On Faces and Urban Fragments – Scalae
Barcelona is a city constantly defined by its layers, where historic urban experiments seamlessly meet contemporary regeneration. This October, as the city embraces its role as the World Capital of Architecture, the conversation turns inward to examine what this international spotlight genuinely means for the urban fabric and the communities that inhabit it.
On Thursday, October 29, the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion hosts a special edition of the debate series «A propòsit de…», co-organized with SCALAE and curated by Anna Ramos and Félix Arranz. Rather than simply celebrating milestones, the panel gathers architects, scholars, and cultural voices to critically analyze the ongoing models, strategies, and tensions driving Barcelona’s urban regeneration today.
The discussion centers on the dialogue between physical transformation and social responsibility: How do global designations shape public space, neighborhood heritage, and local habitability? Can architectural interventions keep pace with pressing social, environmental, and symbolic needs? By bridging academic insight with practical city-making, the talk aims to cut through institutional rhetoric and foster an open, ground-level perspective on where our urban landscape is heading.
For those of us dedicated to exploring Barcelona street by street, understanding the ideas behind the stone, steel, and urban layout is essential. Great architecture does not exist in a vacuum; it thrives on debate, critique, and collective memory.
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Date & Time: Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 19:00 – 21:00
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Venue: Mies van der Rohe Pavilion (Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 7, Montjuïc)
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Curated by: Anna Ramos & Félix Arranz (Fundació Mies van der Rohe & SCALAE)
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Access: Open debate (more details and updates available via the Fundació Mies van der Rohe calendar)