Barcelona's architectural future was the focus of a dinner at Tres Xemeneies in Sant Adrià de Besòs, hosted by Turisme de Barcelona. Architects and international journalists gathered to discuss the city’s next steps, with the Catalunya Media City project at the centre of the conversation.
The dinner was part of a three-day programme showing Barcelona’s urban change and design work. Guests visited the Casa de l'Arquitectura, in the former Gustavo Gili publishing house, and the Design Museum of Barcelona (Dhub) for the Seny i rauxa exhibition. They also saw the Fira de Barcelona expansion works and the Mies van der Rohe award exhibition. Mateu Hernández, director general of Turisme de Barcelona, said the focus was metropolitan, not just city-centre based.
The Tres Xemeneies, a former thermal power station, is set to become Catalunya Media City, a new hub for media and technology. Architects Jordi Garcés and Daria de Seta presented the project, which they developed with Anna Bonet and colleagues from Marvel studio. Garcés said the site is a landmark in the metropolitan area, forming a triangle with Montjuïc and the Sagrada Família.
The discussion also touched on the UIA World Congress of Architects, which will use Tres Xemeneies as one of its main venues. Maria Giramé and Pau Sarquella, two congress commissioners, spoke about a shift towards more collective and socially aware architecture, compared with the star-architect era of the 1996 congress.
La Rambla was another key topic. Jordi Garcés took part in a reflection group on the street’s future after renovation, and recalled a proposal with Beth Galí to clear the central promenade of private activity and move cafe terraces to the building fronts, in a Paris-style layout. He said Barcelona could help lead a new urban model that balances tourism with residents’ needs.
The dinner brought together architects from different generations, including Lucía Millet of Cierto Estudio, Marcos Parera of Mesura, and Fermín Vázquez, who has worked on projects including Torre Glòries and the Fira de Barcelona expansion. Vázquez said he had once opposed the continuation of the Sagrada Família, but now sees the result as strong and unique.
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