Themed routes
Barcelona lived through a magical summer it will never forget. When the city hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, the city became the world’s capital during a fortnight which will be etched forever in people’s memories. The Olympic Ring on Montjuïc was the nerve centre of the festivities.
Today, the Olympic Ring is much more than a place commemorating thrilling sporting achievements. This area in the middle of the Parc de Montjuïc, houses a series of amenities used every day by the city’s community which are also admired by its visitors. Next to the imposing Olympic Stadium, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, and the sports complex, the Palau Sant Jordi, stands the striking communications tower designed by the Valencian engineer and architect Santiago Calatrava. A 136-metre-high, steel sloping structure, its outline is reminiscent of an athlete’s body and its base is covered in broken mosaic trencadís tiles, in clear reference to one of the techniques used by Gaudí. The orientation of the tower means that the shadow of the central needle projected on to the adjacent Plaça d’Europe acts as a sundial.
The Bernat Picornell swimming pools are a favourite meeting point for Barcelonans who want to keep fit, and, next door, is the University of Sport, the headquarters of the National Physical Education Institute, the INEFC, which was designed by Ricard Bofill and reveals the architect’s taste for classical forms based on columns and a triangular frieze.
The industrial architecture in Poblenou has been put to new uses adapted to the needs of today. Many of the old factories that people can find in Barcelona have been remodelled in order to house new activities. This is the case of Can Felipa and Can Ricart.
As we near Can Felipa, on Carrer Pallars, will be captivated by a building that is more reminiscent of a Parisian residential block, with its mansard roof and large windows on the façade, than a former textile factory dating from 1855. It is currently the home of a community centre, which runs a whole host of activities, as well as the local archive, the Arxiu Històric del Poblenou. It even has a theatre in the roof space.
The former factory of Can Ricart, which was built between 1852 and 1855, rises up majestically next to the Eix de Pere IV. Can Ricart was an important textile mill that manufactured printed fabrics. Today, the central section of the building, the adjacent tower and an area now used as studios by artists in residence are the surviving parts of the original building.
L'Auditori, which is located in the Eixample, covers a surface area of 42,000m2 and is one of Barcelona’s premier music venues. The wood-lined main auditorium, the Sala Pau Casals, can seat 2,340 people and has exceptional acoustics which can be experienced as you enjoy a wide variety of musical styles, from symphonic music to rock and the works of singer-songwriters.
The concert hall complex, L’Auditori, was designed by Rafael Moneo, one of the world’s most renowned architects, It opened in 1999 and since then has become a focus for Barcelona’s musical life in the spheres of education, teaching and research. L'Auditori has three concert halls with impeccable acoustics, each of them named after a Catalan musician: the symphony hall, the Sala Pau Casals, seating 2,340 people; the Sala Oriol Martorell, seating 600, and the Sala Tete Montoliu, seating 400. The complex also houses the Museu de la Música, the music school, the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) and is the premises of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (OBC). All these spaces are set out around a central courtyard which contains one of the true gems of the building: the monumental cubic lantern made of glass and decorated with striped paintings by Pablo Palazuelo.
L'Auditori is the venue for the Barcelona Festival of Contemporary Music, and hosts seasons of symphonic, chamber, early, world, choral and modern music. It also runs educational programmes, provides support for young artists, and brings music to the most disadvantaged members of the community.
From the Barcelona Cathedral, an undulating, brightly coloured roof catches our eye. Attracted like insects to a colourful flower, we approach to discover a food market below the roof: the Santa Caterina Market. The original design of the building, as well as the treasure trove of produce displayed on its stalls, won’t disappoint visitors to the neighbourhood of Santa Caterina.
The refurbishment of Barcelona’s first covered food market by the architectural practice of Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue was completed in 2005. The old Santa Caterina food market revealed a gleaming, undulating and brightly coloured roof designed to be seen from the air. The roof is attached to the building by a wooden structure, and a vast mosaic of coloured ceramic pieces, representing fruit and vegetables, boldly breaks with the traditional look of a market. The market has always been characterised by a desire to innovate. Santa Caterina Market was built in 1845 to provide the neighbourhood’s blue-collar community with foodstuffs.
The spacious, modern market building was constructed on the former site of the Convent of Santa Caterina, from which it takes its name. During the post-Civil War period, Santa Caterina became the main food supplier to the towns on the outskirts of Barcelona. People from Sant Adrià, Santa Coloma and Mataró came on the tram to buy food in this market in times of shortage. Today, the market is still worth a visit: the modern exterior ushers us into a traditional market with food stalls and restaurants which serve outstanding-quality produce.
