A new web platform on architecture and design is launched

A new web platform on architecture and design is launched

Roca Gallery Web © Roca Gallery

Barcelona. 1st October 2018. The 23rd July was launched a new web platform, which aims to be a meeting point between architecture and design professionals. Twelve people and over 30 international writers are involved in the project and have already started to generate updated weekly content. The web is published in two languages: English and Spanish. Each month it will focus on a different theme. The first title launched on the web was ‘Urban versus Rural’ followed by “Connection in a Material World”. This October the main topic is “The Afterlife of Architecture”: “The legacy of obsolete industrial landscapes. How architects are breathing new life into discarded buildings and ancient ruins. Considering future effects of climate change on architecture. What has been learnt from the Grenfell Tower disaster and one man’s mission to salvage the iconic floor tiles of Barcelona.” The themes in the coming months are:

Homepage of the second issue of the new platform Roca Gallery Web © Roca Gallery

One Ocean: the theme of November Issue.

  “This platform is Roca’s intent to contribute to the global debate on subjects that affect all of us,” says Xavier Torras, Director of Roca’s Communication and Corporate Branding. For the second and third issues, authors of the exclusive content include Pedro Gadanho, director of the new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon (MAAT), Gonzalo Herrero, architect and curator of the Architecture Programme at the Royal Academy of Arts in London or Ethel Baraona, critic, writer, curator and co-founder of the independent research studio and publishing house dpr-barcelona. The content is divided into four categories: views on architecture, eye on design, the future and sustainable world.  

FEATURED IMAGES 3rd NUMBER #The Afterlife of Architecture

Auditorium of the convent of St. Francesc of David Closes © Jordi Surroca Article: The Remains of the Day. Brian Gallagher. #The Afterlife of Architecture

Neues Museum of David Chipperfield © Jörg von Bruchhausen Article: The Remains of the Day. Brian Gallagher. #The Afterlife of Architecture

LEAD ARTICLES IN THE SECOND ISSUE #Connection in a Material World SMALL CITY ARCHITECTURE: WALDEN 7 AS A SOCIAL NETWORK Rafael Gómez-Moriana At the root of every social network, digital or urban, lies a desire to belong to a ‘tribe’. 
FIVE PLACES TO CONNECT WITH THE DIVINE Brian Gallagher
How Cutting Edge Architecture Elevates Us to a Higher Level. SHARE, LIKE, LOVE: WHY DESIGNING FOR THE SHARING ECONOMY IS DIFFERENT Cecilia Tham Technology has allowed many aspects of the sharing economy to flourish. FUTURE PERFECT? TECHNOLOGY INTERRUPTS THE ARCHITECT’S OFFICE Ethel Baraona Ethel Baraona Pohl discusses how new communicative ecosystems are changing the way architects work and create.  THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT’S NEW FRONTIER Julia Fairley Neuroarchitecture reveals how and why we connect physiologically to space and place. FRONTEIRA LIVRE: PRACTICING URBAN PLACEMAKING IN SÃO PAULO Lucy Bullivant When architects participate on urban placemaking projects with local people, giving them a genuine voice, and the results are put on show in public spaces, the result can be extraordinarily illuminating.

Meeting of expert committee at Roca London Gallery, January 2018. © Simon Ellis Brainstorming session using the Manual Thinking method of Luki Huber y Gerrit Jan Veldman.

A small city inside the Walden 7. © Gregori Civera Article: Small City Architecture: Walden 7 as a Social Network. Rafael Gómez-Moriana. #Connection in a Material World

Sunset Chapel by Bunker Arquitectura. Image courtesy of Bunker Arquitectura. Article: Five Places to Connect with the Divine. Brian Gallagher. #Connection in a Material World

Makers of Barcelona (MOB). Image courtesy of Cecilia Tham. Article: Share, Like, Love: Why designing for the sharing economy is different. Cecilia Tham. #Connection in a Material World Article: Future Perfect? Technology Interrupts the Architect’s Office. Ethel Baraona. #Connection in a Material World

Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital by Bates Smart. Article:  Neuroarchitecture- The built environment’s new frontier. Julia Fairley. #Connection in a Material World

Frontera libre, placemmaking project. © Lauro Rocha. Article: Fronteira Livre, Urban Placemaking in São Paulo, Brazil © Lauro Rocha #Connection in a Material World

Updated inspiration is a section that publishes recommendations and news items that are connected to the theme of the month and invite the user to go deeper into the subject, be it an event, or book or film.

