Download the book on the history of the Association
The book Architects’ Association of Catalonia. 1874-1962 looks back over the first half-century of the Association from its foundation through to its move to Plaça Nova.
According to its authors, architects Enric Granell and Antoni Ramon, the book 'focuses on relating the cultural activities of architects’ associations and at the same time provides a history of Catalan architecture from the perspective of its local associations.' In short, it takes you on a journey through the living history of the collective, represented by a series of well-known names.
The achievements of the men and women who have consolidated the Association show that 'over a century and a half, Catalan architects have understood that they have a role to play in public life and a duty to perform it'.
Taking as a starting point the embryo of the current association, the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, the book covers the almost nine decades of the organization through to its move into the building that Xavier Busquets designed in Plaça Nova, opposite the Cathedral, in 1962.
From this link you can view and download the book about the Association
The proposal for Edifici 111 is showcased in Copenhagen
The architectural firm Flores & Prats is showcasing their project for Edifici 111 in Terrassa at an exhibition in the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen from 5 September to 25 October 2013. The 'Meeting at the Building' exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the School of Architecture of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the guest architects and professors Ricardo Flores and Eva Prats, and features material relating to the design, construction and final status of Edifici 111 in an area of over 700 square metres.
The exhibition builds a scenario in which the everyday social relations of the campus of the Academy's School of Architecture overlap with those established every day by Edifici 111, and can be viewed in a series of videos. According to the architects, the aim is to 'bring a fragment of Barcelona to the Copenhagen campus to set the stage for discussions on the role of architecture in the European welfare society in the third millennium'. Visitors are invited to enter the scenario and get involved in this approach to the possibilities of contemporary social housing.
The exhibition is complemented by the results of the workshop that Flores and Prats held for students at the Royal Danish Academy last January on the design of social housing, during which they studied various cases in Barcelona and Copenhagen.
The exhibition will have a second and very unique complementary space: the showroom of the architectural firm Leth & Gori in an old bakery in the centre of Copenhagen. This will feature projects by Flores & Prats prior to the Edifici 111 venture which already featured some of its most distinctive characteristics. Also, in a reflection of the original activity in the premises, a selection of cakes and biscuits will be produced for the exhibition, featuring the shapes of the projects being exhibited there. The British artist Soraya Smithson and the Barcelona-based patisserie Escribà will be working together to cook these edible projects.
Organised by: Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen
From: 5 September to 25 October 2013
THE COAC IN CATALONIA
The structure of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia is tailored to the regional complexity of Catalonia, providing a service for architects and society as a whole through its five areas—Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida and Ebre—and a series of regional branches and offices, helping to contribute towards social action and services in their immediate area.
This means that the almost 10,000 Association members across the whole of Catalonia have easier access to the Association and, in turn, the Association can offer its social and cultural services to the whole region. In response to the primary mission of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, which is to uphold the social value of architecture and town and country planning on behalf of both society and architects, the immediacy that these regional branches provide means it can get involved in the numerous transformations taking place in Catalonia; reaching from the great metropolis of Barcelona to the provincial capitals of Girona, Tarragona and Lleida and out to smaller towns and villages.
Thanks to this network of branches across the whole country, the task of upholding the practice and profession of architecture has become the backbone of the collective, providing solutions to each and every individual need.
Nueva Ley catalana de Arquitectura
El Consell Executiu aprobó el martes 3 de diciembre la memoria previa al inicio de la tramitación del Anteproyecto de la nueva ley de arquitectura, con la voluntad que el nuevo texto legal esté aprobado a finales de 2014.
El objetivo general es poner en valor el interés público de la arquitectura, asegurar la preservación como patrimonio cultural i social, así como distinguirla como bien fundamental para garantizar el bienestar de las personas y la cohesión social dotándola de objetivos de calidad en todo tipo de proyectos. El Colegio ha tenido un papel muy destacado en el impulso de esta ley, que fue anunciada por el conseller de Territori i Sostenibilitat, Santi Vila, en nuestra sede el pasado mes de julio. Además, el COAC participará activamente en el proceso de redacción de la ley.