More than 200 Architecture students from the second to fifth years designed and built a large inflatable architectural installation in Plaça de Josep Antoni Coderch, in front of Disseny Hub Barcelona. The activity formed part of the “Hubble Bubble” Vertical Workshop, organised by UIC Barcelona School of Architecture and led by Núria Prieto, an architect specialising in inflatable architecture, and Pol Arbós, architect and lecturer at UIC.

The installation was first assembled on 7 September, when the students publicly presented the project and staged a performance related to their proposal. On 8 September, "Hubble Bubble" was erected again in the square, where it remained on display until 14.00.

"The project is the result of an intensive week of experimentation, construction and collaborative work. The students organised themselves into four teams, each responsible for developing one section of a single inflatable structure. Together, they also defined the programme and narrative that give shape to the installation," explains Núria Prieto.

A journey through the stages of life

"Hubble Bubble" takes the form of a large semi-circular tunnel rising to more than six metres at its highest point. The route was conceived as a representation of a person's life through four stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age.

Each of the four teams created an allegorical atmosphere associated with one of these stages, exploring how form, space and experience can express different moments in life. The four sections are interconnected, forming a single collective installation.

Each of the four sections that make up "Hubble Bubble" was assessed by a panel comprising Vicenç Sarrablo, architect and lecturer at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture; Iñaki Baquero, architect and lecturer at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture; architect Xevi Bayona; and architect Ainara Bilbao.

The panel considered the section dedicated to childhood to be the strongest proposal. In particular, it highlighted the use of light in all its forms, both natural and artificial. This approach lends the piece greater flexibility and allows it to offer different experiences during the day and at night. The panel also noted the project's ability to convey childhood in an abstract, non-figurative way, capturing it as a stage of discovery, growth and joy.

Inflatable architecture

The project is based on experimentation with inflatable architecture, characterised by its lightness, temporary nature and ability to create large spaces using very little material. The "Hubble Bubble" concept draws inspiration from nebulae and the fragile structure of bubbles to explore the formal, spatial and expressive possibilities of this type of architecture.

Its location in a central public space in Barcelona also enabled the installation to reach beyond the university community. During its assembly and exhibition, "Hubble Bubble" attracted the curiosity of numerous passers-by, who stopped to observe the structure and interact with the students. Children were among its most enthusiastic visitors, approaching the installation to play and explore the spaces it created.

A week of experimentation to begin the academic year

The Vertical Workshop is how Architecture students at UIC begin the academic year: an intensive experience that challenges them to respond to a specific architectural brief. Through a methodology based on hands-on learning, construction, experimentation and collaborative work, students are required to transform an idea into a built project.

The work encompasses both the physical structure and the graphic and audiovisual materials associated with the project. The process enabled students to experiment with a form of architecture that is lightweight, temporary and participatory, while also taking on the challenge of working in large teams to create a single shared proposal.