Waterfronts, Barcelona

Barcelona’s coastline reveals its urban history. For any city around the world, waterfronts have been associated with ways to recreate the image of the city, to recapture economic investment and to recover deserted downtowns or cities. In the particular case of Barcelona, the waterfront renovation has taken over 40 years of different projects along the coast based on the replacement of former activities considered at that time obsolete. But what does it mean to talk about obsolete spaces? For whom are they obsolete? At the present moment and as a result of the world-wide economic crisis, it’s time to discuss new approaches and to rethink the use of resources and to reconsider some of the ideas that lead the waterfront redevelopments.

This studio will develop an urban scale project along the southern area of Barcelona’s waterfront, near the industrial port. It will connect with local Barcelona practitioners, metropolitan government  representatives and students of architecture, landscape and urban design.