Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The first edition of the Model. Barcelona Architectures Festival is being held from 5 to 15 May. Jointly organised by Barcelona City Council and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), the event is set to turn the city into a space for reflecting on the main debates for architecture and urban planning to tackle the social, political and climate challenges of the 21st century. Besides the activities in the main programme, each district will have the chance to enjoy their own festival of architecture. These are being organised by local groups of architects in Barcelona, along with other organisations such as residents’ associations, universities, architects’ studios and neighbourhood schools.

These festivals are intended as a place for meeting and discussion to make the case for an iconic space or building in each district. The spaces in question will be the focus for talks, concerts and workshops, the goal being to highlight architecture as a profession, along with its social purpose of serving citizens.

The festival will be held from 6 to 15 May in all ten districts, each with their own programme and particular topics.

In Sants-Montjuïc, “Recovering Passeig de la Zona Franca for the neighbourhood”

The Sants-Montjuïc Architects’ Group and the Retail Working Group from the COAC are devoting this festival on 6 May to local commerce and the need to improve public space in Passeig de la Zona Franca, to make it an authentic shopping hub for cohesion in the neighbourhood. Activities will be held in various locations:

• Sala Pepita Casanellas
  • 4 pm: Welcome
  • 4.10 pm: Sharing the urban improvement to Avinguda Meridiana
  • 4.45 pm: The new Passeig de la Zona Franca
  • 5 pm: Speech by Marc Serra, Councillor for the District of Sants-Montjuïc
• Outside Pepita Casanellas (4 pm to 7 pm)
  • Workshop “Mans a terra”
  • Renovation of Tangassogo – Burkina Faso
  • The avenue we want, the voice of children
  • Photo exhibition about Passeig de la Zona Franca
  • Ràdio La Marina, Comerç de Barri
•  Passeig de la Zona Franca
  • 5 pm to 7 pm: Window display by shops in Passeig Zona Franca
  • 5.15 pm to 7 pm: Music and literature route in Passeig de la Zona Franca

In L’Eixample, “Rediscovering the complex of the Escola Industrial”

District architects belonging to the COAC combine on 7 May to highlight the need to work together with various residents’ associations and institutions, especially Barcelona Provincial Council, to preserve, improve, expand and update the uses made of the Escola Industrial. This complex is iconic not just because of its extraordinary architectural significance, but also its urban fit and its strong social function. The programme is as follows:

• Inside the Paranimf
  • 10 am: Welcome COAC+DIBA
  • 10.10 am: History of the Escola Industrial
  • 10.50 am: Industrial +
  • 11.10 am: Renovation of the Paranimf
  • 11.30 am: Competition by the Escola d’Enginyers, regaining the Sala del Tissatge
  • 11.50 am: Ceramics of the future
• Outside (10 am to 1 pm)
  • Innovation workshops with ceramics
  • LeonarDome workshop

In Nou Barris, “Regaining Can Valent”

This festival is also on 7 May, with the group of architects from Nou Barris devoting the occasion to the historical memory and recovery of the district’s rural heritage, specifically through rethinking the immediate surroundings of the Can Pere Valent country house with a series of activities.

• 4 pm: Welcome
• 4.10 pm: Exhibition on the renovation proposal through Decidim Barcelona
• 4.45 pm: Exhibition on the project to renovate Can Valent
• 4 pm to 7 pm: Basket workshop
• 4 pm to 7 pm: Flower workshop

In Gràcia, “Festival of silence”

The group of architects here are proposing a big challenge on 8 May: a festival where silence is the protagonist, to raise awareness and help people reduce noise in squares in the neighbourhood. This is an issue that concerns local people, and the idea is to help towards harmony in everyday life in the surroundings and the sound landscape. This will entail activities such as:

• 10 am to 10.50 am: Construction of the Rattles of Silence
• 10.50 am to 11 am: Welcome
• 11 am to 11.25 am and 11.35 am to 12 noon: Mime performance “Silenci a la plaça”.
• 12 noon to 1 pm: Acoustic passage with Amaya Caballero

