‘FROM PARTY WALLS TO FACADES’: 10 projects—selected from 439 proposals from 51 countries—spread across the 10 districts of Barcelona, celebrate a new generation of architects working to create cities that are friendlier, more efficient, and sustainable.
Metal structures to support climbing plants, new balconies and windows that provide more light and ventilation, galleries attached to the façade that increase space and improve thermal and acoustic comfort, the use of more natural materials such as ceramic cladding, earth blocks, and lime stucco, spaces specifically designed for nesting protected birds and pollinating insects, photovoltaic panels strategically placed on the sunniest façades
These are some of the measures that will transform 10 blind party walls in Barcelona into 10 vibrant façades, enriching both the urban landscape and the daily lives of the residents of these buildings.
These 10 projects, spread across the city’s 10 districts, highlight a new generation of architects striving to achieve friendlier, more efficient, and sustainable cities. Through these proposals, we can also glimpse the direction of future architecture and how any urban transformation—no matter how small or interstitial—should be rethought with a human and environmental focus.
The rehabilitation of the 10 blind party walls, previously selected to be transformed into façades, is the result of an International Ideas Competition aimed at young architects worldwide, promoted by the Barcelona City Council. It is part of the activities leading up to Barcelona being designated UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture 2026. In June 2024, the city council—in collaboration with these institutions and through the Mies van der Rohe Foundation—launched a successful call for proposals: in just two months, 439 entries were received from 51 countries, demonstrating the commitment of architecture and new generations of architects to social transformation.
As a result, the new façades will become one of the lasting legacies of this event in the Catalan capital. Furthermore, the international nature of this competition sets a precedent for other cities, marking a new path in high-impact urban regeneration.
JURY SELECTION
In September of the same year, the 343 proposals that met all requirements were evaluated by an international jury composed of architects from the five UIA regions: Camilla van Deurs (Western Europe), Ali Kural (Eastern Europe), Teddy Cruz (Americas), Philip F. Yuan (Asia and Oceania), Meriem Chabani (Africa), Grichka Martinetti (alternate), Maria Buhigas (Chief Architect of the Barcelona City Council), and Anna Ramos (Director of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation). From this call, 30 finalist proposals were selected, from which the 10 winning projects and two honorable mentions emerged. During the first half of 2025, the winning teams collaborated with the Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life (IMPUiQV) to develop the technical projects, adapting them to the needs of the neighborhood and building owners, while ensuring compliance with the technical, budgetary, and regulatory requirements of each site.
THE EXHIBITION ‘FROM PARTY WALLS TO FACADES’
As a preliminary step toward this architectural transformation of Barcelona and in anticipation of the World Capital of Architecture 2026, the former headquarters of the Gustavo Gili Publishing House hosts the exhibition From Party Walls to Facades, which documents the entire process: from the launch of the international architecture competition to the development of the projects of the 10 winning proposals. A unique opportunity to discover architecture as a transformative tool that improves the everyday life of citizens.
The exhibition is open for free visits until December 14, from Thursday to Sunday.
