An architect and urban planner, Manuel de Solà-Morales, Professor of Urban Planning at the Barcelona School of Architecture, founder of the Barcelona Urban Planning Laboratory, and author of several books was awarded many prizes for his work and contributions.

Public space was one of the key themes in his theoretical work and architectural practice. In 2008 he was President of the Jury for the European Prize for Urban Public Space  and wrote the text “The Impossible Project of Public Space” for the catalogue In Favour of Public Space, which was published to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the award.

He worked on a regular basis with the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona. In this video, which was recorded for the occasion of the opening of the Teatre CCCB (CCCB Theatre) in March 2011, Solà-Morales speaks of his relationship with this institution. He recalls the early days of this association, going back to the Master’s course “Projectar la Perifèria” (Projecting the Periphery), which was held at the CCCB between 1991 and 1995 under his directorship, before the Centre was oficially inaugurated.