MINERAL. ARCHITECTURES OF URBAN MINING

In 2026, Barcelona will be the World Capital of Architecture, a major international event featuring activities across all districts, with a forward-looking vision and the active involvement of organisations and city residents. That summer, the city will also host the International Union of Architects (UIA) Congress, three decades after Barcelona last welcomed its nineteenth edition in 1996.

The UIA 2026 Congress is titled ‘Becoming: Architectures for a planet in transition’ and focuses on the role of time, transformation and change in spatial practice. The ‘MINERAL. Architectures of urban mining’ challenge aligns with two of the UIA Congress’s key research areas.

First, ‘Becoming Embodied’ explores materials’ agency by incorporating (embodying) the political, social, economic, ecological and poetic relationships that shape contemporary spatial practice. The way we extract, process, transport, transform, formalise and reuse flows and exchanges of materials must follow principles of social equity, the gender perspective, decolonisation, decarbonisation and the energy transition. At the same time, these material flows can inspire new ways of building – everyday expressions of a beautiful and unexpected constructive poetics.

Second, ‘Becoming Circular’ aims to explore new dynamics of producing and regenerating spaces within a post-extractivist framework. Since cities are often built on top of themselves, their infrastructures, buildings and materials should be seen as mines of resources. By re-purposing obsolete materials, we can create resources full of new opportunities while lowering the need for further extraction, a key driver of carbon emissions. Finding alternatives means rethinking how we manage spatial, material and energy flows, prioritising responsible material use through care, maintenance, repair and reuse over constant renovation. In this way, circularity unlocks new possibilities for design and architecture that respond to the complexities and demands of a future rooted in ecological and social justice.

We are seeking innovative solutions/processes to reuse leftover materials from urban redevelopment projects and thereby create a new material (or find new uses for this construction waste) with architectural applications and value, thereby contributing to material circularity and urban decarbonisation. The solution should be primarily implemented in public spaces, though building-related proposals will also be considered.

All ideas must align with the following principles:

Projects will be assessed based on the following criteria, among others:

• Relevance of the project’s objectives and outcomes. Contribution to the urban challenge announced, with a focus on building innovation, architectural quality and future industrialisation of the solution.
• Alignment with the proposed conceptual framework.
• Quality and significance of future scenarios for a broader urban transformation and the long-term scalability of the proposal.
• Credibility of the proposed methodology and of the required pilots/demonstrations.
• Maturity and feasibility of the solution. Endorsement by representative organisations confirming its legitimacy.
• Innovative and distinctive aspects that distinguish the solution from existing alternatives.

The following groups are invited to participate, either individually or as part of a consortium:

• International architecture studios
• Engineering firms
• Local industry players
• Universities and R&D centres
• Foundations
• Associations

Preference will be given to:

• Organisations working with a cross-cutting, holistic approach
• Organisations or groups of organisations adopting a multi-stakeholder approach

Here you will find all the documentation related to the urban challenge, which will be periodically updated.