Locations
The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 in Barcelona is not limited to a single enclosed venue, but is integrated into the fabric of the city, making use of its infrastructure, public spaces, and vibrancy as an active part of the event. Rather than taking place in an isolated exhibition centre away from urban density, the congress will be held at various locations across Barcelona and its metropolitan area.
Les Tres Xemeneies de Sant Adrià de Besòs
Once part of a controversial thermal power plant built in the 1970s, this seafront landmark, stand today as one of the most charged and emblematic post-industrial sites in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Originally conceived to respond to growing energy demands, the plant quickly became a focal point for environmental concerns, labor conflicts, and urban debates—tensions that now resonate with the core theme of the 2026 UIA World Congress of Architecture: Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition.
Decommissioned in 2011, the building remained dormant until 2024, when it was partially reactivated as one of the main venues for Manifesta 15. Minimal yet strategic interventions made the vast turbine hall accessible to the public for the first time, enabling cultural uses while preserving its monumental, raw character. These adaptations created the conditions for its continued use ahead of a full transformation into Catalunya Media City.
In this transitional moment, the turbine hall will host plenary sessions, debates, roundtables the main exhibition and the inaugural party of the 2026 UIA Congress.
Dissseny Hub
Located in the regenerated Glòries area—originally conceived by Ildefons Cerdà as the new civic centre of Barcelona within his visionary Eixample plan—the Disseny Hub stands at the heart of one of the city’s most ambitious urban transformations. In recent years, the district has flourished, framed by civic buildings, public housing, and the expansive green space of Parc de les Glòries, becoming a renewed focal point for Barcelona’s residents.
The Disseny Hub, a leading institution for design and creative culture in the city, will be the second main venue of the UIA World Congress of Architecture 2026. Located in Plaça de les Glòries—one of Barcelona’s key urban nodes, now nearing the completion of a major regeneration process—the building will host talks, debates, and a wide range of parallel activities. With its flexible spaces and strong civic presence, the Disseny Hub offers an ideal setting for collective exchange and public engagement. It is directly connected to Les Tres Xemeneies by tram, with a journey of just 20 minutes, reinforcing the metropolitan scale of the congress and encouraging movement across Barcelona’s dynamic and evolving landscape.