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Great Public Spaces
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Parc
Guell*
Antonio Gaudi, along with his patron, Eusebi Guell, had started
out building a park with 40 house sites for large families with
children and domestic help – an early, in-town version
of the elite, walled-off neighborhoods we see today in the U.S.
In fact, only two houses were built, and the remaining land
became a glorious public park that is one of the great treasures
of Barcelona – and the world.
[click
here to view the GPS listing] |
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Las
Ramblas*
Las Ramblas is one of those rare streets that makes you more
enamored of its subtleties each time you travel along it. This
former stream bed, used as a promenade by citizens when it was
dry, was in time covered over to become the ultimate “River
of Life”: a place people came together to experience the
life of their city. Today it still is the grandest of walkways,
one with very distinct changes among its sections (thus the
plural name) as one strolls its 5,000 feet from the Placa de
Catalunya to the Monument a Colom next to the sea.
[click
here to view the GPS listing]
[click here for a slideshow] |
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Avinguda de Gaudi
We loved the wonderful quiet and comfortable quality of this
ramblas. Its effect is one that immediately slows your pace,
allowing you to observe the numerous people just relaxing and
enjoying themselves (an activity at which the locals excel).
It also has glorious architectural bookends: the Sagrada Familia
and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau.
[click here to view the GPS
listing]
[click here for a slideshow] |
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Parc de la Ciutadella*
On Sundays this park is a kind of international "happening"
of enormous proportions; overall, it's one of the most intensively
used parks we've ever seen. This makes it a great place to observe
public life, as it draws a variety of people from all ages and cultures,
who use it in equally varied ways. Ciutadella is a living demonstration
of user-friendly design, showcasing all the components needed for a good
park. Comparing it with Parc del Diagonal (Hall of Shame)
only further confirms how bad the latter is.
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here to view the GPS listing]
[click here for a slideshow]
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La Boqueria
The presence of this market is a real indicator that the Barri Gothic,
the heart of the old city, is alive and well. This is not a tourist market
(though tourists do come in large numbers) – it is first and foremost
about food. The huge array of goods draws all kinds of people, who come
to eat standing up at a number of small bar/cafes, or to buy provisions
for their next meal.
[click here to view the GPS
listing] |
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Gaudi Benches
Having sat upon benches all over the world, we think that those
designed by Gaudi at the Parc Guell and on the Passeig de Gracia
are unsurpassed examples of a seamless combination of art and
function. Remarkable, in that combining these two qualities
seems so important. Yet the simple originality of these benches
is so striking, you can't help but ponder how little attention
is commonly paid to something so elemental.
[click here for a slideshow] |
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Boulevards
Even though the word is French, we believe that Barcelona defines "boulevard" for the rest of the world. It has all
kinds, from wide streets with wide sidewalks; to streets with
a small "Ramblas" down the middle; to the most elaborate
version, with major travel lanes and side-access roads, divided
by generous walkways for pedestrians. Each boulevard type has
many variations, making Barcelona the only place to fully appreciate
the evolution of the boulevard.
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Passeig De Gracia
Easily a worthy contender with the Champs Elysee as one of the
grandest boulevards of the world. In fact, we prefer the Passeig
as it is more restrained commercially, creating a nice balance
among sidewalk, architecture and commercial activity. When originally
built, it had narrow sidewalks with a side access road and a
wide walkway for strolling (a primary activity at the time).
With little access to the stores in buildings lining it, the
boulevard struggled. Eventually the sidewalks were widened and
the street took its current shape. At 180 feet, it is one of
the widest of any city. But it is still comfortable, with an
appropriate scale in relation to the size of the buildings flanking
it. The extraordinary architecture along this street is one
of its great attractions
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listing]
[click here for a slideshow] |
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Sagrada Familia
This church has an almost mystical presence in the city. One can never
forget the uniqueness of this grandest example of Gaudi's architecture.
We think it's comparable to the Taj Mahal, the ruins at Tikal,
or the Sydney Opera House.
[click here to view the GPS
listing]
[click here for a slideshow]
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Palau de la Musica
One immediately thinks of the Opera in Paris or La Scala in
Milan when one becomes familiar with the magnificence of this
palace to the arts. Despite being tucked away on a narrow street,
you quickly sense the power this building has on its surroundings.
People seem in awe just being near the energy that it exudes.
[click here to view the GPS
listing]
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Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau
The grand buildings that make up this complex are in utter contrast
to contemporary hospitals, vast mazes of passages that are cut
off from any sense orientation. What went wrong? Here is a complex
of beautiful buildings that offer many public and private places
for rest and contemplation. There is also a sense that each
building has its own purpose, and yet together there is a wholeness
that makes this hospital seem very special. Doubtless its layout
creates many problems, but many of the positive qualities at
this hospital seem missing in our more modern versions.
[click here to view the GPS
listing]
[click here for a slideshow] |
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Architecture of the Eixample
Cities that expanded from the late 1800s to the early/mid 1900s
-- such as Vienna, Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm,
and Saint Petersberg -- did so by adding to the old, often walled
city with a grid system. The Eixample is one of the best examples of this
development, with a wealth of architecture from that period by
such names as Antoni Gaudi, Telm Fernandez i Janot, Enrique Sagnier I
Villavecchia, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch that leaves an indelible impression
of innovation and excellence. Most buildings are eight to nine stories
high; some have murals and often wonderful details, allowing important
interior rooms to have a better exposure to the street.
[click here for a slideshow]
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