the Three Chimneys site. Designed as a temporary structure with a capacity of 1,500 people, the forum will host informal discussions and collective exchanges during the afternoons, bringing together speakers and attendees in a shared environment.
Another component of the program is its itinerary structure, which comprises more than 70 routes curated by AMOO across Barcelona and its surrounding territories. These locations connect the themes with built projects, landscapes, and infrastructures, offering access to sites that will be opened specifically for the occasion. The Congress also incorporates an educational dimension through a series of international workshops taking place from June 19 to 27, before the main event. Bringing together approximately 180 students and young architects, these workshops will be held at the Three Chimneys site and led by practices such as Assemble, BeAr, TEN, and Plan Común.
The list of speakers reflects a combination of established figures and emerging practices, emphasizing diversity across geographies and generations. Confirmed participants include Pritzker Prize laureates Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, Shigeru Ban, Wang Shu of Amateur Architecture Studio, and Smiljan Radić, alongside European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award winners such as Architecten Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck, as well as practices including Lacol and Arquitectura G.
In addition to the main program, the Congress will host opening and closing events produced by Cabosanroque and Cube Studio, integrating architecture with sound and performance as part of its public dimension. The UIA Gold Medal and Triennial Prizes ceremony will take place at the Sagrada Família, and other collateral events will include meetings of the International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA) and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, expanding the Congress's engagement with related fields and networks.
Listed among the most anticipated events of 2026, the UIA World Congress of Architects is expected to bring thousands of participants to Barcelona, which UNESCO has designated as the World Capital of Architecture 2026. In parallel developments, the city has shortlisted five teams for Liceu Mar, a new cultural venue at Port Vell, including SANAA with Camps Felip Arquitectura, Batlle i Roig with Snøhetta, Barozzi Veiga with MAIO and Burgos & Garrido, Sou Fujimoto with GRAS and Aldayjover, and David Chipperfield Architects with b720 and Creus e Carrasco. Alongside this, the Sagrada Família recently reached a major milestone with the completion of its central tower, which now stands at its final height of 172.5 meters.
