Opening of the exhibition "Gaudí's Invisible Garden"
The modernist gardens of the former Sant Boi de Llobregat asylum, built between 1903 and 1912, and forgotten for more than 100 years by historiography, contain architecture that anticipates or is contemporary with Gaudí’s last great works, thus formalizing the hyperbolic structures of the Sagrada Família (1915-1921), the serpentine bench of Park Güell (1910-1914), formal aspects of Casa Milà (1906-1912) and architectural compositions of the Güell colony (1908-1914) and Casa Batlló (1904-1906).
This construction, which had no determined authorship for more than a century, was built with the participation, as laborers, of the patients of the hospital center. This garden, full of symbolism from the text of the Apocalypse of Saint John, and dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes, is in tune with the architectural and spiritual universe of Antoni Gaudí. The thought of Jacint Verdaguer, personally and ideologically linked to Gaudí, is also present in this enigmatic space.
The exhibition “Gaudí’s Invisible Garden” can be seen from September 29 to November 7, 2025, in the exhibition hall of the COAC Tarragona, and has been curated by the architect David Agulló Galilea. He is the author of the doctoral thesis, directed by the architect Juan José Lahuerta, “Gaudí and the Gardens of the Old Asylum of Sant Boi de Llobregat”, where he argues and makes it clear that this modernist garden is an unpublished work by the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudí.
David Agulló Galilea, PhD in architecture from ETSAB. Author of the doctoral thesis “Gaudí and the gardens of the old asylum of Sant Boi de Llobregat”, qualified with a Cum Laude. Works in the field of rehabilitation, housing, and museography collaborating for the company Quod i Enginyeria Cultural in the following projects: Museum of the History of Catalonia, House of the History of the Archaeological Park of Elviña, and the Center for Interpretation of Al-Andalus, in San Fernando. Currently directing, together with Josep Pratdesaba, Vicenç Font and Anicet Matamala, the restoration of the modernist complex of the old psychiatric hospital of Sant Boi de Llobregat.
The exhibition “The Invisible Garden of Gaudí” was shown during the period June 2024-June 2025 at the MNACTEC museum in Terrassa.
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Conference "Many attempts, a monkey, and a castle" of Metronom
METRONOM will review public collective housing projects on which it has worked.Most of them are competitions they did not win (“many attempts”). They will also talk about a project they came close to completing (“a monkey”) and will go into detail about the one they are currently building: 35 social housing units in Molins de Rei for IMPSOL (“a castle”), with an expected completion date of June 2026.
METRONOM it is an architecture firm based in Barcelona. The studio develops spatial projects with a clear objective: to offer durable and timeless designs with a contemporary and innovative flair. Each project is approached in a unique way, taking into account the physical context where it is located, as well as the environmental, social, and economic conditions of each situation.
Maria Amat and Albert Casas met during their studies at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB-UPC) and have been partners of the studio since 2020. METRONOM is a team that works for both public and private clients. Their professional activity is combined with teaching at universities and workshops.
At the end of the conference, there will be a dinner-discussion with the speaker at the Barhaus restaurant. You can sign up by sending an email to comunicacio.tar@coac.net. Dinner price: €24.
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Registration now open for the 4th edition of ‘Decarbonizing Architecture’ on October 21!
We present a day packed with knowledge, tools and strategies to tackle the challenge of transforming our profession with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Join us to discover a carefully curated selection of sustainable projects presented by national and international architects who are already leading the transition toward decarbonization, both in new construction and renovation. We will also talk about regulatory updates, tools and the role of the industry, among others.
In addition, guided tours will be held in Barcelona on October 22 showcasing real-world examples of best practices in architecture.
Full program details, pricing and available discounts can be found on the registration page.
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"Bioclimatic Architecture" Conference by Societat Orgànica
Within the cultural programming of the Tarragona Demarcation of the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC) we have the opportunity to listen to the conference “Bioclimatic Architecture” offered by Luca Volpi of Societat Orgànica, which will focus on the cooperative’s experience in defining and applying passive design strategies to architectural projects during the last 20 years of professional activity.
Luca Volpi is an architect specialized in sustainability. He develops his professional activity as a consultant in architecture and sustainable cities. He studies the relationship between habitability and the resources necessary to generate it. He is a partner in Societat Orgànica, a cooperative of environmental consultants in the building industry, where he coordinates construction and research projects.
At the end of the conference, there will be a dinner-colloquium with the speaker at the Barhaus restaurant. You can sign up by sending an email to comunicacio.tar@coac.net. Dinner price €24.
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