Themed routes

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.