'Barcelona 2026. World Capital of Architecture'
12 February 2026 – 13 December 2026
Barcelona
Barcelona is a city of architecture because of the beauty and uniqueness of many of its buildings, the way we collectively care for centuries of architectural heritage, and the sustained ambition to provide welcoming, accessible and inclusive public spaces. UNESCO-UIA has named it World Capital of Architecture because in 2026 the city will host the World Congress of Architects of the International Union of Architects. Disciplines and societies evolve, and so do Barcelona and architecture. The 1996 UIA World Congress of Architects exported the Olympic urban model. After real-estate, social, health and climate crises, the paradigm of our architecture has been profoundly renewed: it wants to be part of the solution rather than the problem. In a socially diverse city with dense urbanism, limited natural resources and a Mediterranean climate —mild and sunny, but with cycles of drought and long heatwaves— architecture, urban planning and landscape design are turning the challenges of economic, social and environmental sustainability into strengths. The city can reinterpret itself, move forward and set an example. World Capital of Architecture 2026 will roll out a very broad range of…
Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona · checked on 8 September 2026