Barcelona’s urban fabric reveals a rich urban history, of which the latest demonstration was its organization into octagonal blocks of 113 meters each side designed by Cerdà in the 19th century. Here, we question the mutability of such a fabric by inventing a mixed block project, assimilable to the macro-lot, which draws its qualities from local, traditional architecture.

Cerdà’s urban organization planned for square blocks with leveled heights, and these “absent triangles” form the matrix of our project, which is developed in two superposed layers. On the ground floor, the block remains eminently urban: under airy arches of brick reminiscent of traditional Spanish architecture lies a covered market open onto neighborhood streets. Patios allow light into the heart of the block, cut through by a wide planted pedestrian mall. On the upper level is a layer of housing connected by a network of semi-private alleys and gardens, alternating between shade and light. The townhouses cleverly combine density and independence (the houses are only connected by the tips of their triangles).

The Villacerdà project thus proposes an interweaving of programs that conciliates both urban and residential moments. It invents new ways of living between the complexities of contemporary urban life and the traditional simplicity of shapes and materials.