#06 - External Reference 8 July 2026, Wednesday

18:30 - 21:30
Carrer de València 287, Primera Principal, 08009, Barcelona Open doors.

Registration required.

The studio

External Reference is a studio led by architect Ph.D. Carmelo Zappulla that designs and transforms spaces into emotional experiences.

Founded in 2007, the award-winning multidisciplinary studio is internationally recognised for its urban design, residential and corporate architecture, retail, hospitality, exhibition and product design projects.

Key projects include the Nova Bocana seafront in Barcelona, the interactive exhibition space for the Spanish Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, the WOW phygital marketplace in Madrid, stores for VICIO and La Manso, and the restaurants Alkimia, Casa Moritz, Plaza Mahou at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and CAAA by Pietro Catalano.

The space

External Reference operates from a 165 m² two-storey studio in a modernist building in Barcelona's Eixample district. The space functions as an architecture, design and experimentation workshop.

The intervention respects the original structure of the building: the Nolla mosaic ceramic floor and artistic glass, inspired by forms found in nature, coexist with a raw and direct materiality.

This historical character combines with a contemporary layer linked to innovation and technology - digital tools, advanced design processes, and 3D-designed and printed furniture used both as work support and testing ground. At the top of the building, a communal terrace shared with the other offices offers open views of the city.