what’s news Roca Gallery Series of conferences as part of the “Urban Plunge” exhibition Experts highlight the importance of recovering natural spaces in cities As part of the “Urban Plunge” exhibition, the Roca Barcelona Gallery organized a series of conferences aimed at highlighting the importance of recovering natural spaces in cities for use by citizens. Entitled “Public spaces, water, culture and leisure”, the first conference brought together David Meca, Olympic and long-distance swimmer, José Antonio Corraliza, Professor of Environmental Psychology, and Manuel Novoa, from the Col·legi d’Enginyers de Camins, Canals i Ports (the Catalan Institute of Civil Engineering) and formerly responsible for the Catalan coastline. Offering their personal and professional points of view, the speakers provided an introduction to the need for urban pools in ports and rivers. The conference was chaired by Elisabet Carnicé, journalist and currently presenter of the television programme A punto con la 2 on La 2 channel. In the second conference, the architect Borja Ferrater spoke about his Pool-Bridge project, specially developed for the exhibition. Also present were Julien de Smedt, founder and director of JDS architects, who gave an insight into his Copenhagen Harbour Baths project, and the museum curator, Jane Withers. In the third and last encounter, “Barcelona and water - past, present and future”, the opening of Barcelona to the sea was discussed as well as the initiatives carried out on the Besós and Llobregat rivers. Those invited to speak on Manuel Novoa, José Antonio Corraliza, David Meca and moderator, the matter were Beth Galí, architect at BB+GG Architects, Elisabet Carnicer, during the first of the conferences. which designed the swimming area at the Forum in the year 2000, Adolf Romagosa, director of Port 2000 UrbanTécnicos del Consorci del Besòs, Joaquim Calafí i Rius, Management, the company set up by the Barcelona who spoke about the development and transformation of Port Authority to manage the public spaces of the Portthe River Besós, one of the areas with the highest urban of Barcelona, and the architect and director of Serviciosand industrial density in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. Exhibitions during the first six months of 2016 Urban Plunge My Toilet New designs for the natural Stories of women and children from environment in our cities around the world From 26 January to 23 April From 10 May to 31 July The exhibition, which has previously been held at the RocaThe exhibition “My Toilet” demonstrated, via 35 portraits and London Gallery, explores six Spanish and internationaltestimonies, the extent to which having a decent bathroom projects which aim to revive urban ports and rivers, turningat home has an influence in many aspects of everyday life. them into new spaces for leisure and thus changing the wayThe exhibition, organised by the We Are Water Foundation we think about water. The Barcelona exhibition includes aand Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), raised completely new project developed specially for the exhibitionconsciousness of the predicament of the one out of three by Carlos and Borja Ferrater of the Office of Architecture ininhabitants of the planet who do not have access to decent Barcelona (OAB). sanitation. 12