The transformation of Barcelona into a capitalist city

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the effect of the contemporary mass society and its capitalist model on the spatial and architectural construction of the city of Barcelona. Knowing that the capitalist model is a globalized model (and for that reason basic parts of its content can be found in all major cities), we have the aim to investigate and present our assumption that, in Barcelona, local conditions (created by historical, political, social quaintnesses) are generating a local, unique capitalist model. In this fact we have to add the contradictions that Barcelona is having, in order to understand the real dimensions of the evolution of the barcelonean model. According to this thesis’ argumentation, in Barcelona are existing concrete factors that determine the specific content and the form of the barcelonean capitalist model, as a unique model. On this rigid base, afterwards we can comment on the particular consequences that this barcelonean capitalist model is provoking to its urban structure, in one hand, and to its most representative buildings, in the other.