Organized into six thematic areas, the exhibition, curated by Anna Sala and Ivan Blasi, revolves around the question: "What is this? A spa, a gym, a zoo of small animals?" The title echoes the reflections that philosopher Xavier Rubert de Ventós posed in front of the Pavilion, inviting us to observe it from new perspectives.
EUmies Awards 2026: the exhibition
The main exhibition surrounds, like a cloister, a central courtyard covered with bark flooring that brings together the 40 works selected for the EUmies Awards 2026. This space prompts reflection on repair, pre-existing structures, and the different ways of intervening on what has already been built.
"What is this? A spa, a gym, a zoo of small animals?". The Fundació Mies van der Rohe exhibits its collection at the Palau Victòria Eugènia. Photograph by Anna Mas.
From among the 410 submissions, originating from 40 countries and 143 European regions, the jury—comprised of Smiljan Radić (president), Carl Bäckstrand, Chris Briffa, Zaiga Gaile, Tina Gregorič, Nikolaus Hirsch, and Rosa Rull—selected projects that explore diverse approaches to transforming existing structures, from small-scale domestic interventions to large-scale territorial projects where the conscious management of resources plays a fundamental role.
A Palace in Transition
Built for the 1929 International Exposition, the Palau Victòria Eugènia is currently undergoing a transformation that will turn it into a new extension of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Coinciding with “What is this?” and as part of the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture program, the building is also hosting the exhibitions “Architecture in Action.” Ukraine: Creating a New Reality,” “LINA European Architecture Platform,” and “Vital Architecture, Atelier Li Xinggang.”
The detailed exhibition tour
The tour of “What is this? A spa, a gym, a tiny animal zoo?” begins with two large-format models that frame the history of the awards: on one hand, the Borges & Irmão Bank in Portugal, designed by Álvaro Siza and winner of the first EUmies Awards in 1988; on the other, the TU Braunschweig student residence in Germany, designed by Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke, which won the award in 2024.
"What is this? A spa, a gym, a zoo of small animals?". The Fundació Mies van der Rohe exhibits its collection at the Palau Victòria Eugènia. Photograph by Anna Mas.
1. Latent presences
This area brings together interventions that reveal memories, absences, and hidden layers of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, from Lilly Reich’s legacy to its invisible infrastructures. It relates to award-winning architectural projects that rehabilitate, expand, or reuse existing structures, understanding architecture as a process open to memory and change.
2. Expressing the World
Inspired by Mies van der Rohe's statement, "I don't want to change the world. I only want to express it," this section brings together interventions that use the Pavilion to reflect on consumption, history, energy, and politics. Architecture is presented as a technical and cultural tool capable of interpreting and transforming contemporary reality.
3. The domestic
This area explores the relationship between architecture and daily life, bringing the Pavilion into the realm of dwelling, memory, and human experience. The interventions engage with individual, collective, and social housing projects that investigate new ways of living and promote access to decent housing.
"What is this? A spa, a gym, a zoo of small animals?". The Fundació Mies van der Rohe exhibits its collection at the Palau Victòria Eugènia. Photograph by Anna Mas.
4. Material imaginaries
This section brings together interventions that investigate materiality through light, color, texture, and transparency. These explorations transform the perception of space and connect with architectures that experiment with new ways of building and understanding material experience.
5. Embracing life
Embracing Life presents the Pavilion as an ecosystem where nature, bodies, and living processes coexist. The interventions relate to architectures that integrate vegetation, preserve ecosystems, and promote a respectful coexistence between the built environment and the landscape.
6. On the sidelines
This section incorporates narratives, identities, and contexts traditionally excluded from architectural discourse. The interventions highlight practices developed in situations of vulnerability, participation, and cooperation, expanding the social and cultural reach of architecture.
"What is this? A spa, a gym, a zoo of small animals?". The Fundació Mies van der Rohe exhibits its collection at the Palau Victòria Eugènia. Photograph by Anna Mas.
Overall, the exhibition offers an unbiased perspective on one of the most emblematic architectural movements of modernity. More than presenting a collection as a historical archive, the exhibition activates it as a critical tool for reflecting on the ways in which European architecture has been conceived, transformed, and designed over the last few decades.
Following its presentation in Barcelona, the EUmies Awards 2026 exhibition will begin a tour of various European cities and international venues.
