The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona (UIA2026BCN) announces the Call for Participants, an international and open invitation for professionals from around the world to take part in the largest global architecture event.

The theme Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition will shape the Congress programme as a platform to explore innovative perspectives, interdisciplinary approaches and transformative ideas that address contemporary challenges.

Professionals from architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, design, engineering, research, photography, film and art are invited to participate with projects, essays or multimedia pieces. Through this call, UIA2026BCN aims to bring together knowledge across research, practice and education to generate new perspectives and strengthening connections between disciplines.

The UIA World Congress of Architects, organised by the International Union of Architects has been held every three years since 1948. This edition, taking place in Barcelona in 2026, is organised by the Higher Council of Spanish Colleges of Architects Guilds (CSCAE), in collaboration with the Architects Association of Catalonia (COAC) and the participation and financing of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council. By hosting the Congress, Barcelona becomes the World Capital of Architecture 2026.

Becoming. Architectures for a planet in transition

Becoming explores spatial practices that foster processes of appropriation and transformation of the inhabited environment –both human and nonhuman, individual and collective– investigating the potential of time as a design tool. Far from the idea of tabula rasa, it is rooted in a deep awareness of preexisting physical and cultural landscapes.

Becoming promotes the transformation of the existing reality, addressing the relationship between the urgency of contemporary challenges and a long-term perspective that unfolds through six lines of research: Becoming More-than-human, Becoming Attuned, Becoming Embodied, Becoming Interdependent, Becoming Hyper-Conscious and Becoming Circular.

The proposals can be submitted in the following categories:
Critical Design – Architectural projects, industrial design, prototypes and explorations in design methodologies.
Critical Essay – Essays, academic papers and research articles.
Critical Image – Photographs, films and multimedia pieces.

Process

The UIA2026BCN Scientific Committee and the Evaluation Committee, will evaluate the proposals from broad and cross-disciplinary perspectives. After an initial pre-selection by subject matter experts, a jury composed of internationally renowned professionals –specialised in each category–, as well as the Congress curatorial team, will make the final selection.

Accepted proposals will be part of the central events of the UIA2026BCN Congress between 28 June and 2 July 2026. The jury will determine the form of participation, which may include individual presentations, debates or other planned formats. Additionally, it will decide whether the selected works will be exhibited physically or digitally at the Congress exhibition and whether they will be published in the official catalogue.

Calendar

31 March 2025 – Launch of the Call for Participants
23 May 2025 – Submission deadline
30 September 2025 – Announcement of selected proposals
28 June – 2 July 2026 – UIA World Congress of Architects2026 Barcelona

For any enquiries, please contact callsfor@uia2026bcn.org