A surface never meant to be seen; traces of unrealised extensions; ruptures in the urban fabric. The party wall. Once exposed through urban change, these accidental elevations suddenly carry the burden of representation.

As part of Barcelona’s nomination as the 2026 UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture, an international idea competition for young architects focuses on ten party walls across ten districts. Upon reading the exhibition title, “De mitgeres a façanes” (From Party Walls to Facades), I initially felt sceptical. In a city preparing itself once again for international visibility, I wondered whether these surfaces were being aestheticized for global representation rather than transformed out of genuine local necessity.

Tucked away in a courtyard and accessible mainly to those who seek it out, the exhibition is set in a sober industrial hall, addressing a primarily local audience. Open installations and technical lighting create a functional, minimalist atmosphere. Four-sided freestanding panels form a loose grid, each one telling a story: the district and its blind wall, the runner-up proposals, the winning concept and, finally, the adjusted, budget-aligned version developed with residents, who then receive 50% municipal funding. Across different contexts, recurring themes emerge: vegetation, solar strategies and urban biodiversity. Many projects rely on low-tech material intelligence, such as perforated ceramic blocks that act as bioactive façades, simple openings that enable natural light and ventilation, and hanging gardens that soften exposed surfaces. The result is not merely cosmetic repair, but an improvement in quality of life and a change in how the city approaches its edges. Crucially, the exhibition does not gloss over the realities of implementation. The adjusted versions reveal that not all residents are able, or willing, to afford the proposed improvements in full. Some façades remain open-ended, allowing for future adaptation.

Rather than presenting polished images, the exhibition portrays façades as processes and an ongoing local urban conversation. The façades will be realized this year. I am eager to see their transformation.

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