Barcelona's future on display: 84m² city model unveiled for World Capital of Architecture

To kick off the events for the 2026 World Capital of Architecture, a new 1:1,500 scale model of the Catalan capital, 'Pla de Barcelona 2026‑2035' (or the 'Barcelona Plan 2026‑2035'), has been unveiled. 

Covering 84 m² and comprised of 1,204 interlocking pieces, the project is described by mayor Jaume Collboni as a "living instrument" for visually and tangibly reflecting on the future of urban planning.

In addition to the Catalan capital, the model also fully includes the municipalities of L’Hospitalet, Esplugues de Llobregat and Sant Adrià del Besòs, as well as other surrounding municipalities. 

In total, it covers 15 municipalities with an area of 177.5 km² where more than 2.4 million people live.

The scale model is an "interactive platform" to explain the history and future of Barcelona through a modular configuration showing its evolution. 

The model was produced using digital printing, requiring more than 21,000 hours of printing and approximately 950 kilograms of material, with up to ten printers operating simultaneously. 

To create the scale model, a three-dimensional digital model of Barcelona was developed with the support of artificial intelligence tools by a team of architects, geographers and engineers who worked on the project for eight months.

Maria Buhigas, the project's chief architect, described the model as a "working tool" rather than a "static object," highlighting how it brings the digital and physical worlds into dialogue at a time when digital technology often seems to overshadow the physical. 

The scale model is located at the former headquarters of Editorial Gustavo Gili, which will become the House of Architecture of Barcelona.

The exhibition also features four viewing devices offering explanatory narratives combined with virtual, augmented and immersive reality technologies.

The first highlights buildings declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as the ten key venues of the World Capital of Architecture across the city’s districts and the event's main routes.

Surrounding the model, two exhibitions explore the city's present and future. ‘Barcelona: Intense, Diverse and Complex’ reflects on the current reality of the Catalan capital, while the second exhibition focuses on the future and the projects currently under construction or transformation.

The miniature reproduction of the city will remain permanently on display in this space to promote architecture and urban planning once the World Capital of Architecture year concludes.

Visitors can see the model from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10 am and 7 pm.