Barcelona prepares to host three international events in architecture

Barcelona prepares to host three international events of reference in the field of architecture: The World Capital of Architecture and the World Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 2026; the XV Spanish Biennial of Architecture and
Urban Planning (BEAU), and the New European Bauhaus, which will promote design criteria and projects to achieve common sustainability objectives throughout the continent

The aim is to use the potential of these events to highlight the role of architecture and urban planning in shaping the city model and in the projects that are being deployed in the city today to meet contemporary urban challenges. It will also highlight the institutions, professionals, organisations and citizens that make Barcelona a city recognised and a reference point for its architecture and urban quality.

The city wants to be UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture to host the UIA World Congress and General Assembly in 2026. In January 2019, the municipal plenary session unanimously approved an Institutional Declaration to work together with Consejo Superior de Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE) and the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya in the presentation of the candidacy, which was formalised at the end of the same year.

In January 2020, Barcelona was officially named by the UIA as a candidate city with a single rival, the Chinese city of Beijing. Now, the Government Commission has approved the terms and conditions of the candidacy and the commitment to finance the organisation fee – of 150,000 euros – if elected. The candidature is currently being worked on and will be presented next July in Rio de Janeiro, where the winning city will be made public, the brazilian city will also host the UIA congress next July. Source and images Courtesy of Fundació Mies van der Rohe.