Like a needle pointing towards the sky, the Collserola tower has been an iconic part of the Barcelona skyline since the year of the Olympics, 1992. It has become a major landmark which combines modernity with the most spectacular views of Barcelona and its surrounding area, from its observation deck, which is the highest in the city.
No other Olympic infrastructure better defines the new Barcelona skyline than the Collserola communications Tower designed by the British architect Norman Foster. The complex comprises a service and maintenance building and the 445-metre-high tower, which has stood since 1992 on the hill known as Turó de la Vilana located in the Sarrià Sant Gervasi district. A steel-framed structure, comprising 13 platforms, was hoisted up a concrete shaft and a 38-metre-long tubular steel mast.
The public observation deck, 560 metres above sea level, is located on the tenth platform which is reached from inside the tower by means of a lift taking the public to the deck in under two and a half minutes. An impressive observation deck boasting superb views of Barcelona and its metropolitan area, where you can sometimes see as far as 70 kilometres. You’ll need to use private transport or the Tibidabo Funicular to get there, but the journey has its final reward. A ride to the skies above Barcelona.
The park covers a surface area of 17 hectares and gives Nou Barris a pleasant, modern appearance in keeping with the residential area where it is located. It blends in perfectly with the site and its undulating landform has a lot of surprises in store.
In one spot there is a street lamp in the shape of the traditional Spanish ornamental comb, the peineta, in another a giant water fountain. The Parc Central of Nou Barris in Barcelona appears to want to compete with its New York namesake, but on a smaller scale. Or at least it aims to become one of the main landmarks of this part of Barcelona. The park is the city’s second largest and opened in 1999. It was expanded in 2003, and uses the greenery in its different spaces to integrate the district’s unique and historic buildings, such as the former Santa Creu Mental Hospital, the current home of the district council; Can Carreras, an old farmhouse; and the business innovation centre, the Forum Nord.
Water is the main linking element between this network of buildings and green areas. It can be found in tranquil reflecting pools throughout the Parc Central, as well as emerging in cooling jets from tall fountains. A section of the old Dosrius aqueduct is another architectural element that marks the outline of the green area: an outline defined by street lamps, the tallest of which are shaped like tuning forks and the shortest like palm trees. As well as giving light, these curious wooden structures provide shade and shelter to the Parc Central in Nou Barris.
This large park with lots of open space is also known as the Parc l’Escorxador (so named because it stands on the site of the old municipal slaughterhouse: escorxador in Catalan) and is used by visitors and locals from Barcelona’s Eixample Esquerra to relax. This great urban “lung”, full of possibilities, is located at the south-west end of the neighbourhood and is the perfect appetiser before you begin exploring the monumental Plaça Espanya.
In 1979, Barcelona began dismantling its old municipal slaughterhouse. The result was the first large urban park of the post-Franco Barcelona: a city which sought to renew itself and instinctively knew that it was necessary to undertake planning projects that would address new social needs and bring about the renovation of obsolete sites for new uses. In this case, a group of young architects, headed by Beth Galí, designed a park that occupies four blocks of the Eixample, which Ildefons Cerdà – the architect behind the Eixample district – had originally envisaged for this part of Barcelona. The park, which is known locally as the Parc de l’Escorxador, is a jigsaw puzzle of different elements set out around a cement plaza designed to host all kinds of events and activities. Around the plaza, there are platforms on different levels, pathways, pergolas and landscaped areas with pines and evergreen oaks, which are the ideal place to take a stroll and enjoy your free time.
An artificial water channel runs parallel to Carrer Tarragona, lending coolness to this side of the Parc de Joan Miró. This is the site of Joan Miró’s 22-metre-high monumental sculpture Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird). Like the park, it was dedicated in 1983, shortly before the artist’s death. There is a public library on the other side of the park, which is named after Joan Miró.
At the Parc de l'Espanya Industrial you’ll find a small boating lake, a giant sculpture of a dragon (which doubles up as a slide for kids), grassy areas, Mediterranean trees and sports fields. This is the perfect spot for a peaceful family picnic far from the noise and bustle of the city.
A vast textile mill known as La España Industrial stood on the site now occupied by the park until well into the 20th century. The existence of the park today is proof of the strength of the community movements of the 1970s when the owners of the mill, which had moved to new premises, wanted to build new housing on the site. The City Council gave the green light to using the site as a public space for the neighbourhood and, in 1985, the Parc de l'Espanya Industrial opened, designed by the Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui.
