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Modernism in Architecture and Design
This course will look at Modernism as an international movement in architecture and design. Beginning with a discussion of Modernism in the arts, the course will focus upon developments in architecture and design in Europe and North America between 1880 and 1920 (Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Secession, etc.) Special attention will be paid to Gaudí and Modernisme in Barcelona, and several relevant field visits will
be made. (3 credits)
Spring 2010 Advanced Grammar and Usage I Mejías
The City as a Place to Live: The Barcelona Experience
To live our city means to expand the limits of our homes. To understand this concept we will study public spaces and the importance of their form and qualities to help us feel as one with the city. The course will focus on the characteristics of different public spaces and the activities that take place in them. Throughout the study in time of public spaces in both Europe and America we will distinguish the advantages of each. Barcelona will serve as case of study for the European perspective.
Spring 2009 Modernism in Architecture and Design in Comparative Perspective
This course will look at Modernism as an international movement in architecture and design. Beginning with a discussion of Modernism in the arts, the course will focus upon developments in architecture and design in Europe and North America between 1880 and 1920 (Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Secession, etc.) Special attention will be paid to Gaudí and Modernisme in Barcelona, and several relevant field visits will
be made. (3 credits)
Great 20th Century Artists: Picasso, Dalí, Miró

The work of these three international artists, who all shared ties with Catalonia, is explored individually. In each case, we will study the acceptance and/ or rejection of tradition, the interaction with French art and artists, and personal experience. Attention will also be drawn to the role of both outside stimuli (war) and inner forces (memory, imagination). The course includes field trips to the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya), the Museu Picasso and the Fundació Miró to examine key works first hand.
Architecture and Landscape
The focus of this course is the “Barcelona Model”, the ambitious urban, architectural, landscape, and public space projects steered by the public sector, that have transformed the city since the democratic transition, bringinginternational acclaim.Why are other cities looking to Barcelona as a “model”?The class is structured in three thematic blocks: the first offers a historical background that explores the traditional relationship between city, landscape and architecture; the changes brought by industrialization and the invention of urbanism. The second uses the term landscape in the broadest sense to examine the Barcelona case and the concept of post industrial cities in general. The strategies that cities are using to restructure their urban and economic base, to resituate themselves in a newly emerging international context will be discussed. The third part is more speculative and explores globalizing forces affecting contemporary cities, causing the creation of common landscapes as well as greater awareness of local identity, the environment and sustainability.
International Events in Barcelona: An Artistic Approach
This course focuses on four international cultural events that have determined the world-wide launching of the city of Barcelona as a renowned Art window: the 1888 World Fair, the 1929 International Fair, the 1992 Olympic Games and the 2004 Forum of Cultures. These key happenings highlight important periods in the art history in Barcelona along with the urban transformations that the city has experienced. The course will review the artistic, architectural and design developments in each of these periods.