Three Belgian architectural designs selected for the 2026 European awards Mies van der Rohe

Usquare in Ixelles, Palais des Expositions in Charleroi and Abby Kortrijk are all in the running for a prestigious European architecture competition.

From over 400 applications, the EUmies awards jury has selected 40 architectural projects across Europe for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Awards 2026. 

The 40 designs shortlisted, spread across 36 cities in 18 EU countries, need to exemplify sustainable and socially responsible approaches, reports Belga.

“They illustrate how architects take responsibility for designing ethically, sustainably and long-term social impact,” explains the organisation.

The Abby Kortrijk project in Flanders (pictured above) involved extending and transforming the historic Groeninge Abbey into an art space for site-specific exhibitions and public events.

Usquare Feder (pictured, main image) was a renovation and restoration project at the former Fritz Toussaint barracks in Ixelles. Once a training institute for the Belgian police, the site was empty for many years before being repurposed into a university site for ULB and VUB. 

The renovation of Charleroi’s exhibition centre involved stripping its central hall (pictured above) and creating covered urban terraces. Demineralisation of the site enabled a continuous green park.

The seven finalists will be unveiled in early February during the EUmies Awards Days, which is part of the Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026. 

It will be followed by the announcement of the competition winners in the European Capital of Culture, Oulu in Finland, on 16 April. 

Photos: ©EUmies Awards