Architectural Cases

The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 in Barcelona has announced its comprehensive program, outlining the event's format, participants, and diverse activities scheduled from June 28 to July 2, 2026. Expanding on its central theme, 'Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition,' the Congress is designed as a city-wide experience rather than a single-site conference. Organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in collaboration with the Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architects' Association of Catalonia (COAC), this significant gathering is expected to draw approximately 10,000 attendees and 250 speakers from over 130 nations.

The Congress's core activities will take place from June 29 to July 1 at key venues including the Barcelona International Convention Centre, the Disseny Hub Barcelona, and the Three Chimneys complex in Sant Adrià de Besòs. The broader event schedule extends before and after these dates, featuring a rich array of exhibitions, workshops, and themed itineraries throughout the region. Discussions will revolve around six primary axes: Becoming More-than-human, Becoming Circular, Becoming Embodied, Becoming Interdependent, Becoming Hyper-Conscious, and Becoming Attuned, addressing critical topics such as ecological sustainability, resource management, construction methodologies, governance models, digital integration, and cultural production. These themes will be explored through various formats including plenary sessions, lectures, debates, roundtables, and interactive workshops, alongside focused one-on-one conversations that delve into specific methodologies in contemporary architectural practice. A unique 'Research by Design' program will showcase twelve experimental projects tackling issues like housing accessibility, climate adaptation, and material reuse. Notable contributors include HouseEurope! with Brandlhuber+, focusing on the transformation of existing building stock, and Anna Puigjaner with MAIO, Care., and Pol Esteve, who will examine domestic spaces from a feminist perspective. Additionally, Baukunst, in collaboration with the Structural Xploration Lab, will present research on urban mining and material reappropriation, underscoring the Congress's commitment to research-driven exploration.

To foster dynamic dialogue and challenge conventional ideas, 'Critical Antagonists' such as Timothy Morton, Marina Tabassum, and Juan Herreros will engage in plenary sessions, offering alternative viewpoints. Approximately 100 Spanish architects will serve as moderators and hosts, bridging international contributions with local contexts. The program also features in-depth conversations, including discussions between landscape architects Kate Orff and Dirk Sijmons on water systems and ecological infrastructures, and sessions with groups like Forensic Architecture and the Centre for Spatial Technologies on architectural tools for analyzing geopolitical conflicts. An innovative Open Forum, a temporary structure accommodating 1,500 people at the Three Chimneys site, will provide a casual setting for afternoon discussions. The itinerary structure, curated by AMOO, will guide participants through over 70 routes across Barcelona, linking theoretical themes with actual projects, landscapes, and infrastructure, with many sites specially opened for the event. Before the main Congress, international workshops from June 19 to 27 will bring together 180 students and young architects at the Three Chimneys site, led by distinguished practices such as Assemble, BeAr, TEN, and Plan Común. The diverse speaker lineup includes Pritzker Prize laureates Anne Lacaton, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Shigeru Ban, Wang Shu, and Smiljan Radić, as well as European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award winners like Architecten Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck, and practices such as Lacol and Arquitectura G. The Congress will also feature opening and closing events by Cabosanroque and Cube Studio, blending architecture with sound and performance. The UIA Gold Medal and Triennial Prizes ceremony will be held at the iconic Sagrada Família, complemented by collateral events including meetings of the International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA) and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, expanding the Congress's impact on related fields. As Barcelona, designated the World Capital of Architecture 2026 by UNESCO, prepares for this highly anticipated event, it continues to advance its architectural landscape, notably with the recent completion of the Sagrada Família's central tower and the shortlisting of five teams for the new Liceu Mar cultural venue at Port Vell.

This Congress stands as a testament to the power of architecture to shape our world, offering a platform for global collaboration and innovative solutions. By bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, it inspires new approaches to design and urban development, fostering a future where built environments harmoniously integrate with their natural surroundings and societal needs. The event highlights Barcelona's commitment to architectural excellence and its role as a leading city in addressing contemporary global challenges through design and urban planning.

