Barcelona, protagonist in the Mies van der Rohe Awards with two buildings as finalists

Barcelona breathes architecture. From the sinuous forms of a modernist legacy still alive in the city, to the straight lines claimed by rationalism. The architectural beauty of the city, however, is not manifested only through a glorious historical heritage, but also with a living present, which rethinks neighborhoods and buildings to face the great social, environmental and urban challenges of the 21st century. This year, this key discipline in the past and present of the city acquires special relevance: the Catalan capital holds the title of World Capital of Architecture, with an extensive program that will run for ten months, from Santa Eulàlia, February 12, to Santa Llúcia, December 13.

More than 200 projects and 1,500 activities will fill 77 spaces spread across the 10 districts, turning Barcelona into the epicenter of architectural debate. In this effervescent scenario, it is not surprising that the architecture produced in the city transcends the local sphere and captures international attention. This is demonstrated, once again, by the fact that among the 40 finalist works for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Awards 2026 are two proposals located in the city and signed by Catalan teams. These awards are held every two years and are endowed with 60,000 euros, considered among the most prestigious in contemporary architecture globally.

The 40 selected works, chosen from a total of 410 nominations, represent buildings of diverse typologies —from single-family homes to facilities dedicated to specific services such as education, health or commerce— located in 36 cities in 18 countries. The international jury, chaired by Smiljan Radić and composed of Carl Backstrand, Chris Briffa, Zaiga Gaile, Tina Gregorič, Nikolaus Hirsch and Rosa Rull, has especially valued the projects' ability to intervene ethically, sustainably and with long-term social impact, whether through rehabilitation, reuse of materials or the use of local resources.

These are characteristics precisely shared by the projects selected in Barcelona. One of them isGreenH@use, a complex of 140 social rental homes located on Venezuela Street, in the 22@ district, designed byPeris+Toral Arquitectes together with L3J Tècnics Associats,that proposes a new way of understanding collective housing. The eight-story building, with 60 of the 140 homes designated for the elderly,opts for shared spaces such as a laundry room, urban gardens, or a bioclimatic atrium that can function as a solar collector during winter.On the other hand, the second selected Barcelona work isthe 10K House reform, a 50-square-meter single-family home designed by the TAKK studio,founded by Mireia Luzárraga and Alejandro Muiño. Despite the tight budget of 10,000 euros for the renovation, the project organizes the home based on thermal gradients, with a layered distribution —as if it were an onion—, and elevates the built elements to facilitate the passage of installations and reduce costs. The Catalan recognition in the Mies van der Rohe Award 2026 also extends beyond the city's borders, with two prominent projects in other municipalities of the territory.In Olot, the reconfiguration of the Plaça Major has been selected, signed by Un Parell d'Arquitectes, Pep de Solà-Morales Arquitectes and Quim Domene.In Terrassa, with therehabilitation of the Vapor Cortès, by H Arquitectes, has managed to recover an old industrial building (the former Filatures Matarí) and convert it into a social facility, with more than 4,500 square meters dedicated to restoration, hospitality training, a center for people with cerebral palsy, and areas for arts and the community.

In fact, Barcelona is no stranger to the history of the Mies van der Rohe Award. It was precisely in the Catalan capital where the awards were established in 1988, promoted by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and the European Union. In addition, the city is also the setting for the jury's deliberation days. But if any of this year's finalist proposals were to win, it would not be the first time a Catalan project has won the award.

In 1992, the prestigious award recognized the Olympic Pavilion of a neighboring city: Badalona. Designed by architects Esteve Bonell and Francesc Rius, beyond its practical function as the home of Club Joventut (popularly known as La Penya), it was also conceived as a tribute to one of the essential characteristics of the municipality, considered the cradle of basketball for being a true hotbed of young talent.

Recently, the Emerging category of these awards has also recognized two buildings in the Catalan capital: the cooperative housing La Borda (2022) and the Gabriel García Márquez Library(2024). Projects that have turned the city into a stage and protagonist of some of the most significant proposals in contemporary European architecture. A relevance that is once again confirmed with the selection of finalist works for this year's award.

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