Mediterranean design: background and references of the Barcelona-design system

The paper presented is a journey through those aspects that have shaped the identity and characteristics of what we could call the Barcelona-Design system. The itinerary starts with the most general aspects until it reaches the specific and local ones, but focuses on those elements of permanence that, although not often evident, are constituted in permanent references used both in the design and in the production of objects and spaces, without being questioned by those who use or even design them. The paper comments on them briefly, understanding that the most important aspect is how they interrelate and update periodically, over time and within the geographical, social, economic, productive and cultural spheres of Barcelona and Catalonia, shaping its identity. From this point on, some products are presented and commented as example, illustrating how certain objects convey social values, recognizable by the cultures in which they are located, in this case, the Mediterranean