Call for Participants
This Call for Participants invites contributions to the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona, aligning with the Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition, research lines in three different formats:
Critical Design
Critical Essay
Critical Image
Becoming explores the transformation of existing reality, understanding time as a design tool and addressing the relationship between the urgency of contemporary challenges and a long-term perspective, through six research lines: More-than-human, Attuned, Embodied, Interdependent, Hyper-Conscious, and Circular.
This call will select a significant number of speakers for the congress, evaluated by a renowned jury of experts. We invite research that critically explores how architecture connects to these six lines. Submissions must address at least one of them.
Who can participate?
UIA 2026 is aimed at architects, landscape architects, urban planners, designers, engineers, photographers, filmmakers, artists, and researchers in the social sciences and humanities—focusing on transdisciplinary approaches related to practical space.
Contributions - Three submissions formats
Critical Design
This format invites submissions of Design projects, industrial design concepts, prototypes, or explorations of design methodologies. The focus is on innovative approaches within the design field, ranging from conceptual ideas to practical solutions, whether built or unbuilt.
Critical Essay
Submissions in this format should be written works such as academic essays, research papers, or theoretical discussions that address critical analyses, theoretical perspectives, or research findings while also connecting to the themes of the Becoming research lines.
Critical Image
This format encompasses visual works, including films, photography, multimedia pieces, and experimental or creative visual projects that engage with design themes and the critical discourse surrounding architecture and spatial practice.
Scientific Committee & Jury
Scientific Committee Members
Joan Busquets, Honorific President of The Congress
Fuensanta Nieto, President of the Scientific Advisor Committee
Curators of the Congress: Pau Bajet, Mariona Benedito, Maria Giramé, Tomeu Ramis, Pau Sarquella and Carmen Torres.
Delegates UIA Regions: 5 Representative Members
COAC/CSCAE Advisors: Oscar Miguel Ares, Meritxell Inaraja, Josep Lluis Mateo, Mar Santamaria, Elisa Valero.
Academic support
This open call counts with the institutional support from the ETSAB-UPC (Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) and the academic advice of Areti Markopoulou.
Jury of Experts
Critical design. Critical essay. Critical image. Each format will have an associated Jury of Experts, a panel of distinguished professionals and academics, each linked to one or more of the research lines of the congress. The complete list of the jury members will be disclosed in further announcements.
Evaluation Committee
The Evaluation Committee will consist of academics and professionals from diverse nationalities, with established academic ties in the case of the critical essay. The total number of evaluators will be determined according to the number of submissions received through the Call for Participants. The complete list of evaluators will be made public prior to the start of the selection process.
International Students Competition
The UIA International Student Competition is a prestigious global platform that challenges architecture students to tackle urgent architectural and urban issues through innovative design. Endorsed by the International Union of Architects (UIA), it fosters creativity, sustainability, and forward-thinking solutions.
As part of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona, this competition invites students worldwide to design spatial interventions that strengthen resilience against political shifts, social transformations, and climate change. Using time as a design tool, participants will explore how architecture can foster adaptability and long-term sustainability.
This single-stage ideas competition adheres to UNESCO’s Standard Regulations and UIA best practices, ensuring a fair and inspiring environment for aspiring architects. It provides a unique opportunity to showcase talent, engage with global challenges, and gain international recognition in the architectural field.
Soon to be announced
International Workshop
The UIA International Workshop is a program addressed to students and young architects. The exciting initiative will bring together emerging architectural practices and young talent to engage with pressing architectural and urban challenges. Led by 12 pioneering emerging practices, this workshop will take place in Barcelona in the week prior to the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026.
The workshop will offer a unique platform for participants to engage in hands-on studio work and direct collaboration with 12 emerging architectural practices, tackling 12 distinct research projects that explore various aspects of architecture and urbanism in Barcelona. Through this immersive experience, participants will engage with the city’s architectural heritage and current dynamics via site visits and open discussions with workshop leaders. This environment encourages creative thinking, fosters collaboration, and provides invaluable exposure to global perspectives, all while contributing to the evolving dialogue on innovation, sustainability, and urban development.