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48h Open House BCN 2021

The port hubs' Mediterranean architecture

The architecture festival 48h Open House BCN 2021 will take place on October 23 and 24 across Barcelona's districts.

Historically, the Mediterranean coast was built through cities with active port commerce, forests that controlled erosion, and fertile areas for agriculture, all of which created a balance in the territory. This phenomenon shaped a specific type of architecture with its own typologies and construction techniques. The Mediterranean house is an example, as it has spaces in proportion with the typical domestic activities. Other examples are the Catalan vaulting technique or some modernist works, such as the works by architect J. M. Jujol in Sant Joan Despí. For this reason, the architecture festival 48h Open House Barcelona will focus on Mediterranean architecture, an architectural tradition with popular roots. The festival will take place throughout the city and offer several guided tours to more than 150 buildings, on October 23 and 24. This edition's featured architect is José Antonio Coderech de Sentmenat, a student of J. M. Jujol who modernized this type of architecture, adapting it to the new techniques. One of his most important goals was to fuse the functionality of rural architecture with new constructive techniques while maintaining the traditional essence and conserving a collective memory.

What places will you be able to visit? Most of them will be in Ciutat Vella: the Antic Palau Savassona, the Arc de Triomf, Ca La Dona, the Casa Adret, the Escola Massana or the Palau Moja are just some of them. If you go on a walk through San Andreu, you'll be able to enter the Cases Barates del Bon Pastor, the Antiga Fàbrica Enmasa Mercedes-Benz or La Lira. In Gràcia, the Parròquia del Sant Joan Baptista de Gràcia, the Casa Francesc Cama or the Casa Vicens. Some other buildings open during the festival are the Antiga Presó La Model, the Casa Sayrach, the Taller Masriera, Vall d'Hebron and the Torre Gracini. Check the full list here. Something else to keep in mind is that Barcelona has this year become the World Capital of Sustainable Food, which is why the festival has scheduled some activities such as the visits to the Campus de la Alimentació of the UAB in the Recinte de Torribera. In addition, to honour the Miralles Year, organisers have arranged a series of creative competitions.

Tours are free and only some of them need to be booked in advance. Find further information on the festival here.

Publication date: Monday, 18 October 2021
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