Rehabilitation of Santa Caterina square

The current urban development plan cannot manage the whole complexity of the situation. In addition, the plan, in its search for short-term results, has limited the rules of the game in an unbearable way.

The chance to talk about old and new creates the first ambiguity. Building form has a complicated relationship with time. Perhaps we could have in our own Mercader buildings a sense of going back to the same places, as if inhabiting them is nothing more than a time travel undertaken in that place.

What has come down to us now is modern, useful, contemporary and, moreover, allows us to go back in time so that we can move forward.

Supporting demolition works as the only way to 'solve' problems is another mistake. On the contrary. Continuous and repeated use is the solution. It is like thinking and rethinking things. Architecture is just another way of thinking about reality.

The present planning is unable to manage the complexity of the situation. And the planning, looking for short-term results, has unbearably limited the rules of the game.

The chance of talking about new and old creates the first ambiguity. The shape of the building has an intricate relationship with time. Perhaps we could experience in our Mercaders house something like living - again - in the same places as if inhabiting a place were not other than moving across a place's time.

What has reached the present is modern, useful, contemporary... Furthermore it allows going back in time in order to go forward.

Supporting the demolition as the only way to "solve" the things is another mistake. On the contrary. The key is using and using again. It is like thinking and rethinking things. Architecture is just a way of thinking about reality.