Model, the Barcelona Architecture Festival is promoted by the Barcelona City Council and the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC), and its objectives are to transform urban space into a platform to showcase emerging architectural and design talent; the city in a plural and multidisciplinary meeting forum for thought leaders from all over the world; and architecture in a space of exploration for all citizens.
Model themes
The festival is guided by five major general themes to develop new ideas and new architectures:
- Between generations: imagining architectures for mutual care between generations.
- Between species: thinking about urban planning to make human well-being compatible with that of the species that live with us in the city.
- Between cultures: new models that allow understanding and transforming the city taking into account its cultural complexity.
- Between classes: architecture as a means to create more egalitarian and accessible spaces.
- Between subjects: how to intervene architecturally to face the climate emergency.
The 2023 edition of Model. Barcelona Architecture Festival
The Barcelona Architecture Festival, Model, is held from April 20 to 30 , turning the streets of the city into a laboratory for experimentation and architectural and urban dissemination. The festival takes place throughout the city through +Model initiatives, with a concentration in specific areas, such as the surroundings of Parc de les Glòries. The objective is to experimentally explore unresolved urban situations and encourage innovation and urban development.
In this second edition of the festival there will be physical and augmented reality installations, debates and conferences in emblematic spaces of Barcelona, routes, workshops, competitions and prize-giving.
Model's tagline for this issue: Radical Empathy
The Model. Barcelona Architecture Festival 2023 will focus on the idea of radical empathy as its main theme. Radical empathy goes beyond understanding and sympathy, prompting individuals and communities to take action to address the needs and experiences of others in authentic ways. In the context of architecture and design, radical empathy involves designing spaces that address social, cultural, and environmental issues in a transversal way to contribute to a more equitable, inclusive, just, and sustainable world.
Ephemeral architecture installations

One of the most outstanding components of the festival are the ephemeral architecture and augmented reality installations. Through ephemeral interventions, the aim is to transform the urban space into a platform for emerging architectural talent and design, which allows us to test, imagine and discuss the aesthetics, form, typologies, materials, values and functions that will take place in Barcelona. from the future.
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