Tecla Sala exhibition explores social housing crisis in Barcelona

The Centre d'Art Tecla Sala in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat presents 'Gestar y habitar. Estrategias para la vivienda social en Barcelona', an exhibition by LLINDAR ARQUITECTURA SLP that examines social housing policies in Barcelona. Included in the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture program, the show is based on research conducted between 2015 and 2023. It addresses the housing crisis in the Barcelona metropolitan area, where rising rents, tourist apartments, and temporary contracts have made access to stable housing difficult. The exhibition is structured around two verbs: 'Gestar' (to gestate) covers technical and political decisions behind public housing; 'Habitar' (to inhabit) focuses on residents' daily experiences. Seven strategies are presented through case studies such as La Balma, Aprop Ciutat Vella, Glòries, Encuny, and Llar Casa Bloc. An immersive installation features five full-scale floor plans of analyzed projects, with movable volumes that visitors can rearrange. An AI tool collects visitor reflections to expand the archive of housing experiences. The exhibition notes that social housing in Spain accounts for only about 2.5% of total housing, far below the European average of 8%.