Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) is collaborating in the UIA World Congress of Architects Barcelona 2026, one of the most significant architectural events of the coming years on the international stage. Barcelona becomes the first city to host a UIA Congress for a second time — thirty years after its 1996 edition — confirming its status as World Capital of Architecture, a distinction jointly awarded by the International Union of Architects (UIA) and UNESCO since 2018 to the host city of its biennial congress.
The event also coincides with the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), adding an exceptional symbolic dimension to the Congress and reinforcing the international profile of Spain's architectural heritage and its dialogue with contemporary creation.
Under the theme "Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition" — selected for the first time in the Congress's history through an international competition and developed by a curatorial team of Barcelona-based architects — the event will bring together more than 200 speakers from around the world, with strong Spanish representation including Andrés Jaque, H Arquitectes, Josep Ferrando, Lacol and Peris Toral Arquitectes. More than 3,500 attendees are expected.
The Congress will take place across several venues in the city: the CCIB will host the main sessions and the UIA's Workingbodies; the DHUB Disseny Hub Barcelona, in Plaça de les Glòries, will house the pavilions of the countries represented within the organisation; Las Tres Chimeneas will host the Central Exhibition; the Open Forum will be the venue for the Opening Ceremony; and the Sagrada Família will host the presentation of the UIA Triennial Awards and Gold Medal, coinciding with the completion of its main tower.
AC/E's contribution focuses on the construction of the DHUB pavilion, a freely accessible space for the public where the pavilions of the various UIA member sections will be presented, including those of Spain (CSCAE) and China, host country of the next Congress. Through this collaboration, AC/E strengthens Spain's institutional presence at an event of global reach and helps bring contemporary architecture and culture closer to the public through an open, cross-disciplinary programme.