Taking a step forward to improve the quality of public space in preparation for the World Capital of Architecture that the city will host in 2026, Barcelona launched a new International Ideas Competition for Young Architects to transform 10 permanent blind walls, one in each district, and turn them into new facades.

This call, organized by the Barcelona City Council and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, made jointly with UNESCO and the International Union of Architects, is seeking architectural proposals that give meaning to walls that are currently anonymous and without any prominence, exposed in public space in a permanent provisional state.

Judging Criteria

• Urban Quality, that is, the ability to generate new facades for the transformation and improvement of the urban landscape, and the reactivation of the ground floors with new openings of the premises and neighbor accesses, solving corners or spaces susceptible to bad use.
• Habitability, with the opening of new windows and balconies that improve the quality of life of residents.
• Sustainability, with the incorporation of thermal insulation to increase comfort and improve the energy performance of buildings, or also the installation of photovoltaic capture or other strategies for generating clean energy.
• Biodiversity, with the increase in vertical greenery and the creation of new habitats for protected fauna.

Prizes

• 1st: 3,000 €
• 2nd: 1,500 €
• 3rd: 750 €