Bachelor Thesis _ Intertwining Glorias: Urban-Natural

Intertwining Glorias

German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program Department of Architecture and Urban Design

Bachelor Thesis Intertwining Glorias Author:

Supervisor

MennaTallah Hamdy

Examination Committee:

Dr. Rita Pinto De Freitas (Supervisor) German Universtiy in Cairo

Dr. Rita Pinto De Freitas German University in Cairo

Carles Crosas UPC Marta Bayona UPC Marta Bayona UPC Quim Rosell UPC Manuel Bailo University of Virgina Teresa Tourvas University of Nicosia Examination Date

06.06.2017

Submission Date:

06.06.2017

German University in Cairo | Architecture and Urban Design Program Department of Architecture and Urban Design

This is to certify that: 1. this thesis comprises only my original work towards the Bachelor Degree 2. due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used

Signature of the Author of this Bachelor Thesis MennaTallah Hamdy 17.06.2017

Abstract......................................................8 Chapter 1 Major Events and Urban Growth.........11 Barcelona as a Response to 14 Major Events

Chapter 2 Natural Boundaries and Urban Axis...............................................32

Barcelona as a Vertical, Horizontal & Concentric Natural Boundraies....................................................34 Llobregat River ................................. 34 The Besòs Riverbed ......................... 35 Collserola ........................................... 36 The Coast Line .................................. 38

Urban Axes..................................................................42 Avenguda Diagonal ......................... 44 Gran Via de les Corts ....................... 46 Avinguda Meridiana ....................... 48

Vertical Axes...............................................................50 Les RamblasVertical Axis ................ 54

Barcelona Ringed........................................................56

ENTS

CONT

Chapter 3 Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes...............58 A Sequence of Failed Reforms

The “No Man” square (1859 - 1948).........................60 First reform project (1948-1966)..............................62 Second reform project (1966-1987).........................64 Third reform project (1987-2003) ...........................66 Fourth reform project (2003-).................................68

Chapter 4 Intertwining Glorias...............................70 Proposed Strategy and Work Process

Phase 1: City Boundaries.....................................72 Phase 2: City Walk................................................74 Phase 3: Critical Analysis of Glorias..................76 Phase 4: Developing the Strategy.......................80

Critical Review on Work Process.........96 Conclusion and Recommendations.......98 List Of Refrences...................................100 List Of Figures.......................................102

Abstract The bachelor thesis in urban design, spring semester 2017, took place inBarcelona. The project was developed in Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya under the head line: Sewing the city _ Shapping a new Center.

The following Pages will depict who the project was carried out and what analysis that went into it.

This Paper is divided into 4 CHAPTERS; each discussing a phase of the work done. In CHAPTER 1, modern day Barcelona is interpreted through a series of 14 major events that acted as a catalyst to shaping it. The chapter discussed each of these phases briefly illustrated through maps taking from MUHBA online interactive maps.

CHAPTER 2 is an attempt to anal-

yse the urban structure of the city through its natural boundaries, interpreting it as Verticals, Horizontals and Rings. It starts of by approaching the city as a whole “Large Scale” with all its extremeties; analysing each of the four natural elements that shape the boundaries of the city; The Llobregat River to the west, The Besòs River to the east, Collserola to the north and the Coast Line to the south.

Figure 1 Glorias Current Situation

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In the other half of the chapter, the three main avenues of the city, Diagonal, Gran Via and Meridiana, ara analysed as the main connectora between the natural boundaries mentioned. Also, Vertical Mountain - Sea Connections are researched and Les Ramblas is taken as a case study. Finally, a brief notice of the ring road and the old walls of the city is made marking, the end of the chapter.

Following the sequence, CHAPTER 3 starts to look at Glorias and analyse it through four phases of reform that it survived. Glorias is reflected upon as a placa with all the characteristics that should allow it to be a prominent city centre, but, curiously, acts more like a barrier than a connector.

Finally, CHAPTER 4 offers the “Intertwined Glorias” Proposal done by my team. Glorias is proposed as a complex 3 dimensional node, which acts as the meeting point of all the topographic characters of the city as well as uncovers the headen natural elements within itself. Even though Glorias is seen as a busy place with the city’s 3 main axes converging in it, Intertwining Glorias proposes adding a new one to the already complex situation.

The Green Corridor is elevated and acts as a tool of fragmenting the huge space into more Human- Scale friendly spaces, achieving urban continuity. and the theam of Urban Agriculture is introduced into the placa. The chapter discussed each phase of the work as well as a brief reflection on my individual part; the Elevated Green Corridor.

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Chapter 1 Major Events and Urban Growth Barcelona as a Response to 14 Major Events

Through the pages of this chapter, we will come to understand the urban growth of Barcelona as a response to distinctive events that took place in the History of the city.

This is to try to understand and interpret how the city of Barcelona reacts to such major events.

The 14 main events chosen for this chapter are:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Barcino; The Origin Rise of Barcelona County & The Aragon Crown Union The Construction of the Rec Comtal A New Urban Perimeter & The 1st Artificial Port The 1st Consolidation of Gràcia War of The Spanish Succession & The Rise of Barcelonetta 1st Rail Road Cerda’s Plan for Reform and Expansion World Fair 1888 Inetrnational Exposition 1929 The Spanish War and Return to Democracy The Olympic games 1992 The Forum of Cultures 2004 22@; the District of Innovation and the Remodeling of the Eastern Sector

Disclaimer: Original Maps used for this chapter is http://cartahistorica.muhba.cat/index.html?lang=en#map=14/242185/5070759/2010//0/0/0/0

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Figure 2 Barcelona Plain 550 - Barcino

BARCELONA emerged as BARCINO ,a Roman colony, founded

during the ruling of Augustus around 218 BC. Barcino was established on the hill of MONS TABER, at the heart of Barcelona’s historic center. Currently, the hill is no longer visible as it has been long swollen up into the city.

