In 1832, as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lay on his deathbed, he famously uttered the words “Mehr Licht” (more light). … More
Author: Rafael Gomez-Moriana
Save Barcelona’s Plaça dels Àngels from MACBA contemporary art museum’s expansion
Please consider signing this petition. [Versión en castellano sigue a continuación / Versió en català segueix a continuació] Barcelona’s Plaça … More
The Metaphysics of Zoning
Welcome to one of Barcelona’s “newest” green zones. Barely a year old, it’s located one block off Las Ramblas, the … More
Trees in the Air
What is the point of suspending trees in the air? They grow much better on the ground, where they also … More
Sharing School
[Originally published in Bauwelt 5.2023. Photos by Aitor Estévez] Barcelona has some of the densest neighborhoods in Europe, so it … More
Up Close and Personal
[Originally published in Bauwelt 4.2023] One of the growing problems facing Spain today is the ongoing depopulation of its interior … More
The Attrition of Automobiles
The 2022 European Prize for Urban Public Space has gone to the disappearance of an urban expressway in Utrecht, Netherlands, … More
Yellow Garden
[Originally published in Bauwelt #16.2022] When Spain imposed its nation-wide lockdown to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on … More
Not in Our Public Space
Public space belongs to everyone. That’s why the latest proposal to expand the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) … More
Community Integration
[Originally published in Bauwelt 14.2022] With a current average life expectancy of almost 84 years, Spain’s is one of the … More
One Permanent Exhibition / Theme Park Inside Another
How many architects have an exhibition of their work permanently on display at a cultural institution, replete with nearly full-scale … More
Statistical Error
In 2018, a study was published that situated “Europe’s most densely inhabited square kilometer” in the working-class town of L’Hospitalet … More
Hotel Empanada
This advertisement for a Barcelona snack bar franchise contains an image of a local landmark building by the late Ricardo … More
Public Property
[Originally published in The Architectural Review in April 2022] Before the arrival of steel and concrete, the most widely used … More
Open House
[Originally published in Bauwelt March 2022] Since the emergence of the pandemic, outdoor private space has come to be newly … More
Archaeological Building
[Originally published in Baumeister December 2021] Older buildings are no longer what they used to be. Until recently, the argument … More
Presenting the E-Window®
Are windows really necessary in buildings? Is an LED panel that simulates a window an acceptable substitute? Some seem to … More
The Anti-Circular Pepper Mill Scandal
The other day, I was preparing a dinner party when I realized my pepper mill was empty. I ran to … More
Enric Miralles, 1955-2000
[Originally published in The Architectural Review July-August 2021] It has now been more than 20 years since Enric Miralles died … More
Hide and Seek
[Originally published in The Architectural Review May 2021] One of the first alterations that pupils of the Imagine Montessori Primary … More