Connecting the city to the sea in Copenhagen. Imagen courtesy of Copenhagen Islands.

The monthly themes have been decided upon by an editorial committee of experts during a meeting that took place in Roca Gallery London (a work of Zaha Hadid Architects) in January 2018. The seven members of the committee are Raya Ani and Jane Duncan (both architects); the writer Jonathan Bell; the architect and urbanist John Palmesino; the journalist and consultant Pati Nuñez; along with the head of Roca brand communication Núria Vall-llovera and the director of communication at Roca, Xavier Torras.

Meeting of expert committee at Roca London Gallery, January 2018. © Simon Ellis. Left to right: John Palmesino/Raya Ani/ Xavier Torras/Jane Duncan/Pati Núñez/Jonathan Bell/Nuria Vall-llovera

EXPERT COMMITTEE   RAYA ANI Architect, Dubai and Nueva York. Ex president of the American Institute of Architects, Middle East Chapter (AIA Middle East). 2017 and director of RAW Architects.           JONATHAN BELL Writer, London. Contributing Editor of the magazine Wallpaper* and editor of the official Aston Martin magazine.                   JANE DUNCAN Architect, London. Ex president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA, 2015-2017) and founder of Jane Duncan Architects + Interiors.             PATI NUÑEZ Journalist, Madrid and Barcelona. Director of the Pati Núñez Agency, strategy and communication consultant specialized in architecture.           JOHN PALMESINO Architect and urbanist, London and Switzerland. Founder of the Territorial Agency and professor at the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture.               XAVIER TORRAS Communication Director, Barcelona. Director of Communication and Corporate Branding at Roca and director of the We Are Water Foundation.             NURIA VALL-LLOVERA Communication Executive, Barcelona. Head of communication for the Roca brand and director of the jumpthegap® International Design Contest.             CONTRIBUTORS IN THE FIRST ISSUES INCLUDE MARTÍN AZÚA Designer, Barcelona. Founder of Numbered Store and winner of the Premio Delta de Plata 2011. ETHEL BARAONA Architect and architecture critic, Barcelona. Founder of dpr-barcelona. STEFAN BAUMANN Photographer, Vienna. Has visited hundreds of abandoned spaces in 14 countries. JONATHAN BELL Writer, London. Contributing Editor of the magazine Wallpaper* and editor of the official Aston Martin magazine. LUCY BULLIVANT Curator and author, London. PhD Hon. FRIBA and director of Urbanista.org. KAREN BURSHTEIN Photographer, translator, and journalist, Winnipeg (Canada). Collaborator in various leading publications including Dwell, Conde Nast Traveller and The Guardian. GIOVANNA DUNMALL Writer and editor, London. Writes for leading publications including The Guardian and Frame. PATRICIA ESPINOSA Design journalist, Madrid Writes for numerous publications including El Dominical, XL Semanal, Mujer Hoy, Estilo and ABC. PEDRO GADANHO Architect, curator and writer, Lisbon. Director the new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT). BEN MORGAN Architecture and design journalist, Melbourne. Co-founder of Bower Bird, a digital platform that connects architects and designers with writers and the specialised press. BENJAMIN PROSKY Urbanist, New York. Executive director of the American Institute of Architects-New York (AIANY). GONZALO HERRERO Architect, curator and writer, London. Curator of the Architecture Programme at the Royal Academy of Arts. SAKET SETHI Architect, Mumbai and Barcelona. Founder of the Archilogics Studio. CECILIA THAM Entrepreneur, Barcelona. Founder of the creative community Makers of Barcelona (MOB). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Link to the project: www.rocagallery.com Hashtag: #RocaGallery Follow us Twitter / Facebook /You Tube We would greatly appreciate sharing and/or comments on social media.    

14 Sep, 2018