The strategic location of this new colony allowed for full control over the trade on land and from the sea as well as the farm lands on the surrounding plain.

The colony was structured using the

Roman system of CENTURIATION, using the existing road along the coast of that time as a line of reference.

Figure 3 Barcelona 260 - Barcino Pure Roman Centuriation Plan

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Like any other Roman Colony, CITY WALLS was a tradition that must be kept. Inside the walls lived the ELLITE while the rest of the population lived in the suburbia outside the walls.

As Barcino started to gain more importance, a compex RADIAL ROAD NETWORK started to emerge around it, connecting it to the interior along the banks of the Llobregat and Besos Rivers, and to Collserola, taking advantage of the

EXISTING WATERWAYS. Towards the end of the Roman ruling, the ROMAN WALL was reinforced by building 76 TOWERS and the traditional city wall was transformed into a unique defense system.

One of the remainings of this colony is the old roman wall in Plaza de la Catedral, in which two towers of a former city gate still flank the entrance to Bisbe Street.

During the VISIGOTHIC RULING of the colony around 550, the streets became narrower and denser as the forum disappeared as there was no longer use for it.

Figure 4 Barcelona 550 - Barcino Denser and the Forum Disappears

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Figure 5 Barcelona Map 1100 - Rec Comtal Expands and new neighbourhoods appear

After the borders with Al-Andalus moves further to the south around the year 1000, BARCELONA COUNTRYSIDE RE-FLOURISHES and activity starts up again.

In 1100, BARCELONA COUNTY becomes A CAPITAL CITY under the Count of Barcelona and its territory expands due to THE UNITY OF

THE ARAGON CROWN IN 1137.

With Barcelona becoming a proper country with a ruling system, THE 1ST MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECT commences; THE REC COMTAL.

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THE REC COMTAL and the NEW NEIGHBORHOODS: The construction of the Rec Comtal comenced in the mid-10th century to further push forward the COUNTRY-

SIDE AND FARMING ACTIVITIES by powering mills along its course.

It gradually starts to take a growing importance in boosting the economy of the plain.

As a result, long the course of the Rec comtal, new satilite cities start appearing taking advantage of the water source and mills.

Figure 6 Tracing the full Rec Comtal Course

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Figure 7 Barcelona Map 1500 - Expanded city walls fully closed on the seafront

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In the late middle ages, a new era in the history of the city walls startes creating a NEW URBAN

PERIMETER.

The now expanded city needed to be enclosed in BIGGER WALL for defense.

By the 1400s, the city walls have been built, however, THE SEAFRONT REMAINS UNWALLED until the second half of the century, BECOM-

ING THE CITY’S ENTRANCE FROM THE SEA and the most

dynamic commercial space.

THE RAVAL is enclosed with another ENCLOSURE which later expanded REACHING THE SHIPYARDS ON THE SEA SIDE. The Raval keeps becoming DENSER with a high concentration AROUND THE RAMBLE. This is due to the construction of NEW HOUSING AND MONASTERIES along the Rambla.

At the heart of the city, THE OLD ROMAN WALL has been nearly entirely ABSORBED BY BUILDING, whereas THE JEWISH QUARTER has DISAPPEARED, having suffered terrible attacks on 1391.

By 1500, the city now has its FIRST ARTIFICIAL PORT, which is known now as PORT VELL. This was following the construction of the seawall in 1477.

By the 1600s, the INCREASE OF

THE IMPOSRTANCE OF THE PORT resultes in the ENLARGEMENT OF THE SHIPYARD AND ITS FACILITIES. Consequently, THE CITY WALL was now CLOSED along the SEAFRONT. On the path toward COLLSEROLA mountain line, the road to the satillite city of GRACIA IS CONSOLIDATED, accompanied by new settlements such as the Convent de Jesus.

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Figure 8 Barcelona Map 1840 - Barcelonetta Dwellings Expanded

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The work to BUILD THE PORT led to the ACCUMULATION OF SEDIMENT along the shore.

During THE WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION, the city walls were upgraded, which added to the rate of accumulation of the Besòs river sediments along the seafront.

Having LOST THE WAR, part of the old rebellious neighborhood of LA RIBERA was completely DEMOLISHED and THE CIUTADELLA FORTRESS was set in its place to subdue the city, together with the new Montjuic castle.

Such political defeat couldn’t stop the economic power of the city and the city entered an era of modernisation and urban activities.

In the 1800s, the city of Barcelona started morphing into a new state. NEW OPEN AREAS APPEARED as a result of demolishing churches and convents. This areas were reused as

SQUARES, MARKETS AND NEW BUILDINGS.

THE CITY was SUFFOCATING WITHIN ITS WALLS and with the

industrialization, factories pollution only added to the problem.

Thus, FACTORIES started to MOVE OUT of the dense city walls beyond the buffer zone which the military had set.

THE LONG PHASE OF SEDIMENTATION along Barcelona’s shore led to the formation of BARCELONETTA. Upon this land, a

new neighbouhood appeared in 1753 to ACCOMODATE the people whose houses where lost when LA RIBERA was demolished.

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Figure 9 Barcelona Map 1840 -First Railway Track

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Being SPAIN’S LEADING INDUSTRIAL CITY meant that, in 1848, Barcelona would establish THE 1ST RAILWAY line of the entire country.

The line would CONNECT BARCELONA AND MATARÓ, and in 1854 the lines running toward Girona and Tarragona reached Granollers and Molins de Rei. THOSE ROUTES, along with the Sarrià train line, which opened in 1863,

CONDITIONED THE LAYOUT OF THE EIXAMPLE.

Meanwhile, the GROWING BOURGEOIS CLASS meant a high focus on revamping the image of the city. Thus projects like the Gran Teatre del Liceu was finished in 1847. Also, Plaza Real was constructed by Les Ramblas Avenue, and the fountain of Canaletes was installed in 1860.

