| Title |
The Barcelona Model as a Projective Approach to Urban Morphology |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.7.181 |
| Keywords |
Urban morphology; Urban project; Urbanism; Architectural intervention; Barcelona model; Laboratori d’Urbanisme de Barcelona |
| Abstract |
The Barcelona Model has been widely referenced in Korean urban policy and public projects as a successful example of urban regeneration.
However, its reception has remained largely focused on visible outcomes, with limited attention to its underlying morphological framework
and the role of the urban project as a key operative tool. This study examines the concept of urbanism developed at the Escola Tecnica
Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona as an integrated discipline that connects morphological analysis with architectural intervention. By
comparing the development of urban morphology in Korea, the study identifies the distinctive contribution of the Barcelona approach, which
expands morphology from an analytical framework for interpreting the past into a projective methodology capable of guiding value-based
judgment and shaping urbanity in material form. Particular attention is given to the theoretical contributions of Manuel de Sola-Morales and
the research?practice framework established by the Laboratori d’Urbanisme de Barcelona. Through the cases of Moll de la Fusta and L’Illa
Diagonal, the study demonstrates how morphological analysis can be translated into strategic interventions that reshape urban context. It also
highlights the limitations of Korean urban planning shaped by regulatory systems and quantitative parameters, arguing that the Barcelona
approach, grounded in urban form, offers an effective alternative for addressing the complex and layered challenges of contemporary cities. |