The giant metal dragon by the sculptor Andrés Nagel, who also hails from the Basque Country, was added two years later. It is 32 metres wide and 12 metres high. A number of sculptures created for the 1929 International Exhibition were taken out of storage in the municipal warehouses and displayed in the park. These include Neptune, by Manuel Fuxà, Venus by José Pérez Peresejo, and the Oxen of Plenty, by Antoni Alsina. The nine tall towers, like monumental lighthouses, stand at the top of the white steps which lead down to the water, and give the park its characteristic feel. If you go down to the boating lake or hire a boat, you’ll find birds such as grey herons, tufted ducks, ferruginous ducks and red-crested pochards.
A small, delightful park, sunny but with shady areas, simple yet complex, is located in Barcelona’s Eixample. An artistic gem which combines the contours of the land with art, creating a park of extreme delicacy, where decorative forms make a walk through the large grassy areas a pleasure for the senses. .
The architects Andreu Arriola, Carme Fiol and Enric Pericas used the land freed up around the former railway station, the Estació del Nord, which closed in 1972, as the site for a 5-hectare park, where there would be enough room for large grassy areas and trees. The North-American sculptor, Beverly Pepper, gave decorative form and personality to a green area which eventually opened in 1988 and was expanded in 1999.
Art with its sculptures and street lamps follow and blend in naturally with the natural lines of the park. On the shady side of the park, a series of graduated sloping rings runs parallel to a descending spiral of trees; on the sunny side, the grassy area features volumetric earth mounds which follow the contours of the land, representing a fallen sky covered with small shards of sky-blue ceramic tiles. This sculptural ensemble by Beverly Pepper is indeed entitled Cel Caigut (Fallen Sky), and is clearly inspired by the style of Gaudí. It consists of a succession of open, transparent lines where the green of the grass contrasts with the blue of the mosaic, inviting us to engage in full and active contemplation. The park is also a connecting space amongst Barcelona’s buildings such as L’Auditori, the TNC and the Arxiu de la Corona d’Aragó, the historic archive containing documents about the Aragonese monarchs.
Jean Nouvel’s imprint can be seen once again in the new Barcelona that has developed around the Diagonal Mar neighbourhood. This new Parc Central del Poblenou is an architectural gem combining different zones and a variety of planting. A much- needed green “lung” in the former industrial area of Poblenou.
The park was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel and opened in spring 2008. It covers a surface area of 55.000 m2 between the Carrer Bilbao, Carrer Marroc, Bac de Roda and Diagonal and provides an oasis of calm which clearly defines the inclusive, social spirit of the new Poblenou. The perimeter wall outside the park is covered with Mediterranean plants and a Gaudiesque gate leads inside. The main meeting place, the Plaça de la Sardana, is located in the centre of the park, surrounded by huts where kids can play.
An area resembling a lunar landscape has a pneumatic refuse-collection plant, a further example of Jean Nouvel’s concerns to preserve the environment, as is the fact that most of the park – with its dense vegetation comprising willows, shady trees, lianas and flowers – is irrigated by groundwater. Nouvel wanted his signature park to be used by the entire community, combining different habitats where they can relax in the metal chairs in the shade of lush, colourful plants and trees.
This park is one of the “green lungs” in the district of Sant Martí and is located in the centre of the Clot district. It was laid out in the 1980s on land occupied by factories and workshops, and is used by the local community, incorporating architectural elements from the past in a modern setting.
The Parc del Clot covers an area of 3.5 hectares, and stands on a site between the district council building and the market. High bridges connect both sides of the park enabling pedestrians to get from one part of the district to another. As you cross the bridges you’ll see several elements which bear witness to the mechanics’ workshops which once stood on this site: the chimney, arches and walls which were incorporated into the Clot’s new green area in 1986, the year the park opened. The remnants of factories are the linking motifs throughout the park and have become architectural elements that blend perfectly with the surroundings. The stone arches that were once part of the façade of the old railway workshops, RENFE, survive intact. They have been turned into a narrow aqueduct which stands 25 metres high with cascades of water flowing down from the channel at the top.
The abundant Mediterranean vegetation includes pines, poplars, palm trees and holm oaks, and in the centre a hillock provides views of the entire zone of Sant Martí. The park also includes a square with a football pitch, a basketball court, and stands for spectators. In the middle there is an irregularly shaped pond with goldfish, and a children’s play area.
The Parc del Fòrum is located on the waterfront at the northernmost end of the city. The park was built for the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures. It isn’t a park or green space in the strictest sense of the word, but a large area which brings together a series of spaces and amenities which host a wide range of events.