1854 can be consedered as THE START OF MODERN BARCELONA. It was in that year that Barcelona was finally authorized to DEMOLISH THE CITY WALLS and a new urban plan for the city was sought after.

In 1859, Ildefons CERDÀ’S PLAN for Reform and Expansion was

APROVED.

Being conseived vmore DEMOCRATIC BARCELONA, Cerdà’s Plan envisioned a modern city extending across the plan connecting with the surrounding satillite neighbourhoods rather than pushing them away, along with a refurbishment of the historic city. In 1860, CONSTRUCTION BEGAN on a new Barcelona.

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Figure 10 Barcelona Map 1890 -Railway Expands and Eixample Taking Shape - Port Growth

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THE CIUTADELLA was DESTROYED and the lands became

STARTING 1860, Barcelona would continue to undergo A LARGE PHASE OF TRANSFORMATION; the urban project in the Eixam-

ple neighborhood; which wouldn’t finish until the break of the 20th century.

The area where THE EIXAMPLE

TOUCHES THE OLD TOWN was translated into 3 FOCAL POINTS: PLAÇA UNIVERSITAT, LA CIUTADELLA PARK and the BORN NEIGHBOURHOOD. PLAÇA CATALUNYA emerged during this time, but only AS A WASTELAND.

propert of the city as a result of the democratizing revolution. This area earned its significance after turning it INTO A PARK for the WORLD’S FAIR

WAS HELD THERE IN 1888.

This major event acted as a catalyst towards the construction of the city’s modern day icons and big avenues, such as SALÓ DE SANT JOAN and its starting point, THE ARC DE TRI-

OMF.

By 1890, urban growth had also extended into areas where construction was easier.

Consequently, area like the POBLE SEC neighbourhood expanded, quickly and densely, across the former farmland of Hortes de Sant Bertran.

IN 1903, Barcelona was heading to A MORE UNIFIED CITY in OPPOSITE to the DIVISONS done by

Filip V.

Thus, AN URBAN PLANNING COMPETITION was announced to IMPROVE THE CONNECTIONS between the different neighbourhoods. The winning entry, by Léon Jaussely, became the INSPIRATION for the OUTER RING ROADS.

LARGE-SCALE URBAN INFRASTRUCTURES built within the

Eixample included the establishment of the STREETCAR NETWORK which helped CONSOLIDATE THE CITY on a NEW DIMENSION.

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Figure 11 Barcelona Map 1936 - Montjuic Develeoped for 1929 International Exposition - Industrial Revolution and Port Growth

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By the begining of the 20th century, the MODERNIST MOVEMENT was taking Europe by storm. This architectural movement was founded in the city by

GAUDÍ.

IN 1929, Barcelona hosted THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION. This event pushed forward NEW CREATIONS, TRANSFORMING PLAÇA ESPANYA and the SLOPES OF MONTJUIC. By then, THE CITY was already A DISPLAY OF INOVATION and unique architectural entities, which were to become its characteristic identity.

As a sign of continious innovation, the FIRST SUBWAY LINE opened in

Between 1900 and 1930 Barcelona witnissed a LARGE FLOW OF IMIGRANTS attracted by the industrial growth of the city and the major urban developments. As a result POPULATION DOUBLED from half a million inhabitants to a million.

This rapid growth happening under conditions of intense SOCIAL INEQUALITY, led to the appearance of SLUMS AND INFORMAL SETTELEMENTS. This phenomenan was only relieved, to a small extent, by the construction of THE FIRST

LOW-COST HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS (CASES BARATES).

1924.

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Figure 12 Barcelona Map 1976 - Eixample Development and the Surroundings of Barcelona Built

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THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), was a brutal ideological clash that resulted in the city enduring 4 DECADES OF

TURANNY.

Nowadays, The EL CARMEL BUNKERS, originally built as defence during the war, is the only reminant of that time offering the BEST VIEWS of the city.

In 1954, the city managed to resume activities without monarchy. As a result, a new master plan; PLA COMARCAL 1953, was approved. A LARGE SCALE HOUSING PROJECT was launched to contain the housing crisis during the huge migration fluxes. These housing projects were vconcentrated in the EAST, FROM SANT MARTÍ

TO NOU BARRIS.

A TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY 1976 wittnesed the approval of the

GENERAL METROPOLITAN MASTER PLAN (MMP).

It was the the result of numerous years of specialist work and a serious civic debate which had been strengthened by inhabitants never ending battles AGAINST

A RETURN TO DECOMCRACY 1977 witnessed the FIRST FREE ELECTIONS in Spain. That same year, on the 11th of September, a massive DEMONSTRATION filled PASSEIG DE GRÀCIA, demanding further change with the motto of ‘Freedom, amnesty and Autonomy Statute.

URBAN PLANNING IRREGULARITIES AND THE LAND SPECULATION.

In light of the newly found democracy, the MMP, incorporated in THE LAND USE LAW for that year, assumes a focal part in the urban planning for the metropolitan territory. This BATTLE FOR URBAN ENHANCEMENTS is a standout amongst the most vital parts of the period of transition to democracy.

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Figure 13 Barcelona Map 1976 - Sea Line drastic remodeling and the 1992 Olympic Games

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Between 1977 and 1980, the CITY COUNCIL had managed to ACQUIRE many PLOTS OF LAND occupied by old factories and old railway facilities, taking advantage of the LOW PRICES brought on by the ECONOMIC CRISIS. This was a major move to OVERCOME ILLICIT LAND SPECULATION under the ruling of the monarchy.

The INITIAL INTERVENTIONS focused on the REMOTE AREAS, while PLANS for the HISTORIC CENTRE were being DEVELOPED.

Beginning in 1986, NEW INFRASTRUCTURES began to be built LEADING TO the celebration of the 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES. The RING ROADS were inaugurated and the COASTLINE WAS RESHAPED to house the main Olympic village; turning the city towards the sea.

