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The European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe have announced in Barcelona the seven finalists for the 2026 edition of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Awards, supported by the Creative Europe programme. Five projects compete in the Architecture category and two in the Emerging category.
In March, the jury will visit the shortlisted works before selecting the winners, who will be announced on 16 April 2026 at Aalto Silo in Oulu, Finland—one of the two European Capitals of Culture 2026.
Established in 1988, the Prize recognises excellence, innovation and sustainability in contemporary European architecture, highlighting the transformative role of design in shaping collective space. For the 2026 edition, the jury—chaired by Smiljan Radić—has selected works that engage meaningfully with local conditions and address the social, environmental and political challenges of our time.
As the jury noted, the shortlisted projects demonstrate how architecture can combine formal rigour with social responsibility, intervening in existing heritage or marginal contexts with careful attention to the human dimension and the quality of shared space. Simplicity, precision and flexibility emerge as recurring values, alongside the ability to transform ordinary structures into meaningful places for the community.
Among the finalists is the Palais des Expositions in Charleroi, Belgium, designed by AgwA and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck. The project regenerates a 1950s congress centre through the adaptive reuse of the existing structure, opening up interior spaces and reconnecting the complex to its surroundings with a new continuous park.
In Terrassa, Catalonia, H ARQUITECTES has transformed the former industrial warehouses of Vapor Cortès into the new headquarters of the Prodis Foundation, dedicated to social inclusion. The project reclaims a central passage as a new urban street, integrating timber structures, skylights and passive energy systems while preserving the site’s original character.
In Arles, Lot 8 of LUMA Arles—the renovation of the Magasin Électrique by Atelier Luma and BC architects & studies with ASSEMBLE—converts a 19th-century railway warehouse into a laboratory for research and experimentation in bioregional design, enhancing local resources and expertise through a regenerative approach.
In Brittany, in La Bouëxière, the Josephine Baker – Marie-Jose Perec Sports and Cultural Centre, designed by onze04, introduces a new sports and cultural hub that connects existing facilities and surrounding neighbourhoods. Its large textile roof ensures natural light and ventilation while establishing a distinctive urban landmark.
Completing the selection is the Gruž Market in Dubrovnik, by ARP / Peračić-Veljačić, where a lightweight, modular canopy redefines the market square, providing climate protection and a renewed public identity.
The selected projects are the Le Foirail Cultural Centre in Laguiole, France, and the temporary premises of the Slovenian National Drama Theatre in Ljubljana. The first, designed by Betillon & Freyermuth and Crypto Architectes, is a multifunctional hub rooted in a rural context: an open, flexible structure built with local resources to evolve alongside its community.
In Ljubljana, Vidic Grohar Arhitekti has transformed a 1960s industrial hall into a vibrant theatre venue. This temporary adaptive reuse, achieved through targeted, low-budget interventions, ensures the continuity of cultural activities during the restoration of the theatre’s historic home.
The winners of the Architecture and Emerging categories will be announced on 16 April 2026 in Oulu. On 11 and 12 May 2026, Barcelona will host the EUmies Awards Days, featuring the award ceremony at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, alongside conferences, debates, finalist presentations and the opening of the exhibition dedicated to the 410 participating works.
Starting in May, the Out&About programme will also launch, offering public visits and events across the forty shortlisted projects, further expanding awareness of contemporary European architecture through direct encounters with architects and critics.
>>> Discover also the finalists of the MIPIM Awards 2026
