THE CENTRE OBERT PRESENTS 50 ROUTES TO DISCOVER THE COUNTRY’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE

The Centre Obert d’Arquitectura, promoted by the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC), has presented ‘Architecture Routes,’ a new editorial space on the website arquitecturacatalana.cat. This platform is enriched by its extensive documentary collection and offers over 50 routes to discover the architectural heritage of our country. The initiative has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the six COAC divisions, which have proposed routes within their territories.

The Dean of COAC, Guillem Costa Calsamiglia, presided over the presentation, which was attended by the directors of the arquitecturacatalana.cat portal, Omar Ornaque and Aureli Mora. Also present were the Head of the Mediation Area of the Catalan Cultural Heritage Agency, Jordi Medina; members of the Institut Ramon Llull and the Barcelona Convention Bureau, as well as the Governing Board and management boards of COAC.

An essential tool for discovering Catalan architecture
The initiative aims to become a reference tool for planning architecture routes in Catalonia, allowing the public to visit and experience first-hand the modern and contemporary architecture of Catalonia. The routes will also be available in Spanish and English, with a goal to publish up to 200 routes by 2026, the year of the World Architecture Capital and the International Union of Architects World Congress to be held in Barcelona.

Currently, there are 50 available routes covering the entire territory, organized around specific themes, authors, or geographic areas. Proposals include routes on Gaudí, Modernism, Jujol, Olympic Barcelona, and more alternative routes, such as one exploring campsites from the Llobregat Delta to Salou, another on the modern architecture of Correa&Milà in Cadaqués, or the water heritage in Barcelona. There are also routes focusing on art, cinema, and literature, with itineraries based on the life and work of Picasso and Miró in Barcelona, or film locations for movies like ‘All About My Mother’ or ‘Salvador.’

Explore all available routes
The search process is easy and intuitive, as the tool includes filters like location, author, route duration, or theme. Additionally, it can be consulted on the go, with an interactive map allowing users to view the complete route beforehand.

A unique proposal on architecture
Dean Guillem Costa Calsamiglia highlighted that “Catalonia is known for its architecture, but this space allows us to learn about modern and contemporary architecture, which is less visible but very present in the collective imagination.” Project directors, architects Omar Ornaque and Aureli Mora, assert that “this is a pioneering proposal that aims to incorporate the voices of architects and architecture enthusiasts to propose routes with a personal perspective.”

There are already several custom-written proposals for the digital space from names in the architectural field, such as Carolina B-García Estévez, Mariana de Delás, and Maria Giramé, among others. To broaden the perspective beyond architecture professionals, writer Jorge Carrión is involved, and journalists like Llàtzer Moix and Òscar Dalmau are expected to collaborate.

Furthermore, the new section includes an editorial selection of routes, a series of recommendations for users structured into several blocks, following the contemporary pattern of content streaming platforms: ‘Summer Night’s Dreams,’ ‘Modernist Catharsis,’ ‘The Vanguard and the Wonderful 30s,’ ‘Cinema, Art, Literature,’ ‘Like Holy Water,’ ‘Barcelona Olympics ’92,’ and ‘Author Monographs.’

A section reserved for opinion articles
The ‘Routes’ space is the most transversal proposal of the arquitecturacatalana.cat portal, which also launched ‘Notes’ at the end of 2023, a new section compiling articles from authors, both within and outside the profession, discussing architecture, architects, and photographers featured on the website. This aims to contextualize sets of works, provide them with new interpretations, expand information, and give visibility to its extensive documentary collection.

The website is the most extensive on modern and contemporary architecture in the country and includes references to nearly 5,000 works, more than 2,000 authors, and 200 photographers, disseminated through over 42,000 photographs, plans, and drawings.