Further interventions were also prepared for MONTJUIC and PLAÇA DE

LES GLÒRIES.

This event completely LAUNCHED

BARCELONA AS A TOP EUROPEAN TRAVEL DESTINATION.

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Figure 14 Barcelona Map 2004 - The Forum Developement on the sea line

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The 2004 FORUM OF CULTUES came with its own set of urban development plans that boosted the city forward.

In addition to EXTENDING AVIN-

GUDA DIAGONAL TO THE SEA through the Forum, the changes include CONSOLIDATING THE DIAGONAL MAR DISTRICT and birth of THE 22@ DISTRICT vision in Poblenou as the district of innovation.

Concurrently, a group of DISPERSED

METROPOLITAN PROJECTS

began to appear on the borders of the municipality with the neighbouring l’Hospitalet including: the new court house complex (Citutat de la Justicia) and the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona.

Even though the 2004 Fòrum de les Cultures WASN’T A TOTAL SUCCESS, it sent out a message that Barcelona was entiring THE GLOBAL

SEEN.

Soon after, THE MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS landed in Barcelona and the PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL placed Barcelona immediately in the international music scene.

It is, also, worth mentioning that even though the ECONOMIC CRISIS HIT SPAIN particularly hard, BAR-

CELONA DIDN’T SEEM TO BE AFFECTED as it has now become an

irresistible magnet for visitors.

2010 REMODELING BARCELONA’S EASTERN SECTOR The large-scale urban interventions in the first decade of the 21st century, many of which are still ongoing have been concentrated in the eastern sector of the municipality, from PLACE DE LES GLORIES to the extensive BESOS NEIGHBOURHOODS, and toward LA SAGRERA and SANT AN-

DREU.

However, the difficulty in COMBINING URBAN RENEWAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and SOCIAL COHESION has, once again, led to intense civic controversy.

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Chapter 2 Natural Boundaries and Urban Axis Barcelona as a Vertical, Horizontal & Concentric

In this chapter, the natural boundaries of the city will be studied and their effect on the urban structure will be revised. The physical space of the city will be analysied vertically; mountain - sea, horizontally; Besรถs - Llobregat, concentrically; the ancient city walls and the ring roads as well as diagonally; Llobregat - Sea.

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The PHYSICAL SPACE over which the urban structure of Barcelona extends has been characterized by the position of its NATURAL LIMITS. To the EAST and WEST, the channels of the BESÖS and the LLOBREGAT, ancient rivers which for centuries would define the natural access routes into the city; to the SOUTH, the SEA and the the “sea line”; and to the NORTH. the sierra of COLLSEROLA, the “mountain line”, constituted a NATURAL BARRIER to the development of the upper reaches of the city.

Next to the sea, lie two hills; MONTJUIC, and the ancient MONS TABER, a crest long swallowed up by the fabric of the city.

Within the line of the sea, the mountain and the two lateral river courses there unfolds the plain; a gentle SLOPE facing southeast to the Sea.

This PLAIN is carved by STREAMS which funnel together forming a network of PARALLEL LINES, destined over the years to give rise to a PERPEN-

DICULAR READING OF THE CITY: a logic based on the SEA/ MOUNTAIN AXIS.

This logic would find itself CONTINUALLY INTERRUPTED by the NATURAL BARRIERS of the coast and the mountain and therefore, necessarily COMBINED with a TRANSVERSE movement of EXPANSION. A HORIZONTAL PARAMETER oriented TOWARDS the great RIVER BASINS determining some of the more SIGNIFICANT ROUTES OF

TERRITORIAL COMMUNICATION.

COMPLEX, STRUCTURED, FABRIC capable of being

depicted in a synthetic way as the presence of a series of CONCENTRIC RINGS encircling sectors which have their theoratical RADII in AVENGUDA DEL PARAL•LEL and AVENGUDA MERIDIANA. The concentric rings being a result of the old CITY WALLS; mentioned in the previous chapter, as well as the RING ROAD.

Given this, the URBAN AREA of the city has become characterized by a

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LLOBREGAT RIVER: Located to the southwest of Barcelona, The Llobregat Delta covers an area of 100 sq. Km.TWO MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURES flank both banks of the river making its Delta on of the most important economic centers in Barcelona. With El Prat AIRPORT on one side and The FREE ZONE and PORT on the other, other logistics and transportation infrastructures have come to concentrate in the area as well.

The LLOBREGAT DELTA has witnessed TWO MAJOR PHASES

OF TRANSOFMATION: THE FIRST of which took place in the

1990s. As a resulted the course of the Llobregat River was DIVERTED in order to EXPAND the industrial PORT. it is one of the most valuable natural areas of the region. The WETLANDS act as both natural habitat and winter ground for wild life.The delta AQUIFER is one of the most vital fresh water sources of the area supporting intensive agriculture and farmlands that supply the local market as well as many industies.The fertile FARMLANDS also act as a GREEN BELT restricting Urban Sprawl.

However, its close proximity to the city has lead to constant urban attack and industrial expansion since the 1960s.

This has led to the loss of many agricultural and Wetlands and salinization of many aquifers. By the 1980s, the Llobrigat was one of the most polluted rivers in Western Europe.

Figure 15 Diverted Path of Llobregat Original Path of Llobregat

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THE SECOND Project was THE RIVER WATER RECL A M AT I O N PROJECT 1992.

With the ECOLOGICAL OBJECTIVE of the project being to rid the river of its pollution and maintain the ecological flow of the river, many water treatment plants were put along the river.

Also, its ACCESS to the sea was PARTIALLY CLOSED; reducing

FRESH WATER LOSE to the sea.

The regained fresh water was pumped upstream increasing the river flow.

