In 2026, Barcelona becomes an international stage for architectural thought. The city is the World Capital of Architecture, an initiative promoted by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects that unfolds throughout the year with a broad agenda of cultural activities, exhibitions, workshops, and gatherings centered on architecture and the city.
At Livingceramics | Lithotech we join this program with a series of activities that will take place in our showroom in the Catalan capital, a space we understand as a meeting point between architecture, design, and material thinking.
Barcelona has historically been a place where architecture, art, and contemporary thought intertwine. From our showroom we seek to contribute, modestly, to that cultural ecosystem of the city, opening a space for experimentation, reflection, and encounter. Participating in this initiative is also a way of reinforcing our connection with the city and with the creative community that inhabits it.
Where form is born
Throughout the official program of the Capital of Architecture we will host three activities structured under the concept Where form is born. A look at minimalism through Japanese craftsmanship. It is an informative and experiential proposal that invites participants to explore the link between architectural thinking and Japanese craftsmanship, starting from minimalism understood not only as a formal language, but also as an attitude toward the creative process.
The series is composed of two workshops and an exhibition that explore how, from minimal gestures and seemingly simple materials, structures, objects, and languages capable of transforming our perception of space can emerge. The proposal arises from the desire to bring to citizens a way of looking at architecture that is not based solely on the finished object, but on the process of making, on pause, and on the beauty of the essential.
At a time when cities face challenges related to human scale, sustainability, and the cultural meaning of spaces, recovering attentive observation, pause, and connection with what is essential becomes a profoundly contemporary gesture. With this proposal we aim to open this reflection to the general public, moving away from a strictly technical approach in order to bring architecture closer to the realm of the sensitive, the cultural, and the everyday.
In this same context, Barcelona will also host the UIA World Congress of Architects, which will take place from June 28 to July 2, 2026, and will bring together professionals, institutions, and leading voices in the field of architecture at an international scale. During those days, the city will become a global forum for debate on the future of our cities and on the role of architecture in building more sustainable and livable societies.
The calendar also coincides with the commemoration of the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, a key figure for understanding the relationship between architecture, matter, and form. His work, deeply connected to nature, material experimentation, and craftsmanship, continues today to be a source of inspiration for those who understand architecture as a process where thought, technique, and sensitivity intertwine.
