The exhibition, which opened on 27 June in the Chapel of the Contemporary Art Museum of Barcelona (MACBA), is part of the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture programme and is a joint initiative of MACBA, the Association of Architects of Catalonia (COAC) and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation. The display presents schools of architecture as laboratories for research, innovation and critical thinking, in response to the global challenges facing cities and the wider territory.

Each institution has contributed projects, methodologies and research initiatives in six thematic areas proposed by the organisers. UIC Barcelona’s contribution takes the form of an institutional exhibition showcasing work from the subjects Spatial and Formal Analysis and Design Studio V and VI, under the “Becoming Embodied” and “Becoming Circular” themes. More specifically, the University has presented two panels illustrating how students work with different materialities and spatial design elements.

The “Analysis of Form” panel features examples of the models produced this year by first-year students, some of which are also on display in the exhibition. They represent the students’ first encounter with key architectural concepts such as materiality and spatial composition. The second panel presents projects by three fourth-year students, who, under the guidance of their lecturers, have applied urban regeneration strategies to transform vacant urban spaces in Genoa.

This contribution reflects the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture’s commitment to an educational approach that places sustainability, innovation and social responsibility at the heart of architectural practice. Through the work developed collectively by the participating institutions, the exhibition offers a shared perspective on the transformative role of architecture in today’s ecological, material and social transitions.

The participating institutions are: the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture; ETSAB and the Vallès School of Architecture (ETSAV) at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC); the Polytechnic School at the University of Girona (UdG); the Reus School of Architecture at Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV); La Salle School of Architecture at Universitat Ramon Llull (URL); the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC); EINA University Centre of Design and Art of Barcelona, affiliated with Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB); and ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering.

In addition to the exhibition, In the Making also features a public line-up of events that encourage students, professionals and the public at large to reflect on the future of architecture and its impact on society. The exhibition was open to the public in the MACBA Chapel until 15 July.