Trip to Barcelona

DATE

26.01.2026

One of the first stops was the EMBT Miralles Tagliabue studio and the Enric Miralles Foundation. There, students engaged with Enric Miralles’ legacy and learned how the studio continues to develop an architecture closely linked to place, process and research.

The visit showed how conceptual thinking, drawing, model-making and experimentation remain fundamental tools in contemporary practice. In addition, the opportunity to see how Benedetta Tagliabue’s studio is structured was particularly enriching.

The group also visited the studio of Francesc Rifé, together with his showroom, Ri House. This experience focused on interior design, attention to detail, and the coherence between architecture, object and materiality. Students gained insight into how a strong identity is built over time, based on precise decisions, a clear language, and constant attention to scale and the atmosphere of spaces, guided by Sergio Alfonso, a former MArch student and now one of the key pillars of Rifé’s studio.

The following morning, students took part in a guided visit to Moll de Pescadors, one of OAB · Ferrater’s most awarded projects. Accompanied by Lucía Ferrater and Núria Ayala, they toured the project while gaining an understanding of its urban, technical and constructive complexity. It was particularly interesting to discover how a project of this scale develops over time and how it engages with such a sensitive context as the Port of Barcelona.

In addition to the visits to studios and projects, the trip included a full day of lectures at the COAC, in a space designed by Peris + Toral. In the morning, Lucía Ferrater and Núria Ayala shared their way of understanding architecture, speaking about processes, competitions, built work and teamwork. In the afternoon, students listened to Alberto Veiga of Barozzi Veiga in a lecture that addressed the rigour, precision and conceptual intensity of his work, as well as the studio’s interest in and preparation for public competitions.

Beyond the specific programme, the trip allowed students to discover a different Barcelona, far from the usual tourist perspective and much closer to professional reality. Being able to speak directly with architects, visit buildings alongside their authors and see studios from the inside makes this type of experience a fundamental part of architectural education. A journey that not only adds references, but also broadens the way of understanding architecture, the profession and the professional future of those who are just beginning to build it.

We travelled to Barcelona with students from the MArch Postgraduate Programme in Applied Architecture, the MArch Postgraduate Programme in Industrialised Architecture, the MArch Master’s Degree in Architecture, Design and Innovation, and the MBA MArch Master’s Degree in Architecture, Design and Business Administration.

MARCH VALENCIA | ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO

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