The COAC is launching arquitecturacatalana.cat, the digital archive of modern and contemporary Catalan architecture. The aim is to make Catalan architectural heritage more accessible to both architects and the general public.
On the portal you will be able to consult around 2,000 works in the geographic area of Catalonia, corresponding to 1,200 architectural practices and studios, constructed between 1838—the year the first industrial chimney was built in Catalonia—and the present day. The website was created as a living tool that will be constantly updated and expanded to include the most interesting contemporary works, while at the same time enlarging its content progressively towards the past.
The portal is fed by numerous sources, primarily from the generosity of architectural practices and photography studios, but also from the Guide to Modern Architecture in Catalonia 1880-2007 and part of the records of DOCOMOMO and the Quaderns journal, among other publications and awards based in Catalonia such as the FAD Awards and the international EU Mies Award. In addition, the Historical Archive of the COAC has also provided content for the new portal, with valuable documents that in some cases have never been published before now. All of them, among many others, have been key to creating what will be the most comprehensive online collection on the subject of Catalan architecture.
Discover architecture with arquitecturacatalana.cat
The new online platform offers a simple, intuitive browsing experience to meet the needs of both architects who are familiar with the collections and works, and the general public, who can use the portal as a means of discovering and exploring modern and contemporary Catalan architecture. For the public, tools have been designed such as reference recommendations, a map with advanced filters, intuitive timelines and clusters for linking architects and works.
With all these tools, users can find detailed information about the works and their architects, including plans, drawings, images and a related bibliography. This will not only help to showcase the most significant works but also shine a spotlight on lesser-known ones in modern and contemporary Catalan architecture.
