VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities
Abstract
Barcelona’s plazas are dynamic spaces, constantly evolving as daily life unfolds within them. These urban areas are intimate, human-scaled, and multi-functional, blending commercial, retail, and social activities. Plazas derive vitality from recombinations of typical elements like paving, seating, trees, fountains, and lighting, creating environments that cater to diverse activities and conditions. Some foster social gatherings, others reflection, while some become bustling commerce centers. Often, a single plaza contains all of these functions in varying proportions. However, the relationship between Barcelona’s plazas and institutional architecture, such as museums, galleries, or schools, reveals a conventional reciprocity that inadvertently segregates the two, creating a boundary between the public plaza and the institution. Typically, buildings define the perimeter of a void, separating the two and limiting interaction between the public space and the private world within. Informal art, including graffiti and street art, challenges conventions tied to institutional propriety, transforming the street into a public exhibition space. Unlike formal art displayed in museums, street art is spontaneous and subversive, engaging directly with the public. It turns urban surfaces—walls, sidewalks, and benches—into evolving canvases, inviting interaction and creative expression. Unlike the controlled environments of institutions, street art fosters an experimental relationship with space and ideas, merging conventional programs with expanded notions of public activity in plazas. This paper explores alternatives broadly while highlighting a specific experiment that blurs boundaries between museum, gallery, street, and plaza. Using an “inside-out” strategy, the proposal imagines a plaza transformed by hosting programs typically belonging to schools, galleries, and museums, creating a porous space where art, education, and public life merge.
Hala Abdalqader is a fourth-year architecture student at the American University of Sharjah, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in architecture. She volunteered at COP 28, gaining valuable insights into the role of public engagement in architecture. Her designs focus on reimagining public spaces with the possibilities of preserving them, creating environments that invite interaction and celebrate cultural expression. She is compelled by graphic techniques, transforming abstract concepts into compelling narratives, and communicating innovative architectural ideas through diverse media drawings.
Joel Azar is a fourth-year architecture student at the American University of Sharjah. She is dedicated, adaptable, driven by a passion for doing great things. She believes architecture should be unapologetic and a bit unconventional. Her work is fueled by a mix of intuition and exploration, constantly seeking to push boundaries and explore new ideas. Her designs reflect a mastery of fundamental architectural principles. Inspired by her foundations, where imagination and intention were key drivers, she embraces the unpredictability of the creative process, where moments of serendipity lead to meaningful discoveries.
Educated at the University of Virginia and Princeton University Michael Hughes is a Professor of Architecture at the American University of Sharjah. His academic work is focused on small, unremarkable, and often forgotten places adjacent to the lives of underserved people. Located in the boundary between architecture, urbanism, and landscape his projects seek to create experiential delight out of small-scale design opportunities that augment existing infrastructures, provide pragmatic functions, promote play, and exhibit a social and environmental conscience.
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Wednesday 16th July, 2025