As a result, Farmlands and wetlands in the area increased and the Prat de Llobregat beach was re-oppened for bathing in 2002 after being a black polluted spot.

The project became an example of innovative water scarcity solutions as it works with gravity.

As a result, this project has a low carbon impact and consumes 80% less energy.

Simultaneously, projects like the

expansion of the port and airport took place without interfering with the river cleanliness.

Figure 16 Increasing FarmLands Acting as A Green Built Against Urban Sprawl

THE BESÒS RIVERBED In CERDA’S PLAN, The Besòs river right bank was envisioned as being a big city park; A GREEN LUNG. the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION reaching the Besòs, new HOUSING COMPLEXES replaced it. New districts like LA CATALANA were built for workers of La Catalana factory and others like LA MINA With

were built to house people of the informal settlements. These districts, along with the SANT ADRIÀ district, made up about 50% of the municipality’s POPULATION according to the 1998 counting.

WIth the FÒRUM 2004 being planned at the mouth of the river and the DIAGINAL MAR area becoming a prominent economic center., the spark of a new hope appeared. IN 1995, the BESÒS

ENVIRONMENTAL REHABILITATION PROJECT was approved.

IMPROVING the WATER QUALITY as well as weav-

The project meant

ing the river back into its urban context.

A major riverbed clean-up project was launched and the river bed was widened by taking away the retaining walls and opening it to the public. Finally, the BESÒS RIVER

PA R K

IN 1962, a destructive FLOOD killed many people and he RIVER

large area of the city park is composed of 3 INTERLINKED ZONES: WETLANDS; an area for PUBLIC USE; and the

RIVER MOUTH.

The projects include: The NEW ZOO recieving some of the animals in the Ciutadella zoo, the NEW

SANT ADRIÀ MARINA at the end of

the Diagonal, and adding about 500 meters NEW BEACH on the sea front.

Thanks to the reclamation project, many

was enclosed in

NATURAL H A B I TA t s

have also been recovered, and more than 200 bird species now inhabit the area.

CONCRETE WA L L S .

There after, the river was

ABUSED

by the industies and the surrounding communities were ignored.

Figure 17 1859 Cerda’s Plan with The Besos Left Banck as A big City Park

Figure 19 Besos Outline

was opened i n

2004,

in Sant Adrià district.

The

Finaly, The project succeeed in providong a HEAVI-

LY BUILTUP AREA, with a HIGH

POOR POPULATION with a RECREATIONAL SPACE at the whater edge which it completely lacked. Therefore, IMPROVING their difficult LIVING CONDITIONS and INCREASING SAFETY while maintaining a strategy of ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT and FLOOD MITIGATION.

Figure 18 1932 Cerda’s Grid Continues Expanding and the agricyltural land on the Besos starts declining

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COLLSEROLA Located to the north of Barcelona. the sierra of Collserola, the “MOUNTAIN LINE”, forms a natural barrier to the northern urban sprawl of the city.

With a 4% GENTEL SLOPE to the sea, the mountain line allowed many WATER PASSES to flow with FRESH WATER all the way down to the sea, forming the FERTILE PLAIN OF BARCELONA. Some of these water passas would, in time, DRY OUT or become BURRIED under ground, replacing them with what are known as

RAMBLAS.

In front of the Collserola a set of 3 HILLS are found. Namely: LA ROVERA, where the Bunkers defense during the Spanish Civil War can be found, CARMEL where Park Guel is situated and, finally, LA CREUETA DEL COLL, the lowest of the three hills and where Eduardo Chillida’s ‘claw’ is hanging over a water pool.

It is ON THE SLOPES OF THESE COASTAL HILLS where large VILLAS were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the PARK GUELL Project initially intended as a Garden City Housing. These formed an expensive residential zone which only housed the HIGH CLASS SOCIETY. ORIGINALLY, they were SEPARATED from the rest of the city, however, it has been GRADUALLY ABSORBED into future urban

expansions.

Being the tallest mountain in the mountain range, TIBIDABO is clearly visible from any where in the city. The top of Tibidabo offers the best PANORAM-

IC VIEW OF THE MEDITERRANEAN CITY.

Today, Tibidabo is best known for 3 main things: The Sagrat Cor church, The Tibidabo Amusement park as well as the Conserolla Tower.

TIBIDABO AMUSEMENT PARK It is the OLDEST working amusement park IN SPAIN and one of the oldest in the whole world, dating back to 1901 WHEN IT FIRST OPENED TO THE PUBLIC. LOCATING the amusement park on top of Tibidabo was part of a big DEVELOPMENT OF A GARDEN CITY ON THE SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAIN. It was built around the same time as Park Guell Project, with Landscapes and Terraces that overlook the entire city.

The development included CONSOL-

IDATING THE MOUNTAIN AND THE CITY through a TRAM LINE and a FUNICULAR RAIL-

WAY; the latter being an

INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION means at

that time.

TEMPLE OF TIBIDABO Placed at the very top of Tibidabo is the Sacred Heart Church of Tibidabo, which is easily recognizable from any place in the city.

Designed by ENRIC SAGNIER, the church, whose CONSTRUCTION

BEGAN around 1902, took 60 YEARS to construct and is topped by

a sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Josep Miret Llopart.

Originally, the land of the churche was occupied by the VERY

FIRST BUILDING

which was a Chapel on the Tibidabo, built in 1886.

THE TORRE DE COLLSEROLA

It is a communications tower built in 1991 and was used in the 1992 OLYMPIC

GAMES.

Its observation deck lies 560

METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

Figure 20 Vertical Water passes from Collserola to sea

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Figure 21 Collserola and Three Hills: La Rovera, Carmel and La Creueta Del Coll

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BARCELONA AND THE SEA A built-up landscape, the inheritance of centuries of evolution: As much as the CURVES OF THE SEA SHORE CHANGED as time passed, so did the relationship between Barcelona and the Sea. Since its beginnings, the history of BARCELONA has been CLOSELY LINKED TO THE SEA. The sea had in an influencial role in OPENING THE CITY to various cultures and people. Over the centuries, the COASTLINE has VARIED as a result of CONSTANT DYNAM-

ICS BETWEEN THE SEA AND THE LAND. Originally, the sea was DOMINATED by MERCHANT ACTIVITIES and FISHING.