In 2004 Barcelona hosted the Universal Forum of Cultures, an unprecedented event which contributed to a dialogue about cultural diversity, sustainable development and the conditions for peace. The epicentre of this major gathering is now a reclaimed area of land by the sea where you’ll find: the Plaza and Esplanade which host trade fairs, music festivals and large-scale events; the triangular Forum Building, which has become the undisputed icon of Barcelona’s new architecture; the CCIB-Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona, one of the most modern conference facilities in Europe which can host up to 15,000 people; the Parc dels Auditoris, a large open-air space by the sea; and the spectacular Photovoltaic Cell, whose sloping structure is underpinned by a forest of columns and is a symbol of Barcelona’s commitment to sustainability and preserving the environment; the Forum Marina and bathing area, where we can soak up the most genuinely Mediterranean character of the city.
The marine zoo which is to be located in the waters of the Parc del Fòrum, will be an added inducement for people to come to this area which has set the benchmark for Barcelona’s capacity for urban renewal.
The Parc de la Diagonal Mar is a must-see for visitors because it epitomises the new Barcelona and is quite unlike any other city park. This ambitious contemporary work encapsulates Barcelona’s desire to become a city at the forefront of originality and sustainable architecture.
The architectural practice of the husband and wife team of Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue reached the pinnacle of innovative and sustainable architecture with their design of the Parc de la Diagonal Mar in 2002. Located in the new Forum Barcelona, on a disused factory site, this 14-hectare park is divided into seven large areas. Each area was designed to evoke different sensations. A large children’s play area, a raised walkway over water, the lake with sculptures which spray out water, the curved tubular structures, the giant central plaza, etc, are clearly defined areas which are linked by a common element: water
Water that flows through the raised tubular structure that spiders its way through the park. This moving line occasionally coils around suspended plant pots which are reminiscent of Gaudí's organic architecture. In addition to being the linking element of the jigsaw puzzle of the park, the tubes also convey groundwater which irrigates the gardens. A technological and decorative wonder which fits in with the sustainability criteria that formed the basis of the design of the Parc de Diagonal Mar, full of ecosystems and where nature is controlled by man.
The slender outline of the Bac de Roda Bridge, known locally as the Calatrava Bridge, marks the border between two districts of Barcelona city: Sant Andreu and Sant Martí. It was built between 1985 and 1987, at the crossroads of the Carrer Felip II and the Carrer Bac de Roda.
The internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava created this bridge which became one of the landmarks of Barcelona before the Olympics. Calatrava designed the work in his characteristic style: curves, inspired by the lines of the human body, light colours and tensed cables on either side of a bridge adapted to vehicles as well as pedestrians.
An extremely beautiful visual concept spanning the railway line, in a neighbourhood of Sant Andreu, that was a focus of social and urban problems when the bridge was built. This made it necessary to improve and prepare run-down areas by building major engineering works such as this bridge, which led to the reappraisal of these “new Barcelonas” and their integration into the urban fabric.
The real function of the bridge, as a way of getting over the railway lines that separated both districts, is complemented by its symbolic function of lending cohesion to disconnected areas of the city. It is well worth taking a walk across the city bridge that has given an image of modernity to Sant Andreu, and using it as a viewing point showing a neighbourhood with a more human face in the throes of transformation. The beauty of the bridge earned it the 1987 FAD Architecture Prize.
There’s nowhere better in Barcelona for fun and relaxation than the Olympic Marina, which attracts locals and visitors alike, adults and youngsters. Water sports, the beaches and countless restaurants serving seafood cuisine are just some of the attractions in this, the most Mediterranean part of Barcelona.
Barcelona’s Olympic Marina has become one of the city’s most popular leisure areas. Located opposite the Olympic Village, it was built in 1991 during the redevelopment of this area of Barcelona. The marina was designed by the architects Oriol Bohigas, Josep Martorell, David Mackay and Albert Puigdomènech. The city needed a sports marina which would meet exacting standards, and it was the site of the sailing competitions during the 1992 Olympic Games. The marina has 740 berths for yachts and its entrance is visible from anywhere in Barcelona.
The two skyscrapers on either side are the Mapfre Tower and the Hotel Arts, with Frank Gehry’s spectacular goldfish sculpture at its base, and nearby, the Gran Casino de Barcelona. Lovers of water sports can go yachting or practise other types of sailing techniques here, and in the summertime, the beaches on either side of the marina – Barceloneta and Nova Icària – are the perfect place for sunbathing or for a cooling dip in the sea.
