48 h Open House BCN 2016

You and Barcelona have a date with architecture this weekend, with open doors at more than 150 buildings of every type, shape and size. You'll get the chance to experience this exceptional architecture, and it's completely free. Open House activities invite everyone to explore and understand the value of a well-built and well-designed space behind normally closed doors.

The event boasts three sections. The Open Green section groups together spaces that are all about sustainability, such as the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and the Espacio René, housing that has been renovated with green criteria. The Open Infrastructures shows off buildings and venues such as the Barcelona Association of Fishermen, the network of sewage systems, and the La Estrella rainwater depository in Badalona. And the Open Social section features alternative living – you can visit the Piso Cero at the Fundació Arrels, the homes on the ground floor at Buen Pastor, and the museum floor at Casa Block in Sant Andreu.

Other buildings you can check out are regulars on the circuit, including Casa Sayrach, the Círculo at the Liceu opera house, the Arc de Triomf, the Güell pavillions, the magic fountain on Montjuïc, and more. This year the guest city is nearby Badalona (it's a quick ride on the metro to get there).

The event started out in London in 1992 and has since spread to various cities around the world, including New York, Dublin, Galway, Tel Aviv, and for the last five years, in Barcelona as well. Find details of all the participating spaces as well as timetables on the 48 h Open House website (in Catalan and Spanish).