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Javier Arpa Fernández

56 records found

A short walk in Buenos Aires reveals a stark contrast: from the self-built homes of Barrio Mujica to the polished towers of Barrio Norte. Life in Villa 31 is sustained by resilience, care, and informal networks, especially the unpaid labour of women. Though recent upgrades have i ...

Next Costa

Regenerating the Spanish coastlines

Spain’s 8,000 kilometers of coastline host diverse ecosystems, support 40% of the population, and attract millions of tourists but face severe threats from climate change, over-tourism, and urbanization. Rising sea levels could displace 1.5 million people by 2050. Urgent action i ...
The Grand Paris Express (GPE), Europe’s largest infrastructure project, aims to reshape the Paris metropolitan area with over 200 kilometres of subway lines and 68 stations. Designed to improve connectivity and catalyse urban renewal, it symbolises a monumental step towards a mor ...
Málaga, once a gateway to the Costa del Sol, has become a cautionary tale of tourist overexposure. A cultural rebranding effort—anchored by museums and pedestrian upgrades—has drawn millions, but at great cost. Local shops have been replaced by chains, neighbourhoods like Lagunil ...

Indigenous Intelligence

Ancient knowledge, current design

This exhibition brings together practices, stories, and designs rooted in Indigenous intelligence — knowledge cultivated over centuries of living in close relationship with land, water, and community. The works on display highlight approaches grounded in reciprocity, resilience, ...

Madrid: dal collasso al boom

Una storia di diseguaglianza

Madrid has become a European powerhouse, attracting investment and tourism, yet faces a deepening housing crisis. Following the 2008 financial crash, abandoned neighborhoods symbolized unchecked speculation. Now, amid Spain’s economic boom, luxury property prices have surged, fue ...

Architects disseminate

Books, media, and the performance of practice

This compact exhibition explores how architects have historically presented their work—how they have narrated, framed, and projected architecture through books, drawings, images, websites, and film. From the first architectural publications in the Renaissance to the media platfor ...

Asunción

Il diritto di abitare la città

Asuncion is a city shaped by absence—of density, continuity, and connection. While its metropolitan area sprawls outward, its historic centre stands neglected and hollowed out. With one of the lowest urban densities in Latin America, Asuncion suffers from disjointed growth, fragi ...

La lotta per il centro di San Paolo

The struggle for São Paulo’s centre

Once the heart of São Paulo’s economic and cultural dynamism, the Região Central has experienced a decline since the late 20th century, as activity migrated to new areas. What remains today is a landscape of stark contrasts: an extraordinary collection of modern architecture – pr ...

Room for Housing

(Four) visions of integrated habitats in the Netherlands

The shortage of adequate housing is one of the significant challenges facing the Netherlands today. This exhibition addresses this issue as a essential piece of a grand spatial puzzle where housing interweaves with energy transition, climate adaptation, circularity, industry, agr ...

Where is Country?

Indigenous Intelligence(s) in the fabric of Naarm-Melbourne

Indigenous knowledge and culture are often obscured in Naarm-Melbourne by its colonial past and rapid urbanisation. Yet, First Nations peoples have maintained a profound connection to the land for millennia, shaping sustainable practices and intricate cultural traditions.

The Green Dip

Covering the City with a Forest

The Green Dip offers ways to reintroduce nature into our cities, by critically examining architectural strategies and green solutions.

The research group The Why Factory (Delft University of Technology) has produced a series of visualizations of various greened cities (H ...

Where is "country"?

Indigenous intelligence in the fabric of Melbourne

In Aboriginal culture, "country" embodies a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land, integral to the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. As Melbourne’s suburban sprawl accelerates, integrating Indigenous values into urbanism becomes increasingly vi ...

Porto Alegre

What remains after the flood

In May 2024, torrential rains devastated Porto Alegre, displacing thousands and exposing deep socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities. Wealthy neighborhoods on higher ground fared better, while low-lying communities suffered severe losses. The Guaíba River, once a symbol ...

World Bottlenecks

Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar, a 13-kilometer passage linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean, is a nexus of ecological, economic, and geopolitical flows. It supports vital ecosystems, migratory species, and global shipping routes, while hosting a complex interplay of nations, including ...
The exhibition Marina Tabassum: building with the Delta explores the work of Marina Tabassum, an architect whose practice is profoundly connected to the social and environmental dynamics of Bangladesh. Since gaining independence in 1971, the country—located at the confluence of t ...
Cranes, towers, infrastructure, plazas, parks, hotels, rooftops and cocktail bars; Skanderbeg, star architects, international competitions, developers and a Bentley; 2030, Europe, NATO, the next Vienna, the new Belgrade, and the next city-state; tourists, beaches, an airport and ...

Winds of Change?

Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024

The 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, titled After Rain, explores themes of renewal and transformation through global artistic expression. Held in Riyadh’s revitalized JAX District, the event addresses urgent issues like climate change, migration, and political unrest while ...
Riyadh, a sprawling car-centric city, faces challenges of rapid urbanization, traffic congestion, and limited public greenspaces amid a growing population projected to reach 10 million by 2030. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 aims to address these issues through tr ...

Lusail

Superlative urbanism

Lusail, Qatar’s ambitious new city north of Doha, aims to showcase modernity, sustainability, and global connectivity. Designed for over 450,000 residents, it features luxury towers, public spaces, and smart city technologies. Yet, questions linger about its social integration, e ...