A few words to illustrate this Spring Break trip: sunny, cortado, coop, barrio, empowerment
I am doing research on civic participation in the urban planning process in Barcelona and Houston for a class called Global Urban Lab at Rice. Our class of twelve cross-disciplinary students had the opportunity to hear from experts in urban planning, visit self-organized community spaces, and talk to architects and associations that are transforming the urban environment there.
Lectures + self-organized spaces + architects
Our group met with experts in housing, health, and economics at a few universities (like Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, and Universitat de Barcelona), to learn about the situations their city is facing today and how they are dressing those issues. My favorite presentation was one given on de-growth, which explains that sustainability is only possible when growth and capitalism is limited (the campaign video for the researchers book Degrowth: A vocabulary for a New Era is worth a watch). Giorgos Kallis presented it to us in a beautiful, sustainable building that functioned on geo-thermal energy (water pumped from the ground into slabs) and opened up in the summer when enclosure isn't necessary for comfort. And the best part is that the occupants love it! I got lucky by getting to ask the campus architect about the building.
A group of interested students visited a couple self-organized community spaces like Can Batlló — abandoned industrial factories that were occupied by citizens of the surrounding neighborhood and turned into a self-organized space. We got to play around in the circus space trapezing, rope climbing, and swinging around on this Thursday night. Can Batlló also had a garage for people to teach each other automobile repair, and of course, a lively bar/cafe space. There was a workshop on de-growth happening upstairs.
I stumbled upon another self-organized space while looking for public art at a park called Parc del Centro de Poblenou. The neighborhood has transformed in the last few decades as Barcelona has started to attract world events, like the Olympics and conventions, and tech businesses. The neighborhood that once housed industrial workers is being gentrified — the factories are now abandoned and there are many high-rise apartments. The city did not plan well for this growth of tourists and businesses.
The offshoot space from the park that I entered consisted of an artist residency and workshop space called the Hangar, a center for the neighborhood association, and a youth center. Since it was a Friday night as I was biking through, I got lucky by bumping into the heads of the association and the youth center before events. The association called Taula eix Pere IV of around 20 neighbors is working to make the public space in the area and other neighborhoods like Passatje Trullas more well planned. They hold events like markets and are trying to spur enterprises (like recycling, textile, etc.) that give opportunities to the disenfranchised workers in the neighborhood. I met an architecture student my age who became an active member of it after doing a project on it last year. Super inspiring people and work.
The youth center was a great discovery — most barrios (if they are self-motivated) has one supported that is by the mayor. They hold events every Friday night (this Friday was karaoke) for those 18-30 (there is a bar for events). And people can hang out there. It isn’t even seen as an uncool place to go — they are seen as the more social form of a bar. I can attest as I went to karaoke! I met the social worker who runs the space and he is the complete opposite of what you would expect — young, hip, and political.
I interviewed architect and sociologist Carles Baiges Camprubí from the notable young firm Lacol. He explained the unique approach of their firm and the politics behind issues like housing. Lacol is a coop, meaning that they share the business. They are leaders in a movement to include the citizen in the urban and architectural planning process. The city is hiring them to gain input on public projects. Carles argues (paraphrasing), “It’s not the job of the architect to give the public what they want, it is about making sure their voice is represented.” Many other young architecture firms in Barcelona are also part of this movement of inclusiveness, and challenge the role of the architect to be agents of change in the community.
Sites + exhibits + protests
The trip was one of my favorite so far. I happened upon many cool things towards the end — I wish I had more time to spend there. Otherwise, the weather was absolutely beautiful the whole time, it was fun talking with the other students on the trip (especially because we all bring different disciplines and knowledge to the table), the food was high key much better here than in Valencia, and we had important things scheduled but enough free time to roam around.
I got to see the sun rise at a high point overlooking the city. I ran many miles of the city, including the beach, a few parks, and up the neighborhood of. As an architecture student, of course I made my homage to the Barcelona Pavilion. And as a tourist, of course we visited Gaudí’s warpy masterworks. My favorite experience was sitting at an ordinary corner cafe one morning and watching neighbors come in, greet and joke with one another.
I went to a very interesting exhibit called 1000m2, on the architecture and sex. I learned about at Enlightenment influenced thinkers like Charles Fourier, influence of private spaces for seduction like Playboy, 1960’s Situationist work for pleasure houses, how public spaces and semi-public spaces play a part in sexual activity, and how sexual encounters are now changing with the Internet (cybersex is a thing). The historical analysis was so thorough and I'm kind of scared about the future. How should architecture respond to the changing relationship between sex and space?
A couple other students and I also decided to take a day long layover in Frankfurt, Germany. The political climate was high-- we saw a demonstration at the airport in support of refugees and I got to talk to a couple protesters on the train; they were dressed in pink hats and masks. Though we didn't see this, this Kurdish demonstration was going on that day somewhere else in the city -- it just goes to show how politically active the Frankfurt bürgers (citizens in Germans) are. That is something that inspired me about Europeans. I want to bring back to America that social spirit -- that motivation to believe in something and voice it or act on it.
