Barcelona’s year as World Capital of Architecture has reached its midpoint, with more than 100,000 people reached in its first five months. Between the official start on 12 February and the end of June, the programme held 910 activities in 295 venues across the city’s ten districts and beyond. The city says this meets one of its main goals: bringing architecture to diverse audiences, neighbourhoods and territories.
The numbers so far
Around 80,000 people took part in the activities. The UIA 2026 World Congress of Architects added more than 10,000 participants from 130 countries.
| Type of activity | Number |
|---|---|
| Routes | 270 |
| Debates and conferences | 241 |
| Exhibitions | 133 |
| Workshops | 123 |
| Guided visits | 78 |
| Contemporary culture proposals | 65 |
A further 411 educational activities reached 11,000 pupils. Television and online channels reached 274,000 viewers, 262,000 through RTVE and 12,000 through BTV. Ciutat Vella hosted the most activities, 185, followed by Sants-Montjuïc with 146, the Eixample with 136 and Sant Martí with 124. Outside Barcelona, 64 activities in 35 venues gathered nearly 500 participants.
The Casa de l’Arquitectura
The programme’s headquarters is the Casa de l’Arquitectura, in the former Editorial Gustavo Gili building in the Eixample Esquerre. It registered 30,656 visits up to June. Until the end of December it houses two exhibitions on the city’s urban transformation, alongside an 84 m² model of Barcelona made of 1,204 modular pieces that can be updated as the city changes. Augmented reality turns the model into an interactive platform.
What happens next
Four districts still take their turn as the focus: Sarrià-Sant Gervasi in September, Sant Andreu in October, Gràcia in November and Ciutat Vella in December. On 5 October, World Architecture Day, shops, markets and commercial streets will display architecture models for a week. Open House 48 h takes place on 24 and 25 October.
In November, the Museu Picasso opens Picasso: l’arquitecte and the MNAC opens Jujol, una arquitectura en obres, curated by Perejaume; both run beyond the end of the capital year. The travelling exhibition on turning ten party walls into facades ends on 13 December in Ciutat Vella. That day Barcelona officially hands the title to Beijing, which hosts the World Capital of Architecture in 2029. The closing in December will be a public celebration.