Author: Renardo A
Site Location: Barcelona
Institute: Crescent School of Architecture
B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology
Advisor: Ar. Sangeetha
Description
This thesis investigates the future of dense urban living through the lens of speculative design, megastructural theory and modular architecture, applying these frameworks to the city of Barcelona as it confronts the escalating pressures of climate change by mid-century. Drawing on foundational movements in twentieth century architecture including the Japanese Metabolists, Archigram’s Plug-In City, and the theoretical projects of Yona Friedman and Buckminster Fuller the research traces the intellectual lineage of large-scale, systems-based urban thinking and asks how relevant these ideas remain today. At the centre of the investigation is Barcelona’s Superblock (Superilla) programme, a pioneering urban intervention that reclaims street space from motor vehicles in favour of pedestrian life, green infrastructure and climate resilience.
The thesis weighs the programme’s well-documented gains reductions in air pollution, noise and urban heat against its real and persistent limitations: traffic pushed onto surrounding streets, vulnerability to shifting political winds, and the ever-present risk that rising desirability displaces the lower-income communities the programme was meant to serve. Looking toward 2051, the thesis proposes a second-generation Superblock model that treats climate adaptability not as an add-on but as a core design principle. This means drought-tolerant planting, passive cooling infrastructure, distributed solar energy systems and circular economy programming woven into the fabric of the neighbourhood from the outset.
The thesis concludes with a design proposal: a speculative megastructure complex in Barcelona comprising an entry pavilion, a centre of innovation, a living tower and a co-working block, each element working together to form a coherent, climate-responsive urban district.
Drawings
Click here to go back to the storehouse.