IN ANCIENT TIMES, to the west of Montjuïc there were long beaches, and BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND the hill later called TABER, A SMALL BAY allowed the sea to flow

inland much further than the coastal strip of today. Facing the sea, on the top of this hill, the ROMAN BARCINO was ESTABLISHED. Later, THE SEA RECEDED, creating ISLETS. The sea continued to recede and the NEW AREAS OF LAND which began to appear were occupied by FARMING LAND and HOUSES. As THE CITY EXPANDED, NEW WALLS were built to enclose it. During this time, THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL PORT in the city was built, marking THE 1ST

MAN MADE CHANGE IN THE SEA FAÇADE.

As the PORT GREW in importance and incresed in size, THE WALLS became CLOSED OF even AT

THE SEA SIDE. 38

It is against these walls that SEDIMENTS rested, slowly CREATING what would later be known as BARCE-

LONETTA.

As Barcelona enters A NEW PHASE OF URBAN REFORM, the FIRST RAILWAY enters 1848. The CITY WALLS are DEMOLISHED by the late 1880s allowing the construction of PASSEIG DE COLOM and a new coastline is born.

Unfortunately, with the 18th century

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

and the availability of water and the Port, The coast line became dominated by

INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES.

By the first half of the 20th century,

VALL D’HEBRON and POBLENOU DISTRICT; the location of THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE. The plan sat 3 main goals: CLEANING AND CONSOLIDATING THE COASTLINE, RIDING OF THE COASTAL RAILWAYS AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE RING ROAD PROJECT. Olympic facilities were built on NE-

GLECTED URBAN AREAS,

with the Olympic Village, developed on brownfields close to the coast.

THE COASTLINE was completely REMODELED and 6 ARTIFICIAL BEACHES were added, the

most popular one being Barcelonetta beach. In 2004, THE FORUM became the latest edition to the story of the coastline with its NEW MARI-

THE CITY HAD COMPLETELY TURNED ITS BACK TO THE SEA. With factories occupying the water NA.

front and the rail ways cutting the road to the sea, the sea became a symbol of degradation and pollution.

The 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES came with a new Urban Remodelling that encompased

As a result, BARCELONA’S COATLINE became a NARRATIVE of different purposes and uses that answer to the different demands of its surroundings.

Figure 23 Barcelona Beaches Open for the Public

‘’Our idea of urbanism is not to impose a utopian plan on the city, Nor do we want the kind of monumental undertakings developed by the Franco regime. We believe in working with specific projects, real elements in actual neighborhoods’’ Oriol Bohigas, the architect who headed Barcelona’s planning corps during the implementation of the Olympics Program

Figure 22

Coast Line

39

Figure 24 550 The sea Receaded creating lagoons

Figure 26 1500 The 1st artificial port Sedementation against the new wall

Figure 28 1700 Barcelonetta Taking Shape for fishermen and merchants

40

Figure 25 1400 The City Expanded and new City Walls

Figure 27 1600 The walls are closed and sedementation increases

Figure 29 1840 Barcellonetta Dwellings

Figure 30 1890 The port expanding and Industrial Revolution

Figure 32 1992 The Olympics: A drastic remodelling and The city turns to the sea

Figure 31 1956 The sea dominated by the port and factories

Figure 33 2004 The Forum and the new marina

THE COAST LINE VARIATION THROUGH TIME As much as the CURVES OF THE SEA relationship between Barcelona and the Sea.

SHORE CHANGED as time passed, so did the

Disclaimer: Original Maps used for this page is http://cartahistorica.muhba.cat/index.html?lang=en#map=14/242185/5070759/2010//0/0/0/0

41

42

Figure 34 Main Urban Axes of he city

43

AVENGUDA DIAGONAL The only axes to diverge from the Cerda Grid predominant monotenous orientation, it cuts the city in two, diagonally from west to east.

With the SER-

VICES DISTRICT

of Barcelona continious SHIFTING, over time it shifted from CITUAT VELLA to the EIXAMPLE, espicially the upper part of the DIAGONAL. This tendency to CONCENTRATE ACTIVITIES in one place was one of the reasons why the 1992 OLYMPICS program was more focused on the PERIPHERY that encompased the WHOLE CITY, taking the city by storm.

In 2004, THE UNIVERSAL FORUM OF CULTURES was seen as the next boost in Barcelona’s history.

Not being able to take advantage of the spaces formed while preparing for the 1992 Olympics, new venues were needed requiring URBAN AWAKENING of a more of Barcelona’s waterfront.

Even though it was not a complete success, it did, however, allow A NEW

SET OF LARGER URBAN CHANGES: THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE of Poblenou was FURTHER TRANSFORMED with

plazas, parks and convention centers

laied along the water in the northest. The

DIAGONAL MAR DISTRICT

was constructed and envisioned as the new source of economic boost. THE FORUM PARK and the NEW MARINA of San Adrian de Besos were built and the DIAGONAL WAS

FINALLY CONSOLIDATED WITH THE SEA. Finally,

REVIVE an

It was a trigger that boosted Barcelona into an operation to CLEAN and

area of the city that was complex, obsolete and unresolved. THE BESOS AREA was recovered from pollution and old factories.