The TNC, Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, is located in Barcelona’s Eixample. It is housed in an imposing building in the shape of a Greek temple designed by Ricard Bofill. It comprises three theatres, seating 900, 400 and 300 people respectively, which combine performances of Catalan and Spanish plays and world classics, with contemporary dance and drama.
The Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC) opened in Barcelona in 1996. The building was designed by Ricard Bofill and covers a surface area of 20,000m2. It has a pitched roof underpinned by 26 columns that are 12 metres high. The building complex is strongly reminiscent of the imposing splendour of a Greek temple, an impression accentuated by the white steps leading up to the main entrance in front of a grassy area planted with palm trees and olive bushes. This outdoor space, known as the Plaça de les Arts, is sometimes used as an open-air performance space.
Once inside the building, you can visit the spacious, air-conditioned foyer with its glass walls and interior plants which was designed as a covered public plaza. Escalators and a glass lift go up to the restaurant, which covers a floor space of 1,000m2 and is located right over the stalls in the main auditorium, the Sala Gran. This auditorium seats 900 people and is laid out in the style of a classical amphitheatre, ensuring maximum visibility from all seats. The TNC has two other performance spaces, the little theatre, or Sala Petita (300 seats), a versatile space that can be arranged in a variety of ways bringing the audience and actors into close contact, and the theatre workshop, the Sala Tallers (400 seats), in the adjacent building, which stages more experimental productions and works by new writers.
This new landmark on the Barcelona skyline was added in 2003: an enormous bullet-shaped cylinder emerging from the ground and pointing skywards, with a glass surface in which the colours of the Mediterranean are reflected. The Agbar Tower is one of the symbols of contemporary Barcelona.
Barcelona’s new iconic landmark was the result of a collaboration between the Atelier Jean Nouvel and the Barcelona-based b720 architectural practice, and was inaugurated in the Plaça de les Glòries in 2003. Like a geyser bubbling up from the depths of the earth, the Torre Agbar, which is the headquarters of the water company Grup Agbar, has an eye-catching outline. It stands 144 metres tall and provides an imposing observation deck over the new Barcelona. The French architect Jean Nouvel took into account the building’s location when he designed it, and this is why its shape is reminiscent of the mountain of Montserrat or the Gaudiesque forms of the Sagrada Família. He also harnessed solar power and groundwater to reduce energy consumption.
The tower has an oval, almost circular base and the interior is spacious and open-plan without pillars. The outer curtain wall is clad in different-coloured glass louvers which can be tilted at different angles. The colour scheme changes from the warmer reddish tones at the base to cooler blues and whites at the top. At night, when the tower is lit up and saturated with colour, it is a beautiful sight.
The city’s main cycle-racing track, the Velòdrom d’Horta, was built in 1984 as the host venue for the Track Cycling World Championships and was awarded the FAD Architecture Prize the same year.
The Velòdrom can hold up to 3,800 spectators and was an Olympic site in 1992 for the track cycling events. The Velòdrom also has a gym, five-a-side football pitch, a seven-a-side pitch and a basketball pavilion.
Barcelona’s Velòdrom is part of the park designed by Bonell i Rius, which can be reached from the Ronda de Dalt ring-road, across a visual poem by Joan Brossa, which also marks the entrance to the nearby Parc del Laberint. This is one of his “corporeal poems”, which, in this case, features monumental-scale letters tracing a walkable itinerary divided into three parts: birth, the journey, with pauses and incidents, and finally, the outcome. The letter “A” marks the beginning and end of the poem and walk.
The Olympic Village was created in the Sant Martí district for the 1992 Olympic Games, when the decision was taken to build an entire neighbourhood by the sea to house the athletes who were going to take part in the sporting competitions. This major urban-planning project brought about the regeneration of large areas of the city’s coastline and reclaimed a derelict industrial site. The leading architects of the time were chosen to design housing blocks, and Barcelona gained a residential district as well as new beaches, spacious landscaped areas and public amenities.
AA number of chimneys still dot the skyline, providing a reminder of the industrial past of a neighbourhood that offers Barcelona’s best leisure opportunities. Looking up, you’ll see two skyscrapers towering over the Olympic Marina, the Torre Mapfre and the luxury Hotel Arts, which stands 144 metres in height. Below it, a giant goldfish, designed by Frank Gehry, overlooks the sea. The Olympic Marina has over 40 bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal at any time of the day.
And the beaches, which stretch out on either side of the port, invite you to take a cooling dip or a stroll along the seafront. The area also offers a wide range of water sports and sailing activities.
