7 Finalists Announced for EU Mies Award 2026

The two EUmies Award winners will be announced on April 16 in Oulu, Finland, after the jury (chair Smiljan Radić, and Carl Bäckstrand, Chris Briffa, Zaiga Gaile, Tina Gregorič, Nikolaus Hirsch, and Rosa Rull) visits each of the seven finalists: the five Architecture Finalists and the two Emerging Finalists. The jury determined the finalists from the 40 shortlisted works announced last month that in turn were culled from the 410 nominated works revealed last November for this prestigious biennial prize.

The Architecture Finalists, listed and illustrated below, are found in four countries (Belgium, Croatia, France, and Spain) and encompass a handful of program types: commercial, culture, industry, sports and leisure, and social welfare. Following from a trend rewarding transformations of existing buildings (two of the four most recent award cycles have gone to renovated/transformed housing projects), three of the five finalists (and four of the seven overall works) are renovations rather than new construction. The two Emerging Architecture Finalists—a cultural center in France and a theater in Slovenia—are listed and illustrated below the Architecture Finalists. 

The jury found that all seven finalists are “exemplary contributions to the future of European architecture. They highlight how architecture can respond to both specific local conditions and broader societal challenges, creating inclusive, high-quality environments where people live, learn, and meet.” Their statement continued: 

“These works demonstrate a careful balance between radical innovation and sensitivity to context. Some transform overlooked areas—former industrial zones, small villages, or peripheral urban districts—while others intervene in larger cities with subtlety and respect for existing neighborhoods. In each case, the architects’ decisions are guided by a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and environmental forces shaping contemporary life. What unites these works is their focus on the human dimension: architecture that does not merely occupy space but enhances everyday life. They show that architecture can be both rigorous and playful, experimental yet grounded, and always attentive to the people who inhabit and use it. In a Europe facing political, environmental, and social challenges, these works offer hope and demonstrate the enduring value of thoughtful, engaged design.”

Descriptions by the architects are found below, in alphabetical order by two-digit country code, with links to the EUmies Awards website, where more images and information on the finalists are available. Following the announcement of the Architecture and Emerging winners on April 16, an awards ceremony will take place during the EUmies Awards Days (May 11 and 12) at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.

Palais des Expositions in Charleroi (BE) by AgwA and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck

“Renovation of a 1950s convention centre. The stripped central hall transforms into covered urban terraces. Targeted interventions prioritize flexibility and circulation. Demineralization turns black ground into a continuous green park. The building as it was but never seen before.”

Rehabilitation of Vapor Cortès - Prodis 1923 in Terrassa (ES) by H ARQUITECTES

“The new Prodis headquarters transforms the old Vapor Marquès warehouses into an inclusive center organized around a recovered passage that becomes a new street for the city. The new intervention introduces wooden structures, skylights, and passive systems while respecting its original character.”

Lot 8, LUMA Arles - Renovation of Le Magasin Électrique in Arles (FR) by Atelier Luma and BC architects & studies with ASSEMBLE

“In 2019 the Luma Foundation commissioned Assemble and BC Architects to transform a 19th-Century train depot in Arles into Atelier LUMA, a design lab exemplifying bioregional design, using Camargue resources, regenerative materials and local knowledge for a sustainable, socially engaged architecture.”

Josephine Baker - Marie-Jose Perec Sports and Cultural Centre in La Bouëxière-Beuzid-ar-C’hoadoù (FR) by onze04

“The project creates a new cultural and sports facility hosting regional competitions. It forms a major hub integrating existing facilities and reconnecting the area with neighbouring districts. Its textile-roof hall offers natural light and ventilation, becoming a symbolic urban landmark.”

Gruž Market in Dubrovnik (HR) by ARP / Peračić-Veljačić

“Adjustable and carefully shaped canopy/roof, lightweight and optimistic in its appearance, floats above the marketplace and articulates spatial and cultural relations. At once, it gives integrity to the market square, new life to the heritage, public climatic shelter and new identity to the city.”

Multi-Service Cultural Centre Le Foirail in Laguiole-La Guiòla (FR) by Betillon & Freyermuth* and Crypto Architectes

“A radical hall in Laguiole, open and reversible, rooted in a proud rural territory with limited means. Rejecting pastiche, it acts as a unifying public space, a flexible machine-building able to adapt over time and nurture collective energy and local identity. Built with local resources set to grow.”

Temporary Spaces for Slovenian National Theatre Drama in Ljubljana (SI) by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti

“The project involves adaptive reuse of a former industrial hall in to Temporary National Theatre, during renovation of its historic building in the city, preserving its architectural elements while addressing contemporary performance needs and ensuring cultural and architectural sustainability.”