How much water is there in what we do not see?
Within the framework of the program “Architecture for Human, Urban and Planetary Wellbeing” of Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026, Roca Barcelona Gallery in collaboration with the Fundació Enric Miralles presents the dialogue “Water as Invisible Matter,” a meeting that proposes rethinking the relationship between architecture, water resources, and production processes from an environmental, material, and cultural perspective.
This dialogue is based on a fundamental premise: much of the water we consume is not visible. It is a hidden resource, embedded in materials, construction systems, and the production chains that sustain architecture and everyday life. In this context, the concept of virtual water emerges as a critical tool for understanding the real impact of design on ecosystems.
Through a dialogue between architecture and research in water governance, the session will explore how design can help reveal these invisible dynamics and generate new forms of material responsibility. The meeting thus proposes a critical shift: from water as a resource to water as a system; from the visible to the hidden; from design as form to design as a conscious process.
Speakers:
– Benedetta Tagliabue Co-founder and Principal Architect at EMBT Architects Founder and President of the Fundació Enric Miralles
– Jampel Dell’Angello Associate Professor of Water Governance & Politics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) | Editor-in-Chief of World Development | NEWAVE PI and SENSE Director
This activity is part of the program of Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture, a distinction awarded by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) to the city hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects, turning it into a global forum for architecture, urbanism, and landscape.
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