Long lines on the first morning of the Open House Barcelona

The 48H Open House Barcelona has started this Saturday in an almost, almost precovid environment. Throughout the day this Saturday and Sunday, more than 200 buildings normally “invisitable & rdquor; of the city and the metropolitan area will open their doors to show the public the insides of the Catalan capital. A city with a desire for normality, as it was breathed in the different queues in the most diverse buildings: from Arch of Triumph –Where you can go up all day all weekend (from 10 am to 7 pm) to TMB’s garages in Can Zam (in this case, yes, by appointment).

Before 10 in the morning the queue to climb the Arc de Triomphe -the most visited building of the festival- it was already taking half a walk from Lluís Companys. It is no coincidence: the Open House is the only time of the year in which you can go up -if you are in shape, since there is no elevator or railing- to the majestic monument built on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1888. “Unlike the one in Paris, this is not a military arch but is dedicated to progress& rdquor ;, points to the volunteer guide at the foot of the Mudejar-style building in a Catalan with a French accent.

The pull-tail effect is obvious. “Can you go up? & Rdquor ;. And, as long as whoever asks is out for a walk, something very likely on a Saturday morning in these parts, it adds up.

The 12th edition of the festival highlights the work of José Antonio Coderch de Sentmenat (Barcelona, ​​1913 – Espolla, 1984), an architect who, together with Manuel Valls, adapted the Mediterranean architectural tradition – one of the protagonists of this edition – to the parameters of rationalism. Among the works of Coderch -author of the famous phrase “What we need now are not geniuses & rdquor; (Domus magazine, 1961) – visited this weekend include the Torres Trade (1968) and the French Institute of Barcelona (1975). Closely related to the architect of the year is the guest city, Sitges, of which Coderch was the municipal architect between 1942 and 1945.

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It is important that those interested in participating in this great citizen party consult their website well before leaving home because, although the vast majority of visits are walk-insSome do require it, and not all buildings can be visited on both days. There are buildings that will only open this Saturday, such as the Zero Floor of the Arrels Foundation, temporary housing for the homeless, and others who will only do it this Sunday, such as the Cheap Houses of Can Peguera.

The festival program is also organized by theme: the Open Infrastructures section invites you to visit the facilities that support the development of cities (for example, the L’Estrella rainwater tank, in Badalona); the Open Social section shows the architecture of the city that responds to the challenges of social inclusion, and the Open Green section highlights buildings designed with environmental sustainability criteria.