UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona
In June 2026, Barcelona will host one of the largest global gatherings dedicated to architecture. Over three days, more than 10,000 participants and 250 speakers from around the world will come together across eight stages, with over 100 sessions, a 4,000-square-metre central exhibition and seventy architectural itineraries unfolding across the region. Set along the Mediterranean seafront — from the iconic Three Chimneys turbine hall to major civic venues — the Congress expands beyond a conventional conference format to experience the city. Plenary talks, lectures and debates, open forums, workshops, research presentations and public celebrations will activate the city as a concentrated space of exchange. From 28 June to 2 July, Barcelona becomes a worldwide meeting point for architects, researchers, students and institutions. This is more than a congress. Be part of it.
General Calendar
The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 will be held from June 28 to July 2 in iconic locations throughout Barcelona and its metropolitan area. In addition, there are ongoing activities associated with the Congress, both before and after the event.
| Previous Congress | Congress Period | After Congress | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 – 27 June | Sunday, June 28 | Monday, June 29 | Tuesday, June 30 | Wednesday, July 1 | Thursday, July 2 | 3–19 July |
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Congress Sessions & UIA Working Bodies Exhibitions & Lectures
09:00 – 18:15
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Official Closing Ceremony & Own UIA Awards
09:30 – 12:00
UIA Working Bodies Exhibitions
09:00 – 14:00
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International Emerging Workshop
Central Exhibition
12:00 – 20:00
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Opening Ceremony
19:30 – 23:00
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Central Exhibition & Open Forum
12:00 – 23:00
Open Forum Sessions
19:30 – 21:00
Student Competition Granting Ceremony
21:00 – 22:30
Congress Final Night
21:00 – 00:00
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Central Exhibition
12:00 – 20:00
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Central Exhibition
12:00 – 20:00
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UIA Member Sections Exhibition
10:00 – 19:00
Free Access
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UIA Member Sections Exhibition
10:00 – 19:00
Free Access
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UIA Member Sections Exhibition
10:00 – 19:00
Free Access
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UIA Member Sections Exhibition
10:00 – 14:00
Free Access
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Gala Dinner
20:00 – 23:00
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Previous Congress
Congress Period
After Congress
Itineraries: June 25 to July 5
Congress Sessions
Being part of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona means being part of a unique international gathering that promotes dialogue, reflection and the construction of shared futures
In an effort to move beyond the depletion of capitalist-driven paradigms, Becoming poses challenges that suggest alternative prospects: six thematic research lines frame these explorations, inviting open-ended, intersecting investigations into what it means to design for a world in transition.
UIA World Congress
of Architects
2026 Barcelona
A unique international event that transcends disciplinary and geographical boundaries, the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona brings together renowned architects, researchers, and influential figures from multiple fields to promote the exchange and production of knowledge.
Held in different cities every three years since 1948, during post-war reconstruction, the 29th edition will unfold along Barcelona’s seafront.
With the theme Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition, the event focuses on speculative, qualitative inquiries to explore material, political, ecological, and poetic interrelations. The Congress features a diverse array of events, including lectures, workshops, debates, exhibitions, visits and celebrations, all designed to encourage architectural dialogue and the sharing of perspectives.
Becoming.
Architectures for
a planet in transition
Becoming explores spatial practices that foster the appropriation and transformation of our inhabited environments —both human and more-than-human, individual and collective— by investigating the potential of time as a design tool. Rejecting the notion of tabula rasa, it is rooted in a deep awareness of pre-existing physical and cultural landscapes, curating transitions through material, political, ecological, and poetic interrelations.
In an effort to move beyond the depletion of capitalist-driven paradigms, Becoming poses challenges that suggest alternative prospects: six thematic research lines frame these explorations, inviting open-ended, intersecting investigations into what it means to design for a world in transition.