Public spaces and museums: the case of Barcelona

Abstract

The French Revolution marked a turning point in the conception of museums and public space, identifying museums as custodians of culture accessible to all and public space as a strategic element to reinforce collective identity. However, it is since the post-war period that museums have taken on a crucial role in urban planning, evolving from mere exhibition spaces to strategic elements in urban regeneration. Through innovative projects, museums not only enrich public spaces but also act as drivers for the development of museum clusters, positively impacting urban infrastructure and social fabric. This approach is particularly evident in the ‘Barcelona Model’, which represents a virtuous example of cultural urban regeneration. Barcelona demonstrates how museums can act as catalysts for sustainable urban regeneration, enhancing the quality of public spaces and promoting social cohesion through well-designed and integrated museum clusters. Such a contribution aims to explore and analyze the conditions necessary for achieving quality public spaces, illustrating how versatile design choices can be adapted to various contexts, generating tangible responses and improving the integration between public space and cultural environment.

Keywords: making place, museums, Barcelona, cultural public spaces