48H OpenHouse Barcelona 2023 to explore the micro-stories of the city's architecture
128 buildings will open their doors to the public for one special weekend on October 21-22
Barcelona has a well-earned reputation for its architecture, but if you've ever been curious about what it's like inside some of the city's landmark buildings that are generally closed to the public, then 48h Open House is the festival for you.
The two-day event to promote and celebrate the architecture of the Catalan capital is this year holding its 14th edition on October 21-22 when it will throw open the doors of more than 120 buildings in the city.
Every year, thousands of people seize the opportunity to take a peek inside well-known buildings like the Arc de Triomf grand archway, Montjuïc's Magic Fountain, or the 307 Civil War air-raid shelter as part of the 48H Open House Barcelona festival.
In 2023, the festival will have a special focus on the micro-stories that can be extracted from the details of buildings.
Visits and itineraries will focus on fragments of the rich and complex architectural collage of the city: windows, balconies, corridors, fireplaces, staircases, elevators, columns, arches, doores, installations, furniture, and much more, in a wide range of buildings serving different functions.
Visit the festival's website for a full breakdown of which buildings are open to visit and when.
A total of 195 activities will be available across seven different municipalities: Barcelona, as well as Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Sant Joan Despí in the metropolitan area, and Sitges and Vilassar de Dalt slightly further away.
40% of the activities are new this year, with 18 different routes and itineraries offered, plus more than 20 private homes opened up to the public.
Activities are all free, apart from a select few ticketed events where the small fees go to the operation costs of managing the tickets.
In addition, this year part of the programming of 48h Open House Barcelona is organized around the year of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, commemorating the centenary of the death of the architect behind landmarks such as the Palau de la Música Catalana and the old Hospital Sant Pau, both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The festival includes spaces designed by this historic architect to explain his multifaceted career as a reflection of total art: a work in which ceramists, mosaicists, sculptors, glass workers and blacksmiths all took part.
Here are some of the best sites to see during this edition of 48H Open House Barcelona:
- Arc de Triomf - open Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm
- Venetian Towers at Plaça Espanya - open Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm
- Poble Espanyol - open Sunday 10 am to 2 pm
- Palau de la Mùsica Catalana - this is an event with prior sign-up necessary
- FC Barcelona's training ground and complex - open Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm, as well as 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm on Sunday
- Barcelona sewer system network in Eixample - entries Saturday at 10 am and 11.30 am
- Casa Gallart / Lluís Companys civil war air raid shelter - Sunday 10 am to 7 pm
- Liceu Circle - open Sunday 10 am to 1 pm
- Modernist Güell Pavilions - Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
- National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) - Sunday 10 am to 3 pm
- Joan Miró Foundation (building and terraces) - Sunday 4 pm to 7 pm
- Can Framis museum - Saturday 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 2 pm