The competition seeks a unified proposal to improve the identity of La Rambla, consolidate its essence as a centre for citizen coexistence, and highlight design as a driver of urban transformation. This initiative fulfills the Excellence Zone for Terraces agreement reached with the Friends of La Rambla and the Restoration Guild.
The competition's objective is to develop three key pieces for the terraces of bars and restaurants: an auxiliary furniture item for service support, an information board for each establishment, and a space-defining element to organize the terrace. The selected and approved design will become part of the furniture for establishments in the Excellence Zone.
The call aims to foster a design culture in Barcelona, emphasizing its capacity to integrate functionality and aesthetic quality in improving public spaces. The project aspires to generate a signature proposal that brings coherence to La Rambla as a whole, enhances its heritage value, and positions the city as an international benchmark in public space design. Evaluation criteria include innovation, sustainability, ergonomics, and coherence with the environment.
The winning proposal will receive a fee of 30,000 euros, covering everything from the preliminary design to prototyping and approval. Selected teams in the preliminary design phase will each receive 1,500 euros. The project will be developed under an open-source model to facilitate its distribution and accessibility.
The competition is open to design studios and product design professionals from Catalonia and is structured in three phases: portfolio selection, preliminary design development with manufacturing companies, and executive project elaboration. The jury will comprise representatives from the Barcelona City Council, ADI-FAD, the Restoration Guild, and the Association of Friends of La Rambla.
The call opens on July 13, 2026, with the portfolio submission deadline on July 27, 2026, at 5 PM. The results will be disseminated through the official channels of ADI-FAD and the City Council, and the selected projects will be exhibited at Disseny Hub Barcelona.
