Materials de Barcelona: Materials locals per a l'arquitectura regenerativa

Have you ever wondered what Barcelona is made of? "Materials de Barcelona" is a tactile journey through the genetic code of our architecture. From the foundational stone of Montjuïc to the timber and industrialised earth that look to the future, come and touch and discover how local and regenerative materials are the key to building a decarbonised, circular city that is kinder to the planet. This travelling exhibition focuses on the material experience as the common thread of urban identity.

The exhibition explores the three key moments of Barcelona —the foundational city, the expansion, and contemporary innovation— through a tour of the districts of Ciutat Vella, Eixample, and Sant Martí, finally concluding its journey at the Escola Politècnica Superior d'Edificació de Barcelona (EPSEB). It presents a collection of pieces of various formats, sizes, and compositions, meticulously selected and curated by EPSEB-UPC. The itinerary makes it possible to understand the richness of constructive solutions throughout history and the transition from historical manual techniques to contemporary industrialised production.

Through direct visual and physical contact with stone, earth, binders, and wood, the exhibition demonstrates how the integration of current processes, such as the prefabrication of natural materials, is the key response to the climate emergency. An opportunity to understand that the city of the future is not built with new materials, but with the regenerative reinvention of those that have always been with us.

Curators: Amanda Rivera Vidal and Cristian Muñoz Catalán

Collaborators and technical team: Judit Ramírez-Casas, Antonia Navarro Ezquerra, Andreu Corominas González, Laia Haurie Ibarra, Edgar Segués Aguasca, and Pilar Giraldo Forero.

Institutions: Produced by the Escola Politècnica Superior d'Edificació de Barcelona (EPSEB-UPC) with the collaboration of the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC).

Organised by: Escola Politècnica