Festa A La Placa

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“Festa a la Plaça” is a collaborative project developed in Barcelona as part of the Design Research Master’s program. In collaboration with —Virginia Podova, Fatima Valer, Mohammed El Sabee— we discovered a local protest group in the Poblenou neighborhood opposing a fence placed by the city around a square previously used as a community space. The fence turned the square into a more secluded, private area, raising questions about public vs. private spaces in Barcelona.

The project evolved into a broader exploration of public space, driven by discussions with the protestors and research into other community-claimed spaces around Barcelona. To symbolize resistance to the enclosure, we constructed a ladder from reclaimed wood and organized an event to toss it over the fence, inviting the neighborhood to reassert their claim. The ladder represented access and community collaboration, highlighting the project’s goal of reclaiming public space through collective action and engagement.