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Barcelona is renowned for its parks and open
spaces, La Rambla, Parc Güell and the beaches being the most famous of them. See
above for a description of La Rambla. See separate article on Parc Güell ( 1914
), the large fantastical park designed by Antoni Gaudí as a private housing
estate and opened to the public in 1922 . |
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The site of the Barcelona International
Exhibition in 1929 and 1930 , the Parc de Montjuïc was laid out by engineer Jean
C. N. Forestier and architect Nicolas M. Rubio Tuduri. It is chiefly notable now
for the cultural institutions that use the former palaces and exposition
buildings. The German Pavilion, a landmark of modern architecture designed by
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 Exhibition, was reconstructed on its
original site in 1986 . Montjuïc Stadium was renovated and enlarged by Vittorio
Gregotti for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. |
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In 1983 the Plaça dels Països Catalans in front
of the Sants railway station was redesigned by Helio Piñon Pallares and Albert
Vaiplana Vea in pink granite paving with an undulating metal pergola and various
hard furnishings that have become popular with skateboarders. At the same time,
the neighboring Vapor Nou factory, was converted into the Parc de la Espanya
Industrial for public recreation. This park, designed by Luis Peña Ganchegui and
Francesc Rius Camps and completed in 1985 integrated the industrial shapes of
the site with a dominant water feature and displays of sculpture.
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Since 1983 a formal program of park creation has
been carried out by the Mancomunitat de Municipis de l'Àrea Metropolitana de
Barcelona. The purpose of this program has been to reclaim space for the public
which is threatened either by neglect or overdevelopment. Typically these new
parks are carefully designed by architects, planners and landscape architects
concerned not just with functional elements, but also with the unique
characteristics of the site and its position in a layered understanding of the
city. Though the budgets may be small, the level of ingenuity and care in design
and implementation is often very high. Some examples (note that many are in the
metropolitan area, not in Barcelona itself): |
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Carrer Brasil, 1996, Olga Tarraso and Jordi Hernrich. A Rambla
built over parking spaces. |
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Parc del Torrent Ballesters (Viladecans), 1997, Arturo
Frediani/SOB Associates. |
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The design recaptures the pattern of
agricultural use using beds of flowering plants. Trees and a pool strengthen the
sensual escape from the surrounding city. |
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Parc de Canserra (Barberà del Vallès),1996 , Studio BCQ
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Parc de Torrent Congost (Granollers), 1996 ,
Enric Battle and Joan Roig. |
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A narrow linear park defined by hedge walls and a
grid of trees on the bank of the Congost River. |
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Upgrading of Parc de Torreblanca, the historical site of an
urban farm. |
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Fontsana, Sant Joan Despí on the site of a former refuse dump.
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Parc del Besòs, La Mina housing estate. |
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Parc de les Planes, located at the boundary of three districts.
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Parc del Litoral, at the mouth of the River Besòs. |
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Parc de la Creueta del Coll, 1987 , Oriol Bohigas , Josep
Martorell, David Mackay, |
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architects. Once a quarry, it now boasts an
artificial lake that serves as a public swimming pool in summer; it contains a
magnificent statue by the Basque artist Eduardo Chillida.
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Parc Nou del Prat, on the Llobregat delta, adjoining Sant Cosme
and the airport | |
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This program of planned parks is often among the
civic improvements for which the city actively seeks international events as
spurs for redevelopment. For example, the upgrades to Montjuïc and the seaside
industrial areas for the 1992 Olympic Games were accompanied by the building of
recreational facilities in other parts of the city lacking development. One
notable site is the Vall d'Hebron, a deep ravine in the foothills of the
Collserola range north of the city. The urban design by Eduard Bru created a
terraced sequence of belvedere-like platforms with views of the city.
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