The World Architecture Congress 2026 will bring approximately 10,000 professionals to Barcelona. This landmark event, organised by the International Union of Architects (UIA), will cement the city’s status as a global hub for architectural debate. Moreover, it serves as the centrepiece of Barcelona’s broader 2026 World Capital of Architecture programme.
The congress will run from 28 June to 2 July. Consequently, the city will host cultural and architectural activities throughout the year. However, the global spotlight will be brightest during these five days.
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Home » World Architecture Congress 2026: Barcelona Expects 10,000 Attendees
World Architecture Congress 2026: A City-Wide Laboratory
Unlike traditional conferences, the World Architecture Congress 2026 will utilise iconic spaces across Barcelona. Primary sessions will take place at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB). Meanwhile, the programme will expand to include several key venues:
- The Three Chimneys (Tres Chimeneas) complex in Sant Adrià de Besòs.
- The Disseny Hub Barcelona.
- Montjuïc Castle.
- The Sagrada Familia.
Architectures for a Planet in Transition
A six-person curatorial team chose the theme ‘Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition’. Therefore, Barcelona will become a laboratory for investigating ecological, social and material challenges. Organisers anticipate over 200 speakers will address the congress.
The event explores time as a design tool. Additionally, it highlights architecture’s urgent need to respond to human needs. The UIA is organising the congress in collaboration with the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE), the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), and various government bodies.
This marks the second time Barcelona has hosted this prestigious gathering. The city previously welcomed the UIA Congress in 1996. Thirty years later, the event returns to a city that continues to reinvent itself.
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