La Rambla is under construction and, once again, is preparing to reinvent itself. A few meters away, one of its most active institutions is also experiencing its own moment of transformation: Elisava celebrates its 65 years of trajectory by opening a new stage. It does so consolidated as a university faculty, with its own research, international projection, and an expansion that will reinforce its presence in the center of Barcelona.
The decision to stay on La Rambla is not casual or merely logistical. "We could have moved, but for us, it's about identity," explains the dean, Cristina Taverner. At a time when many institutions choose to move to new university hubs, Elisava reaffirms its commitment to the city center. So much so that it not only stays but grows: starting in 2027, it will expand its facilities to Nou de la Rambla, in a building that adds 3,000 square meters and will allow for the reinforcement of common spaces and meeting environments for students: "It does not replace the Rambla building, but complements and expands it."
This will be another step in the growth of a design school that was founded in 1960. In the midst of the post-war period, cultural manager Maria Rosa Ferré promoted a design school with an unusual vision for its time: she wanted to open new opportunities for women and creative profiles seeking modern training, with an eye towards industry and a strong humanistic foundation. That pioneering commitment placed Barcelona on the map of contemporary design in the country, as recalled by Elisava's first dean, who was previously a student and professor.
This new position at the head of Elisava is significant, as it implies that it has ceased to be an affiliated school to become a faculty integrated into the university sphere —specifically, to the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia. The change, formalized five years ago, is not only administrative but entails its own academic structure, faculty with research experience, knowledge generation, and governance comparable to that of any other university faculty.
Barcelona, capital of design
The trajectory of Elisava is inseparable from that of Barcelona. The city has built over decades an international identity associated with design, and institutions like Elisava have played a key role. Today, Barcelona is one of the European capitals with the most specialized design training centers, an ecosystem that has attracted talent and investment."Modern design in Spain is partly born here," defends the director of Elisava, Javier Peña. "Having a faculty like Elisava in Barcelona adds strategic value to the city." For Peña, the main impact of the institution is talent: more than 30,000 alumni have passed through its classrooms in 65 years.
Currently, between 2,400 and 2,800 students study each year, divided in similar parts between degrees and master's degrees. The degree programs are mostly national in profile, while in the master's programs, 70% of the students are international. This combination allows local students to work in highly diverse environments, a deliberate commitment to incorporate a global perspective within the classrooms.
But the impact is not only measured in diplomas. Each year, Elisava develops around 700 projects with companies. The relationship with industry is intense and diverse, from large brands to projects with startups or social entities. One of the recent cases is the development, jointly with Mango, of a new material for clothing that incorporates 65% textile waste and uses compostable binders with low environmental impact. The material has been tested in a pilot store in La Roca Village, and is in the patent process.
This type of collaboration directly involves the students. "We like to say that the student leaves with a transcript and a portfolio of real projects," Peña points out. Thus, contact with CEOs, marketing teams, or technical departments is part of the training experience.
Beyond training
Thus, Elisava does not stop at its training aspect. But it goes beyond collaborations with companies, and also has another relevant pillar: that of theinvestigation. Currently, the faculty develops close to 40 active projects. It is a relatively recent dimension —the area has consolidated in the last six years— but it is already a structural part of the model. The most powerful line is biomaterials, with research focused on new sustainable materials applicable to products, interior design, or well-being.This leap towards research is, according to the management, one of the great differentiators compared to other design centers. "We are not just a professionalizing school," defends Taverner. "We generate knowledge and apply it to the environment."
Added to this dimension is the incubator Elisava Impuls, which supports ideas with business potential detected within the academic environment. Since its creation, it has incubated about twenty projects, which include initiatives such as Unifit, a digital platform that connects university students, and Atom H2, a project for hydrogen-based energy accumulators.
These are proofs that design, understood in a broad and interdisciplinary sense, can translate into social and economic impact. "Design has the responsibility to improve the world and the planet," Peña emphasizes. This transformative vocation connects with the humanist origin of the center and its desire to lead the reflection on major contemporary challenges.
65 years, 65 ways to celebrate
Elisava has been shaping the faculty it is now and its multiple facets over 65 years. To celebrate the anniversary, it has planned 65 ways to commemorate it this year: exhibitions, meetings, dinners, urban interventions, and a grand showcaseof the final projects that will involve the Rambla area.The will is to open up even more to the city and celebrate not only the past, but the potential for the future. When the works on the Rambla are finished and the new spaces of Nou de la Rambla are in operation, the coincidence will be symbolic: city and faculty will begin a new stage almost at the same time, 65 years after Maria Rosa Ferré's commitment.