La Marina allows itself to be seen differently this weekend. On the occasion of the Open Barri de Primavera, promoted by 48h Open House Barcelona, a selection of spaces that normally remain closed to the public can be visited for free during April 25 and 26. The initiative is part of a broader project that, for two weeks, activates the neighborhood with routes, cultural activities, and experiences revolving around architecture. But the most anticipated point remains the same: entering buildings that do not usually open and understanding what happens inside. This was expressed by Elisenda Bonet, director of the 48H Open House architecture festival, as "an opportunity to vindicate and celebrate architectural work, also the treasures hidden in the neighborhoods we usually call peripheral".
Open Barri was born as an extension of the Open House festival, but with a different intention. It is not just about showing architecture, but about doing so from proximity, working with the neighborhoods and valuing what is part of their daily identity.
What to visit this weekend: six spaces usually not very accessible
Among the 27 visitable spaces, there are six that the program itself highlights for their architectural or historical value or for their limited access. All of them accompanied by guided tours, which allow you to explore La Marina from a completely different perspective. These are some of the must-sees:Housing Complex for SEAT Workers
A direct example of how industrial architecture has shaped the growth of the city. This complex was born linked to the expansion of SEAT and allows us to understand how workers' housing was conceived: functional spaces, designed for community life and connected to the productive environment. More than a residential complex, it is a key piece for reading the social and urban evolution of La Marina.
Estrelles Altes Housing Complex
Here another scale and another way of living appear. This complex responds to a more contemporary urban planning, where the organization of space and density take center stage. Its visit allows us to observe how residential models have adapted to new ways of life, maintaining a balance between the collective and the domestic.
Malpaís Art Space
One of the most unique points of the tour. The Malpaís art space moves away from any conventional logic to place itself in a more experimental terrain, where architecture and creation dialogue openly. More than a building, it is a place of ensayo, of process, where the use of space is constantly redefined and where the very context of the neighborhood is part of the project.
Torre Ponent – Porta Firal
This building introduces a more contemporary dimension to the tour. Visible within the urban landscape, the Torre Ponent reflects the recent growth of the area and its connection with new economic dynamics. Its visit allows us to understand how La Marina integrates into a transforming Barcelona, where residential, business and service uses coexist.
La Chalmeta Housing Cooperative
A project that focuses on another way of building a city: from the collective. La Chalmeta is an example of cooperative housing where architectural design responds to a shared way of life. Common spaces, community management and a conception of living that prioritizes coexistence over individuality.
Administrative District of the Generalitat de Catalunya
One of the most inaccessible spaces in daily life. This large institutional complex allows access to contemporary administrative architecture designed on a large scale. Its design responds to criteria of efficiency, organization, and sustainability, offering an unusual look at how public workspaces are structured today.
Much more than open doors
Although the weekend concentrates the attention, Open Barri works as a broader program that activates the neighborhood during fifteen days, from April 13 to 26, with a program that goes beyond a one-time visit. In addition to the open doors, proposals such as Hidden Spaces, itineraries marked with QR codes within the program Open Sky, participatory activities and cultural experiences that cross architecture with music, art or even gastronomy.The program also incorporates less common formats, such as Música x Arquitectura (Music x Architecture), with concerts and audiovisual experiences in neighborhood spaces, or Tres punts de fuga (Three vanishing points), a live radio program that opens the debate about the city and its evolution. Added to this are workshops, talks, and participatory proposals such as the Bústia del Barri (Neighborhood Mailbox), which collects reflections from residents about the future of the territory. There is also space for all audiences. Initiatives such as Open Petits, designed for families, or Open Sketch, focused on the creative gaze, broaden the scope of the project and reinforce the idea of bringing architecture closer from different angles.
Among them, Open Cuina (Open Kitchen) also stands out, where different establishments in the neighborhood reinterpret their identity through gastronomy, with proposals linked to local memory —such as traditional chicken wings with "ajo cabañil" (garlic sauce)— that turn cooking into another way of reading the territory. Beyond the programming, the project proposes a fundamental idea: to highlight neighborhoods that have historically been outside the cultural spotlight and place them at the center of the urban narrative.