IAAC Celebrates 25 Years of Prototyping the Future

IAAC – Advanced Architecture Barcelona celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gathering at its campus in Poblenou, bringing together members of its community to mark a quarter century of architectural research, experimentation and education.

What began in post-Olympic Barcelona as a small and independent experiment led by a group of young architects has gradually grown into an international platform shaped by its community of students, alumni, faculty and collaborators.

The celebration also marked the beginning of IAAC’s anniversary year. It comes at a meaningful moment for the city, as Barcelona prepares to become the World Capital of Architecture in 2026. Within this context, the gathering offered an opportunity to reflect on the role IAAC has played in shaping conversations around architecture, technology and the future of cities.

The evening began with a welcome by Daniel Ibáñez, Director of IAAC, who officially opened the anniversary year and introduced the programme of events that will take place throughout the year to celebrate the institute’s 25th anniversary.

In his remarks, Ibáñez outlined the different events and activities that will shape this commemorative year, bringing together the IAAC community to reflect on the institute’s trajectory and its ongoing role within the international architectural landscape.

IAAC co-founder Vicente Guallart then presented the lecture Building IAAC from Scratch, revisiting the origins of the institute and the process through which it developed its identity over the past two and a half decades.

Guallart reflected on the early years of IAAC, when the integration of architecture and emerging technologies was still largely unexplored within architectural education. From the beginning, the institute positioned itself as a place where ideas could move quickly from research to prototype, connecting academic exploration with practical experimentation.

His lecture traced key moments in the development of IAAC and the evolution of its culture of making, research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The evening concluded with a guest lecture by Jordi Faulí i Oller, Chief Architect of the Sagrada Familia since 2012. His talk, titled Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí, 100 Years Later, offered insight into the ongoing construction and completion of one of the most complex architectural projects ever undertaken.

Having worked on the basilica for more than three decades, Faulí shared reflections on the structural, geometric and technological challenges involved in bringing Gaudí’s vision into the twenty first century. His lecture also explored how contemporary digital tools are now used to interpret and construct architectural elements originally conceived more than a century ago.

His presence at IAAC carries particular meaning as the architectural community approaches the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.

As IAAC celebrates twenty five years, the anniversary offers a moment to acknowledge the path that has brought the institute to the present while opening a new chapter for the years ahead.

Over the past quarter century, IAAC has built an international community of students, researchers and practitioners working across architecture, design and technology. The anniversary year will continue to bring this community together through a series of events and conversations exploring how architecture can respond to the environmental, social and technological challenges of our time.