More than 200 architecturally significant buildings across Barcelona and nearby cities welcomed visitors this weekend for the annual 48H Open House Barcelona festival — a celebration of design, heritage, and urban storytelling.
Now in its latest edition, the festival invited the public to experience architecture through the senses, with free access to residential, civic, and cultural spaces that are typically closed to the public. Beyond Barcelona, sites in Badalona, L’Hospitalet, Sant Joan Despí, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sitges, and Vilassar de Dalt also participated, offering over 200 curated activities and themed itineraries.
Festival director Elisenda Bonet said the event expected around 75,000 visitors, supported by more than 1,000 volunteers. “The goal is to help locals rediscover their city, appreciate its built heritage, and recognize the everyday architecture that defines it,” she noted.
Long queues formed early at key attractions such as the Diagonal One Tower, while guided tours provided fresh perspectives on spaces ranging from historic icons like the Arc de Triomf to community hubs, libraries, and hospitals — underscoring the festival’s inclusive vision of architecture as shared cultural heritage.
