2026 will see the launch of some hotly anticipated landmark architectural projects. Some of these projects have been under development for several years and are now entering their final stage.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

Although an official launch date is yet to be announced, industry insiders speculate that this is the year the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will finally open. A decade in the making, the museum, may see its completion in 2026.

One of the last projects of the late legendary architect, Frank Gehry, the museum will be another feather in the cap of Abu Dhabi, which has recently seen the launch of the National History Museum – and is home to Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Norman Foster designed Zayed National Museum.

V&A East Museum, London

Set to launch in April this year on Starford Waterfront, the V&A Museum will be an addition to the recently opened V&A Storehouse in East London. Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the institution will play host to a mix of temporary exhibitions and displays from across the V&A collections. It is slated to display over 500 objects in the realm of identity, representation and environmental change. The debut show, The Music is Black: A British Story, will tell outline the impact of Black British music in global culture.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

One of the longest running architectural endeavours still under construction, the Sagrada Familia is set to be completed this year – 100 years after the death of its architect Antoni Gaudí. Last year it was named the world’s largest church, after it’s addition of the cross to the tower of Jesus Christ. The development of the church has long been strained, but it has sped up in recent years, with an announcement for its launch imminent this year.

Shanghai Grand Opera House

Designed by Snøhetta in 2019, the Shanghai Grand Opera is set to be one of the biggest launches in the country this year. It is instantly recognisable by its dramatic helical staircase, which is designed to resemble a fan unfolding.

Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre, Cairo

By Foster + Partners, this year will see the completion of the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre – a hospital that will prioritise connecting patients with nature, based in Cairo. The 300-bed hospital will have a shell-like roofscape and will be placed within a lush natural landscape, offering views of a lake and the Egyptian Pyramids.

Casa Wabi Mushroom Pavilion, Puerto Escondido

Perhaps the most unusual architectural project on this list, the Casa Wabi Mushroom Pavilion, designed by OMA, is set to launch this year. It’s designed for the Casa Wabi artist’s retreat, located on the Mexican Coast. The otherworldly building will be used to cultivate fungi, and according to the studio, its curved form will provide an "optimized interior organisation" to facilitate this.

CityWave, Milan

By architectural firm BIG, the CityWave structure in Milan, Italy, is a structured office building of differing heights, that is connected by a giant canopy that will serve as the firm’s own offices. The building is being built as part of the CityLife development, which already contains completed skyscrapers by Zaha Hadid Architects, Daniel Libeskind and Arata Isozaki.