The city of Barcelona has a new festival. It is called ‘Model. Barcelona Architectures Festival‘, which will celebrate its first edition from 5 to 15 May. The event, co-organised by Barcelona City Council and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, is created as the first grand event in the UIA-Unesco World Architecture Capital of Barcelona 2026.
In total, over a hundred proposals will be organised for all types of audiences, such as ten physical and augmented reality facilities, group meals, tours, workshops, debates, a book fair as well as a tribute to Oriol Bohigas. One of the events is “Veus Model” (Voices Model), a seven-kilometre circuit involving an immersive format in the form of audio-guides to discover unique and iconic points of the city described by voices of their citizens.
‘Model. Barcelona Architectures Festival’ is conceived as a festival to rethink the construction of the city from the perspective of architecture and urban planning in order to face the social, political and climatic challenges of the 21st century. In this regard, one of the proposals are the routes to learn about public and cooperative housing projects in the city, organised by Barcelona’s Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation. In total there will be four routes distributed throughout various points on 6 and 10 of May, and where the architecture teams involved will also participate. Some of the projects that can be seen will be those of La Balma, Can Batlló and La Chalmeta.
Friday, 6 May, at 4:00 pm | Glòries
The route will consist of a brief tour of the surroundings of the Glòries area: Carrer Tànger, 40 (an IMHAB development with 47 houses used for social rentals and 20 temporary emergency accommodations), APROP Glòries (with 24 temporary accommodations), Carrer Ciutat de Granada, 145-147-149 (an IMHAB development with 105 homes for the elderly), and Illa Glòries (IMHAB projects in Carrer Castillejos and Carrer dels Encants Vells with 125 homes for rent and 113 under the surface right law).
Meeting point: Casal de Barri La Llacuna, Carrer de Bolívia, 49
Friday, 6 May, at 6:00 pm | 22@ Nord
This route will consist of a brief tour around 22@ Nord: La Balma (development with 20 cooperative houses), Carrer Puigcerdà, 100 / Carrer Maresme, 87 (an IMHAB development with 48 homes for the elderly and 27 under the surface right law) and Carrer Pere IV, 455 (an IMHAB project with 42 homes for people affected by urban development, 29 for the elderly and 12 for social rentals).
Meeting point: Carrer Espronceda, 133
Tuesday, 10 May, at 4:00 pm | Can Batlló
This route will consist of a brief tour around the Can Batlló area: Carrer Constitució, 31 (an IMHAB development with 13 homes under the surface right law, 9 social rentals and 4 for people affected by urban development), Carrer Parcerisa, 6 (an IMHAB development with 13 homes under the surface right law, 12 for people affected by urban development and 1 of social rental), La Borda (a development of 28 cooperative houses under a transfer-of-use scheme on municipal land) and Sotrac (a project involving 38 cooperative homes under a transfer-of-use scheme).
Meeting point: Carrer de la Constitució, 31
Tuesday, 10 May, at 6:00 pm | La Marina del Prat Vermell
This route will consist of a brief tour around La Marina del Prat Vermell, currently under transformation. La Chalmeta (a development of 32 cooperative homes under a transfer-of-use scheme), Carrer Ulldecona, 2 (an IMHAB development with 72 houses for rent) and Carrer de Cal Cisó, 49 (an IMHAB development with 60 affordable rental homes and 48 homes for social rentals.
Meeting point: Foc (L10) metro exit, on the corner of Carrer del Foc and Passeig Zona Franca