The exhibition will be displayed on bus shelters throughout Donostia, scattered across the city, and will remain visible for the entire duration of the Biennial.

It showcases ideas that remained on paper, offering an alternative vision of the city’s urban development. For instance, in 1813, following the near-total destruction of the city during the Peninsular War, many thinkers and architects began to envision possibilities for its reconstruction—one that, although rooted in a historic location, demanded complete reinvention. Proposals such as transforming the bay into an industrial port, urbanizing Mount Urgull, or—at a later stage—building an airfield in Martutene, were some of the ideas put forward at the time. These projects reflected not only a drive to innovate but also a need to adapt to the social and economic changes of the era.
What would Donostia have looked like if those ideas had been brought to life?
The main goal of the project "Uchronias of San Sebastián" is to recover and explore the city’s historical memory, highlighting both its evolution and the identity of its inhabitants. Through its "Postcards," the exhibition aims to provoke critical reflection on urban planning decisions and their impact on Donostia. Moreover, it seeks to challenge the visitors’ imagination by presenting imaginary timelines that—although fictional—could very well have been real, since someone once conceived and designed them.
A complementary exercise in epistolary literature will accompany the exhibition: writer Harkaitz Cano will take on the role of a resident living in each of these imagined versions of the city, sending postcards from these alternate places. For example, an elderly man will plead for attention from a care home on Santa Clara Island, a Russian émigré will recount his summer in the garden city of Urgull, and a merchant navy captain will write to his family from the industrial port in La Concha Bay.
This exercise not only allows citizens to connect with a reimagined past, but also invites them to reflect on the future of their urban environment—reminding us that every architectural decision holds the power to shape the identity and character of a city.

Exhibition map