OLYMPICS 1992 VS FORUM 2004 HOW the RESULTING SPACES of each of the two urban renewals IS USED TODAY is evidence enough

of the great difference between the two approaches. Today, THE COASTLINE adjacent to the OLYMPIC VILLAGE and BARCELONETTA is as POPULAR as ever. Meanwhile, the SEASIDE PARKS AND PLAZAS of the FORUM DISTRICT sit empty. The MAIN DIFFERENCE is the PROGRAMM OFFERED by each of the two events. The OLYMPIC

VILLAGE AREA offer a FLEXIBLE, EVERY DAY, PROGRAM;

like bars, restaurants and cafes. However, THE FURTHER NORTH you go, the less attractive the area becomes. This is due to LACK OF PROGRAM

AND SERVICES FOR THE PEDESTRIANS. In other words, THE SPACES CREATED FOR THE FORUM HAD NO ALTERNATIVE USE and would only work in

mega events.

The 2004 FORUM only managed to leave behind HIGHLY DESIGNED EMPTY SPACES of HUGE SCALES and DYNAMIC FORMS that cannot be used on a daily bases.

The unpopularity of

these spaces became a disease that spreads to the nearby plazas and parks. The result is a big empty space that lackes the proper urban design where one feels UNSAFE.

Figure 35 Park del Forum Parc del Forum 2001-2004 Herzog & de Meuron

44

Figure 36 DiagoDIAGONAL MAR PARK nal Mar Park 1997-2002 Miralles Tagliabue EMBT An extended park connecting Diagonal and the beach

Figure 37 Inter- INTERNATIONAL national ConvenCONVENTION CENTRE tion Centre CCIB 2000-2004 Mateoarquitectura Josep Lluis Mateo

Int e Tra rnat i En nspo onal A d Co s at rt: Bu rchi t n city nec Zona s, Tra ectur ts t e o t Univ m, S he ers ub hig eta way hw r ay ia to lea ve t

he

Ab Str ando n No eets ed Tra nsp ort atio n

Dia Tra gona Int nspo l Mar e Dia rnat rt: Tra Distr i g Dia ona onal m an ict: S Th gona l Mar tyle d Bu eF s l oru Mar Park Ma m ll

Figure 38 Avenguda Diagonal

45

GRAN VIA DE LES CORTS CATALANES Gran Via is THE MAIN SOUTH-

NORTH ARTERIAL OF THE CITY since from Placa Espanya till

Carrer de la Mrina, Gran via is a oneway with only two lanes to the left going southbound. Reversibly, CARRER D’AAGO is the NORTH-SOUTH

CONNECTION.

Analyzing this avenue uncovers it as a HORIZONTAL SEQUENCE

OF PROMINANT PUBLIC SQUARES, in respect to the Cerda plan

orientation.

PLAÇA ESPANYA THE 1929 INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION is one of the most

terrace which offers excellent views of The National Museum, Plaça d’Espanya and Montjuïc.

The exposition showcased the TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES of the city wich transformed in terms of communication and transport. The Exposition demanded a large number of new constructions. This paved the road for many engineers and architects to EXPIREMENT WITH NEW

The neo-Baroque palace was built at the top of Montjuic Hill as the main building that would host the fair and act as its facade. Built symmetrically and with a grand entrance of stairs, it is now home to the National Museum of Catalan Art(MNAC), since 1934.

important events that shaped the modern urban landscape of Barcelona.

BUILDING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES. This movement gave rise to what is known as NOUCENTISME; a Catalan Cultural movement reacting to modernism, replacing the popular Catalan Modernism mastered by the likes of Antoni Gaudí.

PALAU NACIONAL:

PLAÇA DE TETUAN Originally built in 1874, the plaza was a result of a competition held to pay homage to Catalan volunteers in the African war.

At its centre, The Monument of Doctor Rpbert stands proudly as a symbol of the Catalan spirit.

Some of the

LANDMARKS LEFT BEHIND by

the 1992 Exposition include:

THE PLAÇA D’ESPANYA:

Located at the bottom of Montjuïc hill, it was originally surrounded by hotels to house people visiting the exhibition.

Nowadays the square is basically a large roundabout; a junction for the city’s largest transport axes including Avenida Parallel and Gran Via.

Plaça Espanya

Plaça Tetuan

THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN:

Figure 39 Plaça Espanya

The 33m high neoclassical fountain displays shows of light and music.

THE VENETIAN TOWERS:

These 47m high twin towers framed the entrance to the fair from Avenida Reina María Cristina.

ARENAS SHOPPING MALL:

Originally a bull ring, it was closed after banning bull fighting. In 2000 the round neo-arab building was restored as a shopping mall. The structure is topped by a large dome and an accessable roof 46

Figure 40 Plaça Tetuan

PLAÇA DE CATALUNYA

PLAÇA GLORIAS

A LARGE PLAZA surrounded by huge buildings, it’s the absolute centre of gravity for shoppers, transportation and tourists.

A Large intersection of the three main axes of the city; Avenguda Diaginal, Avenguda Meridiana and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes.

Plaça de Catalunya functions as THE

The plaza first originated in Cerda’s plan for the extension and wes envisioned as the new city centre.

CENTER OF THE CITY’S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. Below the square is a metro

station with links all over the city and a train station that connects to various destinations beyond the city. Above ground there are many bus stops and a taxi rank.

Located in sensitive position, BE-

TWEEN THE HISTORICAL TOWN and THE MIDDLE-CLASS DISTRICT OF EIXAMPLE, it is also tHE POINT OF COLLISION OF the city’s most prominent streets; LAS RAMBLAS and PASSEIG DE GRÀCIA.

Such vision proved to be hard to achieve.

With three failed attempts to reform the space and a fouty one on the way; already proven difficult, the plaza remains an unconsolidated part of the city.

Further explanation about Plaça Glorias is in the next chapter.

