The initiative 'Aparadors d'arquitectura' will allow shops in Barcelona to display models loaned by architecture firms from October 3 to 10. Registrations are open until August 15.
The City Council of Barcelona has opened the call for shops and architecture firms to participate in 'Aparadors d'arquitectura', an initiative that will transform the city’s shop windows into small exhibitions of architectural models during the first week of October.
The proposal is part of the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture 2026 and the European Capital of Local Commerce, aiming to bring architecture closer to the everyday life of neighbourhoods through local commerce. The models will leave professional offices to be installed in shops, creating a dialogue between creators, shopkeepers, and residents.
Interested commercial establishments can register until August 15, as can architects and firms wishing to lend one or more models. Each project will be accompanied by an explanatory postcard with information about the work and the studio, which citizens can take as a keepsake.
The allocation of the models will be managed by the Technical Office of Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture, which will consider the suitability between the dimensions of the model and the available space, the geographical proximity between the shop and the studio, and, whenever possible, the affinity between the type of establishment and the exhibited project.
Participating shops will receive an identifying graphic element, informative postcards, and support materials. The initiative will feature a specific communication campaign and a map showing the locations of the participating establishments, allowing citizens to explore the city and discover the models.
“It is an opportunity for shops to be part of a collective cultural action and turn their windows into open windows to architecture,” municipal sources highlight.
For architects, the initiative represents a way to connect with the public, showcase their work in a familiar environment, and display their projects in spaces linked to the everyday life of neighbourhoods. The exhibition will coincide with the week of World Architecture Day, celebrated on Monday, October 5.
The schedule anticipates that from August 28 to September 4, the assigned shop-studio pairs will be communicated. Between September 21 and 25, the vinyls, postcards, and, if necessary, modular bases will be delivered. The reception and installation of the models in the shops will take place from September 28 to October 2, and the exhibition open to the public will be from October 3 to 10. The collection of the models will occur from October 12 to 14.
Interested establishments can consult the participation guidelines and register through the form available on the World Capital of Architecture website until August 15. The initiative seeks to involve shops from across the city, from the centre to the peripheral neighbourhoods, so that architecture reaches every corner of Barcelona.
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