After three decades, Barcelona will once again become the epicentre of global architectural debate. From 28 June to 2 July, the city will host the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona  (UIA2026BCN), bringing together 10,000 professionals, students and institutional representatives from more than 130 countries under the theme “Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition”.

More than 250 international speakers across over 100 sessions in multiple venues organised into plenary talks, lectures and debates, open forums, workshops, research presentations and public  celebrations will activate the city as a concentrated space of exchange.

Set along the Mediterranean seafront — from the iconic Three Chimneys turbine hall to other landmark architectural spaces — the Congress expands beyond a conventional conference format to  experience a city committed to the transformative capacity of architecture. Tickets are now available with a very affordable pricing policy, allowing all industry professionals to take part in this historic  event for architecture.

The UIA2026BCN programme is structured around the six thematic axis of Becoming, each addressing a specific field: Becoming More-than-human explores ecology, ecosystems and climate; Becoming Circular focuses on reuse and building life cycles; Becoming Embodied examines material technologies; Becoming Interdependent reflects on spatial policies, housing and public space;  Becoming Hyper-Conscious investigates data, geopolitics and legislation; and Becoming Attuned focuses on poetics, aesthetics and culture. Each theme will be developed over a half-day of  conferences (across three days: 29 June to 1 July).

The Congress is convened by the International Union of Architects (UIA) and organised by the Higher Council of the Orders of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia  (COAC). It is supported by Spain’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Council, which have recognised it as an event of exceptional public interest  alongside the 2026 World Capital of Architecture.

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SPEAKERS PROGRAMME PREVIEW
Just over three months ahead of the Congress, the list of more than 250 international speakers is now nearly finalized. This selection is the result of the work of the curatorial team in collaboration with  the Scientific Committee, as well as the deliberations of the Call for Participants juries.

A selection of sessions, themes and speakers from each day highlights key values defining the Congress’s curatorial vision of architecture: the capacity to investigate solutions, the responsibility to  implement them, and the collective effort inherent to a profession committed to the evolution and transformation of the planet.

Monday, 29 June: Becoming More-than-human & Becoming Circular
On Monday 29 June, the Congress will open with the morning sessions in the Becoming More-than-human track, focusing on ecology in architecture – understanding nature not only as a means of  extracting resources. Sessions will explore how design can foster new forms of coexistence between species, territories and ecological processes, as well as the political role of architecture in  addressing the environmental crisis.

Highlights include the presentation by Junya Ishigami, which approaches architecture as part of a continuous environment where space, matter, atmosphere and time interact, blurring the boundaries  between the built and its surroundings. Kate Orff and Dirk Sijmons will examine water as a common good in the context of climate change, focusing on coastal landscapes and adaptation strategies to flooding and territorial transformations.

In the afternoon of the same day (29/06), sessions will focus on Becoming Circular. Within this thematic axis, particular attention is paid to strategies for rehabilitating built heritage, recycling, proximity, energy efficiency and resource economy as tools to reduce carbon footprints. Among the highlights, Pritzker Prize and EUmies Awards Lacaton & Vassal, in a joint session with the Catalan studio H Arquitectes, will address efficiency and circularity as a dialogue between space, climate and construction over time. Jo Taillieu, together with Flores i Prats, will explore reuse as  both a compositional and cultural practice. Baukunst—also participating in the Research by Design format—will propose strategies to avoid demolition in a debate alongside Søren Pihlmann and  Parabase.

Tuesday, 30 June: Becoming Embodied & Becoming Interdependent
The morning of the next day, Tuesday June 30th, will be dedicated to Becoming Embodied, the conceptual line delving into material research, construction processes and fabrication technologies.  Sessions will examine how materials—especially those locally sourced or with low environmental impact—integrate environmental and social values, exploring structural potential, assembly systems  and adaptability over time. Highlights include Aga Khan Award-winning Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum, who together with Palinda Kannangara will explore the relationship between materials,  climate and community through situated practices, in which architecture is defined by specific cultural, environmental, and construction conditions. Bruther will analyze the coexistence of advanced  technologies and vernacular logics, resulting in hybrid architectural expressions. Other participants in the program include BC architects & studies & materials, Hive Earth, and Lehm Ton Erde, who will  address the potential of earth construction, connecting traditional knowledge with technological innovation. Additionally, Arquitectura G studio will deliver a joint lecture with Go Hasegawa on materials  in their most poetic dimension, and how they are transformed into spatial experiences.

The afternoon programme on the second day focuses on the social, political and economic dimensions of the built environment, with Becoming Interdependent – the theme that proposes rethinking  forms of coexistence based on care, cooperation and solidarity as drivers of social empowerment. The sessions will address topics such as spatial policies that promote the right to housing, the gender  perspective and public space. Housing will be analysed from various angles: the collective futures of housing will be discussed in a panel featuring Lacol, Erika Nakagawa and Clauss Kahl Merz Atelier,  whilst Mariana Mazzucato will analyse its economic dimension. Urban design and public space will be addressed by figures such as Jan Gehl, who in his presentation will analyse how urban design can foster encounter, trust and mutual support in increasingly  fragmented cities, whilst the Rural Urban Framework studio and Rahul Mehrotra will explore the boundaries between the rural and the urban.

Wednesday, 1 July: Becoming Hyper-Conscious & Becoming Attuned
The morning of Wednesday 1 July will be devoted to Becoming Hyper-Conscious, a theme that examines how global-scale dynamics—including geopolitical relations, legislative frameworks,  digitalisation and artificial intelligence—directly influence local realities and everyday life. The sessions will invite participants to develop a critical awareness of these phenomena and to explore their  implications and potential for contemporary architectural practice. Among the featured talks is one by architectural historian Mario Carpo, who will trace the line from algorithmic thinking to artificial  intelligence, situating computing within the history and theory of architecture. Meanwhile, Forensic Architecture and the Centre for Spatial Technologies will explore the geopolitics of space and the  potential of architecture as a tool for investigating and documenting territorial violence.

In the afternoon, Becoming Attuned will explore the poetic dimension of architecture, paying close attention to material, cultural and emotional contexts. It calls for a more sensitive, openminded perspective, guided by desire and curiosity, which celebrates uncertainty, the everyday and the accidental, as well as physical and digital phenomena. This “Becoming” serves as a conclusion to the  other five sessions and encapsulates how their convergence allows us to perceive the subtleties and beauty present in objects and spaces. Highlights of the day include a dialogue between Matilde  Cassani, Tatiana Bilbao Estudio and the filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine, who will examine how rituals shape spaces; as well as the conversations led by Enrique Walker and Philip Ursprung, which will  delve into the work of the most recent Pritzker Prize laureate Smiljan Radić and Alexander Brodsky based on shared concerns regarding fragility, imagination and the provisional, moving between  ephemeral structures, salvaged everyday materials, and practices that combine atmosphere and memory as tools of architectural form.

Over the course of the three days, there will be lectures, panel discussions featuring two or three speakers, round-table discussions, workshops for students, and presentations in plenary sessions  moderated by the Critical Antagonists – figures who will seek to stimulate debate and open up new perspectives through critical interventions in various keynote presentations. This role will be taken on by Bas Smets, Enrique Walker, Giovanna Borasi, Juan Herreros, Marina Otero, Marina Tabassum, Mark Wigley, Matilde Cassani, Matthias Schuler, Philip Ursprung, Sana Frini and Timothy Morton.