In Sant Andreu, “Looking after heritage”

Also on Sunday, 8 May, the group of architects from Sant Andreu are organising a festival to raise awareness about the need to look after the architectural heritage we enjoy. A good example can be found in the areas around the parish of Sant Andreu, with run-down spaces which need different types of work. The festival includes different activities:

• 4 pm: Welcome
• 4.10 pm: History of the parish and the Capella Segadors
• 4.40 pm: Renovation of the dome
• 5.10 pm: The future of areas around the parish. Master plan
• 5.30 pm:  PFC exhibition
• 4 pm to 7 pm: LeonarDome workshop

In Sarrià – Sant Gervasi, “Opening our doors”

The group of architects from Sarrià-Sant Gervasi aim to introduce hidden spaces on 13 May and help towards their inclusion, namely the Jardí Fènix in the CAS Sarrià and its relationship with the immediate surroundings.

• 4.30 pm: Cultivation workshop
• 5 pm to 7 pm: Workshop on covering the pergola
• 6 pm: Welcome
• 6.10 pm to 7 pm: Exhibition of proposals for boundaries between parks.

In Les Corts, “Building the inclusive city. Art and science in the streets”

The Les Corts group of architects are organising a festival at the Campus Sud in the Zona Universitària on 14 May. The goal is to make the buildings more open to the outside and favour interaction between the different universities here, as well as for them to be generally better integrated into the neighbourhood and the surroundings and to encourage everybody to use them. The idea is to promote a greener and more inclusive university campus, favour interaction with different university students and the population in general, particularly at weekends, with the creation of culture and learning spaces open to all.

• 12 noon: Welcome
• 12.10 pm: Proposal UPC-Decidim Barcelona
• 12.50 pm: Presentation of the Therapy Space Contest for the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona
• 11 am to 2 pm: Workshops on art and science, temporary cane shelters and accessibility
• 11 am to 2 pm: Inclusion mapathon at the Campus Sud

Horta-Guinardó and “The architecture of water”

The group of architects from Horta-Guinardó want to devote this year’s festival on 14 May to regaining the heritage of water in the district, with the former street of washing houses known as the Illa de les Bugaderes as the protagonist. This heritage, more intangible, also has great value for understanding the history of the city.

• 4 pm: Welcome
• 5 pm to 7 pm: Architectural drawing workshop: Come along and draw with water
• 5 pm to 6 pm: Exhibition of proposals for the Illa de les Bugaderes
• 6 pm to 7 pm: Water cycle exhibition

In Sant Martí, “Exploring industrial heritage”

The group of architects from Sant Martí are devoting this festival on 15 May to the neighbourhood’s industrial heritage. They’ve chosen the old Oliva Artés factory, renovated by the architect Jordi Badia and selected for the Mies Awards 2022 as a lab space for the MUHBA. The building will host the following activities:

• 11 am: Welcome
• 11.10 am to 12 noon: Explanation of the Oliva Artés project
• 12 noon to 12.30 pm: Show ‘Avec le Temps’  (Toni Mira+Claire Ducreux)
• 12.45 pm to 1.15 pm: Experiencing space with the senses
• 13.15 pm to 2 pm: Visit to the MUHBA exhibition with music and dance

In Ciutat Vella, “Rethinking the Antituberculosis Sanatorium”

Also on 15 May, the group of architects from Ciutat Vella and the Architecture and Health Group from the COAC will be using the afternoon to discuss and promote the historical and cultural value of the Antituberculosis Sanatorium which currently houses the Raval Nord primary healthcare centre, soon to be transferred to the Capella de la Misericòrdia. The festival will also be used to visit the space and discuss what the sanatorium will be used for.

• 4 pm: Welcome
• 4.10 pm to 5 pm: Guided tour of the sanatorium
• 5.10 pm to 6.10 pm:  Debate: The future of the Antituberculosis Sanatorium and its surroundings (COAC+ETSAB)
• 4 pm to 7 pm: Architectural drawing workshops outside the sanatorium.

Full details on each festival can be found on the website model.barcelona.