The RIBA jurors gave the Spanish city this year's award because it was considered to be a shining example of urban regeneration. Landmark projects such as the Olympic stadium, the World Trade Centre, as well as smaller projects such as parks on former industrial land, impressed the jury.
Barcelona, which is the capital of the province of Catalonia, was recently extolled as a model of best urban practice by Lord Rogers in the interim report of his urban taskforce.
The RIBA citation singles out mayors Narcis Serra, Pasqual Maragall and Joan Clos i Matheu and city officials Oriol Bohigos, Jose Antonio Acebillo for praise.
The city is still looking ahead, with plans to develop the Sagrera-Sant Andreu area around an international rail terminal. The project is designed to revive the inner city in the way that the Olympic complex transformed its docks.
RIBA president David Rock said: "The award conveys so many messages – messages about a building's context being an integral part of architecture, messages about the crucial role that architects play in city planning; about the significance of a client body so knowledgeable and appreciative of architecture and urbanism, and about the power of a mayoral role." The RIBA citation enthuses: "Past and present, work and play are happily intermeshed in a new totality that is more than its often-splendid parts, and is better connected even to sea and mountains." The jury for the RIBA medal this year were Rock, architects Amanda Levete, Sir Norman Foster, Sir Michael Hopkins, critic Ian Latham, developer Stuart Lipton and academics Professor Robert Maxwell and Professor Peter Carolin. The Queen then approved their choice.
- The RIBA is to launch a £14 000 single-stage international ideas competition for improvements to public spaces linking civic buildings in Salford.