Conventional architectural narratives frequently emphasize the permanence of solid structures, focusing on the weight of beams, the density of columns, and the fortitude of walls. Even when lightness is discussed, it is often seen as a reduction of material or a delicate balance. However, an alternative viewpoint exists where the primary element of construction isn't what fills a space, but what moves through it.

Considering air as a building medium transforms our understanding of boundaries. The division between inside and outside ceases to be an absolute separation, becoming instead a zone of filtration and pressure. Buildings are then perceived as thermal regulators, establishing a range of conditions where humidity, air currents, and warmth are not just external factors to be controlled by mechanical means, but integral components to be actively sculpted. This shift in perspective implies a design approach centered on precise environmental management. As climatic patterns become more unpredictable, relying solely on sealed, airtight enclosures seems increasingly inadequate. A more dynamic architectural philosophy emerges, one that sees structures as permeable entities engaging with their surroundings, organizing space by artfully orchestrating invisible airflows.

Several iconic structures demonstrate this principle. In Yazd, the ancient windcatchers, known as Badgirs, extend above the city's rooftops, capturing high-altitude breezes to cool homes and subterranean chambers. These intricate systems achieve cooling not through abrupt mechanical intervention, but through a subtle interplay of pressure, shade, evaporation, and the inherent thermal properties of thick masonry. Their significance lies in how they structure form around something intangible and dynamic, making the atmosphere an integral part of their construction. Similarly, the Alhambra in Spain showcases an architecture of microclimate, where water is strategically employed to mitigate the intense Iberian heat. Thin sheets of water across marble basins maximize evaporative cooling, creating a deliberate temperature drop from the sun-drenched exterior to the shaded interiors. The unique muqarnas vaulting overhead further enhances this effect, increasing surface area to absorb cool, damp air and contributing to a distinct acoustic quality. The building manipulates air movement through screened thresholds and solid walls, forming pockets where the air feels tangibly distinct.

Modern marvels also explore these concepts. The Palm House at Kew Gardens, a triumph of Victorian engineering by Decimus Burton and Richard Turner, utilizes a delicate wrought iron and glass structure to create a controlled tropical microclimate. The building functions as a thermodynamic system, with a subterranean network of pipes and floor grilles directing heat upwards, causing a visible condensation that blurs the lines between artificial and natural environments. It represents a fragile balance between transparency and the atmospheric forces it seeks to manage. Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Blur Building, a striking anti-monument, disappears into a cloud of mist generated by 35,000 high-pressure fog nozzles. This structure transforms the traditional architectural goal of defining boundaries into an orchestration of phase change. Entering the fog dissolves visual perception, replacing it with a haptic, thermal experience where air becomes an opaque, tangible medium. The building exists in the constant effort to sustain this ephemeral equilibrium. Finally, Sou Fujimoto's 2013 Serpentine Pavilion exemplifies air as space. This structure, a porous three-dimensional grid of white steel poles, creates a semi-transparent haze that blurs the distinction between landscape and interior. Its cellular design ensures air is never trapped, acting as a cooling heat sink that allows breezes to flow freely, creating an immersive, fractured volume that redefines enclosure without solid walls.

This innovative perspective on architecture, which views air not as an empty void but as a dynamic, malleable material, offers profound implications for sustainable design and human experience. By engaging with atmospheric elements—wind, humidity, and temperature—as integral components of structural form, architects can create environments that are more responsive, resilient, and harmoniously integrated with their natural surroundings. This approach fosters a deeper connection between inhabitants and their environment, moving beyond static enclosures to embrace a fluid, breathable architecture that actively shapes our sensory perceptions and promotes well-being. It underscores the potential for future buildings to become living, breathing entities, elegantly adapting to the planet's ever-changing rhythms and enriching our lives through a more sensitive and immersive spatial experience.