14/07/2026
THAD × Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA) | Liu Yulong Invited to World Capital of Architecture Series: A Deep Dive into the Spiritual Resonance Between Gaudi and Chinese Architecture
As part of the commemoration of the Gaudí Year 2026, which marks the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death, the Barcelona and Girona branches of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), together with MIAS Architects—under the direction of architect and AIA Honorary Fellow Josep Miàs—and Dr. María José Masnou, architect, researcher, and former vice president of the China Chair, have promoted a conference dedicated to Gaudí’s legacy and its contemporary projection.
The conference was held in Barcelona on Friday, July 3, 2026, in the assembly hall of the COAC, and was designed as a space for encounter and reflection between China and Catalonia surrounding the work and legacy of Antoni Gaudí. In this sense, it also serves as a bridge of dialogue between Barcelona 2026 and Beijing 2029, both of which are host cities of the World Capital of Architecture promoted by the UIA, with the aim of strengthening international ties and the exchange of knowledge between diverse architectural contexts.
The event opened with presentations by Liu Yulong, president of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University Co., Ltd., and Wang Jian, general director of The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University. This was followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Kevin Zhang (BIA - Beijing Institute of Architects), Josep Miàs, and María José Masnou, with the additional participation of Jordi Barbany, a craftsman and stonemason who has worked on the Sagrada Família; Mercè Riba, a sculptor and artist; and Liu Yulong.
