The European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation have revealed the seven finalists that will compete for the 2026 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Awards.

7 finalists will compete in the Architecture category, while 2 finalists will compete in the Emerging category. The 7 finalists were choosen from the 40 shortlisted projects which was announced last month.

The 5 Architecture finalist works are the Palais des Expositions in Charleroi (Hainaut, BE) by AgwA and architect Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck (Brussels and Ghent, BE); the Renovation of Vapor Cortès-Prodis 1923 in Terrassa (Catalonia, ES) by Atelier Luma and BC architects & studies with ASSEMBLE (Arles, FR, Brussels, BE, London, UK); the Josephine Baker - Marie-Jose Perec Sports and Cultural Centre in La Bouëxière Beuzid-ar-C'hoadoù (Brittany, FR) by Onze04 (Nantes, FR-Barcelona, ES); and the Gruž Market in Dubrovnik (Adriatic Croatia, HR) by ARP / Peračić-Veljačić (Split, HR).

The Temporary Spaces for the Slovenian National Theatre Drama in Ljubljana (Western Slovenia, SI) by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti (Ljubljana, SI) and the Multi-Service Cultural Centre Le Foirail in Laguiole-La Guiòla (Occitanie, FR) by Betillon & Freyermuth* and Crypto Architectes (Toulouse, FR) are the two emerging finalist projects.

The jury believes that the seven finalist pieces for the 2026 EUmies Awards are outstanding contributions to the development of European architecture. They demonstrate how design can address both particular local issues and more general social issues by producing welcoming, excellent spaces for people to live, learn, and interact.

These pieces show how to carefully strike a balance between contextual awareness and radical innovation. While some make subtle and considerate interventions in major cities, others transform neglected places, such as small towns, old industrial zones, or peripheral urban districts. The architects' choices in each instance are informed by a thorough comprehension of the social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing modern living.

The human element—architecture that improves daily life rather than just taking up space—is what ties these pieces together. They demonstrate that architecture can be both rigorous and fun, founded in experimentation and constantly mindful of the people who use and live it. These pieces give optimism in a Europe beset by social, political, and environmental problems and show the timeless worth of careful, involved design.

The panel will select the prize winners after viewing the seven finalist works in March. Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, one of the two European Capitals of Culture 2026, will host the announcement of the Architecture Winner and the Emerging Winner on April 16.

Read on to know more about the 7 finalists:

Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Charleroi. Image © Filip Dujardin

Charleroi Palais des Expositions, Charleroi, Hainaut, Belgium, by AgwA, Brussels + architecten jan de vylder inge vinck, Ghent

"This project renovates a 1950s convention centre to better serve today’s city and its residents. Instead of demolishing the building, the existing structure is reused and opened up. The former closed central hall extends the public space inside the building, making it more accessible and easier to move through. Outside, hard paved areas are replaced by a continuous green park, improving the environment and reconnecting the building with its surroundings. The result is a building that preserves its original character while offering a completely new experience: the same building as before, but seen and used in a new way."

Rehabilitation of Vapor Cortès – Prodis 1923. Image © Adrià Goula

Rehabilitation of Vapor Cortès – Prodis 1923, Terrasa, Catalonia, Spain by H ARQUITECTES (David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros, Roger Tudó), Sabadell

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

Lot 8, LUMA Arles – Renovation of Le Magasin Électrique. Image © ASSEMBLE

Lot 8, LUMA Arles – Renovation of Le Magasin Électrique, Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France by Atelier Luma, Arles, BC architects & studies, Brussels, with ASSEMBLE (James Binning, Joe Halligan, Maria Lisogorskaya, Adam Willis, Jan Boelen, Daniel Bell, Laurens Bekemans, Baptiste Chatenet)

"In 2019 the Luma Foundation commissioned Assemble and BC Architects to transform a 19thCentury 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. Image © Juan Cardona

Josephine Baker – Marie-Jose Perec Sports and Cultural Centre, La Bouëxière – Beuzid-ar-C’hoadoù, Brittany, France by onze04, Nantes-Barcelona (Gustavo Silva-Nicoletti)

"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. Image © Tonći Plazibat - Cropix

Gruž Market, Dubrovnik, Adriatic Croatia, Hrvatska by ARP / Peračić-Veljačić, Split (Dinko Peračić, Miranda Veljačić)

"An 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."

The 2 Emerging finalists

Multi-Service Cultural Centre Le Foirail. Image © Maxime Delvaux

Multi-Service Cultural Centre Le Foirail, Laguiole-La Guiòla, Occitanie, France by Betillon & Freyermuth* and Crypto Architectes, Toulouse (Raphaël Betillon Guillaume Freyermuth, Jean Baptiste Friot)

"A radical hall in Laguiole, open and adaptable, rooted in a proud rural territory with limited resources. Rather than imitating historical styles, the building serves as a shared public space: a flexible, functional structure that can evolve over time and support collective life and local identity. Built using local resources, with materials and uses designed to grow and change."

Temporary Spaces for Slovenian National Theatre Drama. Image © Maxime Delvaux

Temporary Spaces for Slovenian National Theatre Drama, Ljubljana, Western Slovenia, SIovenia by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti, Ljubljana (Anja Vidic, Jure Grohar)

"The project involves the adaptive reuse of a former industrial hall as a Temporary National Theatre during the renovation of the city’s historic theatre building. Located within a complex of 1960s industrial halls on the city’s fringe, it establishes a new programatic centre. A series of low-budget interventions carried out in a short period transformed the abandoned industrial hall into a vibrant new public building."

The top image in the article: Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Charleroi. Image © Filip Dujardin.

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