BARCELONA has been transformed into a living forum for Europe’s most forward-thinking design voices during the two-day event on May 11 and 12.
The event, part of the prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Awards, brought together architects, designers and students from across Europe.
This year’s focus has remained firmly on the reuse and transformation of the built environment.
Officials announced the winners of the 2026 awards last month in Oulu, Finland, and organisers are honouring them tonight in the Catalan capital during the final Granting Ceremony.
Organisers are livestreaming the ceremony on YouTube.
The top Architecture Award has gone to the Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Belgium, designed by AgwA and architects Jan de Vylder and Inge Vinck for the City of Charleroi.
READ MORE: Belgian exhibition hall beats Spanish rival to scoop prestigious EU architecture award
Vidic Grohar Arhitekti and L56 d.o.o. took home the Emerging Architecture Award for Temporary Spaces for the Slovenian National Theatre Drama.
Spain has also featured strongly in this year’s edition, with a Spanish finalist included among the shortlisted projects.
Held across the Barcelona Pavilion and the Palau Victoria Eugenia, the EUmies Awards Days included exhibitions, workshops and film screenings.
Curated by Barcelona-based collective PostOffice, the programme centers the idea of reuse and exploring how architects are adapting existing buildings.
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Panels examined reuse as an economic strategy, a cultural tool and a way of reshaping cities sustainably.
Speakers included architects, public-sector clients and representatives from European cultural institutions.
The official awards ceremony begins at 7.30pm at the Barcelona Pavilion before celebrations move to Palau Victoria Eugenia.
Guests will attend a closing party featuring DJ Golpe de Amistad and a light installation by Xevi Bayona Studio.
Visitors have also been able to see the EUmies Awards 2026 exhibition and a retrospective display from the Fundacion Mies van der Rohe.
The display showcases four decades of architectural projects since the awards began in 1986.
The event reinforces the status of Barcelona as one of the architectural capitals of Europe.
It highlights a growing trend across the continent towards sustainable reuse rather than large-scale new construction.
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