Rediscovering parlour gardens 100 years later: art, technology and landscape at the Botanical Garden
From 5 June to 4 October, the Barcelona Botanical Garden hosts the exhibition “Parlour Gardens” in various areas of the Garden, within the framework of the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture event.
This exhibition commemorates the centenary of the innovative “parlour gardens” by Rubió i Tudurí, Artigas and Dufy (1926), reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, bringing together fifteen international architects and landscape designers who reimagine parlour gardens in 3D‑printed ceramic, functioning both as models and as living planters.
Curated by Marina Cervera (Barcelona International Landscape Biennial, CEO of NablaBCN), James Hayter (former president of IFLA, Oxigen), and José Luis Cortés (former president of the UIA), the exhibition proposes a real and conceptual journey through the highest expression of landscape architecture: its most refined form, a synthesis of culture, technique, and environmental sensitivity.
The models are integrated into the Botanical Garden’s homoclimatic zones (California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and Mediterranean regions), so that the visit becomes a narrative about how contemporary urban gardening draws inspiration from diverse global climates while addressing today’s challenges of sustainability, resilience, and climate adaptation. The result is a walk that connects forms, materials, and plants with the places where they can thrive, and that brings the tradition and future of domestic greenery into dialogue
Admission to the exhibition is included with the Botanical Garden ticket.
- Dates: from 5 June to 4 October
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 8 pm
- Please note that the bonsai display is only open on weekends and public holidays.
With the support of Barcelona City Council, Barcelona 2026 UNESCO‑UIA, the UIA and IFLA, and the technical collaboration of Barcelona 3D Ceramics (production) and Talio (planting and maintenance).
Activities associated with the exhibition
Conference reinventing Living Room Gardens 100 Years On. Sustainability and Climate Resilience
This opening discussion brings together designers from three continents sharing Mediterranean-type climates to explore how contemporary parlour gardens address water scarcity, urban heat islands and biodiversity loss.
Moderator: James Hayter (Australia).
Participants: Adrian McGregor (Australia), Tarna Klitzner (South Africa), James Corner (USA), Peter Stutchbury (Australia).
Language: English. Registration open
- Date: 5 June
- Time: 6 pm to 8 pm
- Location: pond area and lobby of the botanical garden
- More information and bookings: https://www.barcelona.cat/capitalmundialarquitectura/ca/programa/inauguracio-parlour-gardens-conferencia-dobertura-reinventant-els-jardins-de-salo-100-anys
Conference Reinventing Living Room Gardens 100 Years On. Tradition and the Future of Urban Domestic Greenery
This discussion brings into dialogue authentic Mediterranean gardening heritage with its global resonances. From Islamic courtyard gardens in Algeria and the French tradition of the jardin d’agrément to pre-Columbian chinampas in Mexico and the mission landscapes of California.
Moderator: José Luis Cortés (Mexico).
Participants: Phil Harris (Australia), Louafi Landschaftsarchitekten (Algeria), Adam Greenspan (USA), Catherine Mosbach (France).
Language: English. Registration open
- Date: 27 June
- Time: 6 pm to 8 pm
- Location: Plaça Polivalent, Barcelona Botanical Garden
- More information and bookings: https://www.barcelona.cat/capitalmundialarquitectura/ca/programa/congres-reinventant-els-jardins-de-salo-100-anys-despres-tradicio-i-futur-del-verd
Closing Event Reinventing Living Room Gardens 100 Years On. Technology and Beauty
Can computational design and ancestral craft knowledge coexist within the same ceramic vessel? As the exhibition draws to a close, this final discussion examines the productive tension between digital fabrication and aesthetic refinement.
Moderator: Marina Cervera (Spain).
Participants: Thomas Doxiadis (Greece), Teresa Moller (Chile), Walter Hood (USA), Gareth Doherty (South Africa).
Language: English. Registration open
- Date: 4 October
- Time: 6 pm to 8 pm
- Location: Plaça Polivalent, Barcelona Botanical Garden
- More information and bookings: https://www.barcelona.cat/capitalmundialarquitectura/en/node/5190