The book Barcelona. Arte y arquitectura ecléctica (Barcelona: Eclectic Art and Architecture), co-published by Àmbit and authored by Judith Urbano and Sergio Fuentes, lecturers and researchers in the Faculty of Humanities at UIC Barcelona, together with Joan Molet (UB), was recently selected as one of the eight winning projects in the 1st edition (2025) of the Barcelona Llibres Co-Edition Awards. The work stems from the joint efforts of the three art historians specialising in 19th-century architecture and offers insight into 19th-century architecture in Barcelona, with a focus on historicist and eclectic trends.

According to Judith Urbano, lecturer and researcher in the Faculty of Humanities, the project highlights architects and buildings that are part of the city’s urban landscape but have been historically overlooked. “For many years, eclectic and historicist architecture has been overshadowed by studies on Modernisme, which are necessary and fundamental. However, this perspective has pushed other architects – whose works are prominent and well-known in Barcelona, but who remain largely unknown – to the background,” the expert explains.

The lecturer also stressed the importance of institutional support, noting that the Co-Edition Awards help give visibility to these figures and raise the profile of architecture that is key to understanding present-day Barcelona.

The aim of the Barcelona Llibres Co-Edition Awards is to promote innovative publishing projects and facilitate their dissemination within the professional sphere by co-editing the winning works with established local publishers. In this case, the project was submitted by Àmbit Serveis Editorials, the publisher that supported the book’s publication.

Through this project, the Faculty of Humanities at UIC Barcelona highlights the research undertaken by members of its teaching staff and their work in studying and promoting cultural heritage, helping to preserve and call attention to the city’s architectural history. The initiative also fosters closer cooperation between universities, public institutions and the publishing sector.