WRITING/ÉCRITS/TEXTOS

mASTER’S THESIS (eng)
Some kind of spark : imagination as a spatial force in the case of Tres Xemeneies de Sant Adrià de Besòs

Resum en català aqui /// Resumen en español aquí

In a world marked by overlapping crises, it is more important than ever to think of imagination as a central element of emancipation, much underestimated in society and spatial discourse. Drawing on Cornelius Castoriadis’ definition, radical imagination is the collective ability to see spaces, life and social institutions not as they are but as they might otherwise be. Therefore, why do certain spaces or spatial conflicts mobilize more strongly the imagination, and how can we make use of this imaginative capacity as planning technicians? To answer this research question, the thesis develops around a single ‘extreme’ case study: the old thermal power plant of Sant-Adrià de Besòs (Tres Xemeneies). Through the lens of imagination, it navigates the overlapping significations of contested space by mobilising material from interviews with key actors, artworks exhibited on site, and architecture competition proposals. The evolving meanings around Three Chimneys are explored through eight short, interrelated essays, each focusing on a single aspect of the space: its terrain vague state, peripheral location, icon status, neoliberal signification, as well as its role in collective memory, grassroots imaginaries, artistic intervention and architectural metaphors. This analysis leads to a classification of elements that either spark or block imagination. Sparks emerge through ruptures in the dominant order of things, via certain affordance of the environment and in spaces of freedom. Imagination is blocked by overdetermined material abundance, structural inequalities and the hypnotic spatial narratives of capital. Recognizing imagination as inherently political and transformative, the thesis concludes by outlining strategies allowing imaginary exploration in the context of design, planning and city-making initiatives.

Keywords: Spatial imagination, Radical imagination, Contested space, Urban memory politics, Terrain
vague, Iconic architecture, Urban imaginaries, Cornelius Castoriadis, Sant-Adrià de Besòs, Three
Chimneys/Tres Xemeneies.