In 2026, the world of architecture turns its gaze to Barcelona. The International Union of Architects, with the support of UNESCO, has named the Catalan city World Capital of Architecture. This designation brings a wide range of activities across the ten districts of Barcelona over ten months, from mid-February to mid-December, in a journey that runs from Santa Eulàlia to Santa Llúcia. The La Salle-URL Higher Technical School of Architecture (ETSALS) contributes to organising part of the programme, while turning the campus and the city into a hub of transformative activity, faithful to the Lasallian commitment to the territorial, economic and social development of its environment.
The ETSALS was founded in 1997, when the Academic Board of Universitat Ramon Llull approved its creation and studies began with 130 students. Currently, the School has 900 students, 50% of whom are international. During this time, first under the direction of Robert Terradas and later Josep Ferrando, remarkable growth has been consolidated through internationalisation, transdisciplinarity and personalised learning, among other pillars.
The School’s presence in the World Capital year and the Gaudí Year
Architecture, urban planning and landscape design in a diverse, dense city with limited natural resources and a Mediterranean climate face major economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges. In this context, the ETSALS is actively engaged in the World Capital programme, organising events and participating in many others.
On 13, 15 and 17 April, La Salle Campus Barcelona will host City of Today. City of Tomorrow, three conferences created to rethink architectural and urban planning education in light of the profound changes affecting contemporary cities, increasingly demanding in terms of resilience, adaptation to new emergencies, social awareness and the integration of technological advances. The congress offers a critical reflection on the evolution of architectural education and examines the extent to which pedagogical approaches must adapt to new urban realities. The School will also participate as a guest in official events within the World Capital framework, including In the Making, organised by the Official College of Architects of Catalonia, and Flearchitecture. Repurposing the Given.
In addition, the ETSALS is promoting various events and initiatives within the framework of the World Capital, parallel to the official programme. Among them is the awarding of an honorary doctorate to a leading figure in the field of Architecture. Work is also underway on a new publication by the Barcelona Chair, La Salle-URL’s space dedicated to research, teaching and knowledge transfer focused on the study of Barcelona as an international model of urban planning, architecture and innovation. The campus is also preparing a renewed boost to the Barcelona Chair towards the end of the year.
The World Capital year also serves as a window for dissemination and knowledge transfer from the School to society. In this regard, the ETSALS promotes editorial collections aimed at sharing knowledge, learning processes and academic production linked to its programmes. These include VISIONS and Learning from. Professors Marina Povedano and Arnau Pascual, together with Josep Ferrando and Jordi Mansilla, serve as editors.
The aim of these publications is to extend the university’s capacity and knowledge beyond the classroom, understanding the editorial project as a platform and a driving force for building networks around the world
Arnau Pascual, Professor at the La Salle-URL School of Architecture
The School of Architecture’s talent and projection will be present at many of the events taking place this year, including the UIA 2026 World Congress of Architects, held from 28 June to 2 July, whose curatorial team includes five School professors: Maria Giramé, Mariona Benedito, Pau Bajet, Pau Sarquella and Tomeu Ramis. La Salle-URL’s presence will accompany Barcelona throughout these months, as it has since its foundation, with special milestones such as Sant Jordi Day or the Engineering Gaudí Workshop coordinated by campus researchers together with the BIYSC programme of the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera.
Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture also coincides with the Gaudí Year, celebrated throughout 2026 to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí. As part of the official Gaudí Year programme, the first event organised by the campus will be a session of Evenings of reflection, the lecture series organised by the Faculty of Philosophy, in which Francesc Torralba, professor at the same faculty and director of the Ethos-URL Chair, will reflect on Gaudí’s spiritual and philosophical vision, exploring the intersection between architecture, art and theology.
The fact that Barcelona is World Capital of Architecture in the same year that we commemorate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death offers us an exceptional opportunity to understand architecture in its full breadth, from its technical and constructive dimension to its artistic, symbolic and urban expression. Both milestones share a collective and diverse outlook, activating a shared reflection on urban planning, landscape and the transformative role of architecture in everyday life. In this sense, it is especially meaningful to recall how Gaudí was able to articulate multidisciplinary teams and empower his collaborators, integrating technical knowledge, craftsmanship and creativity into a profoundly collective body of work. Celebrating them together therefore means reaffirming architecture as a shared process and as a cultural project for the city
Adrià S. Llorens, Professor at the La Salle-URL School of Architecture and regular collaborating architect in interventions at La Pedrera
A campus deeply rooted in Barcelona’s activity
Since its foundation more than one hundred years ago, La Salle-URL has linked its development to that of its environment, especially Barcelona. The campus has become a hub of activity, with teaching, research and knowledge transfer as mechanisms for generating impact. Major events across different fields such as ISE, Llum BCN, 4YFN, Sónar and the MIRA Digital Arts Festival regularly feature students and faculty members.
For all these reasons, the presence of the School of Architecture in the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture programme strengthens its positioning and international projection, conceived as a living learning experience. This projection, recognised in rankings and awards, now incorporates the visibility provided by the World Capital year and consolidates its mission to educate professionals committed to society and the environment, capable of solving complex problems with creativity and effectiveness, while taking into account sustainability and people’s well-being.