Figure 41 Gran Via as a sequence of Publis Squares

Plaça Catalunya

Plaça Glorias

Originally, up until the MID 19TH CENTURY, Plaça de Catalunya was a RURAL AREA beyond the city’s walls. After the approval of Spain’s central government to DEMOLISH THE

CITY’S DEFENSIVE WALLS, IN 1858, to expand and consolidate

Figure 42 Plaça Catalunya

Figure 43 Plaça Glorias

Barcelona with it’s peripheral neighbourhoods, it then became part of the city and

CONSTRUCTION OUTSIDE OF THE OLD CITY BEGAN.

47

AVINGUDA MERIDIANA: One of the city’s widest streets and its MAIN ENTRANCE FROM THE NORTH, Avinguda Meridiana is a much transited route. It connects PARC DE LA CIUTADELLA with

NORTHERN PARTS OF BARCELONA all the way to THE RING ROAD. It crosses PLAÇA DE LES GLÒRIES in its way, where it meets other two major avenues: GRAN VIA DE LES CORTS CATALANES and AVINGUDA DIAGONAL. It is at this Plaça that MERIDIANA CONVERGES INTO TWO PATHS. THE FIRST being the HIGHWAY, ENDS at Nus de la Trinitat, to the north,

the biggest interchange in Barcelona. Five major freeways meet in this MASSIVE COMPLEX which carries more than 200 000 vehicles per day.

THE SECOND is the FUTURE GREEN CORRIDOR as part of the reform plan to REVITALISE THE EASTERN SECTOR of the city.

This path would house the SAGRERA TRAIN STATION. At the moment, the project is under slow development due to lack of funding.

Although the avenue was included in

CERDÀ’S PLAN, EIXAMPLE,

in the mid-nineteenth century, work did not begin until 1954. Initially used for a RAILWAY in the 1960s, it was later converted into AN ARTERIAL

ROAD.

48

With the TRAIN and METRO being UNDERGROUND and the RING

ROADS UNDER DEVELOPMENT, MERIDIANA was conceived as A RAPID ARTERY which would have to be placed on the same level as the districts it passed through to facilitate vehicle movement.

Its 50-METRE SECTION was divided into 12 TRAFFIC LANES: providing a direct CONNECTION OUTSIDE the city as well as for

SLOW LOCAL TRAFFIC.

Avoiding interruptions in TRAFFIC FLOWS was a PRIORITY. Hence, FEW TRAFFIC LIGHTS were utilized and PEDESTRIAN CROSS-

INGS WERE REPLACED BY OVERPASSES.

When the Meridiana opened to traffic in June 1967, it was exclusively a roadway into and out of the city. As a result, it was A STIFF BARRIER that DE-

STROYED DISTRICTS IT CUT THROUGH, particularly Clot and

Sant Andreu.

REMODELING OF THE MERIDIANA AVENUE 1998: The OPENING of the city’s RING ROADS led to a 30% REDUC-

TION IN THE TRAFFIC ON THE MERIDIANA. This led it to lose

its role as the main artery connecting the city with the outside.

CONVERTING it from an URBAN MOTORWAY into a PRIMARILY URBAN STREET was a priority.

Figure 44 Meridiana Converging into Highway and Future Green Corridor

To make it more PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, the 50m CROSS-SECTION was REDUCED to 26.5m becoming a 4 LANE TRAFFIC WAY instead of 6 lanes. THE REST of the cross section was RECOVERED as PUBLIC SPACES on the now wider pavements. This, also, provided a space for BIKE LANES. CROSSINGS linkig both sides were REORGANIZED according to the surrounding streets and made MORE FREQUENT, ensuring a more CON-

TINIOUS PEDESTRAIN FLOW PARALLEL TO THE CARS.

Avinguda Meridiana BECAME, for the first time, a city street. A CIVIC SPACE that BALANCES between the

NEEDS OF THE PEDESTRIANS

and those of THE VEHICLES. It is a UNIQUE FORM OF URBANISM, being a bit more than an urban motorway and yet very different from the city’s main avenues and boulevards.

ARCHITECTURALLY, the area is LACKING in aesthetic pretention, however, includes some SIGNIFICANT APARTMENT BLOCKS such as THE MERIDIANA TOWER BLOCKS by ORIOL BOHIGAS, JOSEP MARIA MARTORELL and DAVID MACKAY.

Co

rrid or

A

H

ig

h

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ay

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th

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Connection t

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Figure 45 Apartmen Block designed by Oriol Bohigas.

49

50

Figure 46 Vertical Axes of the city

51

52

Montjuic - Mou

ntains (P

la รงa Espanya)

Figure 47 Vertical Axes of the city

53

re tu u Forum - Mountains (F

Sea - Hills

)

e

รงa C

Citadel Park - Hills (Arc de Triumph

Sea - Mountain (Pla

atalunya)

o C

re G

n

or )

rr i d

MOUNTAIN - SEA VERTICAL AXIS

PEDESTRIAN PATH in the MIDDLE of the street flanked by NARROWER LANES for CARS on EITHER SIDE where cars have to accomodate the FREQUENT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.

PLAÇA DE CATALUNYA is situated on one of the most PROMINENT VERTICAL AXES of the city; connecting the SEA to the MOUNTAIN.

RAMBLA DE CATALUNYA:

bla d R am

To its NORTH, PASSEIG DE GRÀCIA is found; a huge and IMPRESSIVE AVENUE that contains two of Gaudi’s most well known designs, along with many amazing modernist architecture. This path EXTENDS UP reaching GRACIA; one of the OLDEST and TREND-

talun

e Ca ya

IEST NEIGHBOURHOODS of the city. This path was FIRST CONOLIDATED around the year 1600, when new settle-

ments and convents were built along it.

Along with Passeig de Gracia, it occupies the GEOGRAPHICAL CENTRE of the EIXAMPLE. Being established in Cerda’s plan, it was built along 10 CERDA BLOCKS as the FIRST MODERN EXTENSION of the HISTORICAL RAMBLAS connecting the MEDIEVAL CITY to

VILLA DE GRACIA.

To its SOUTH, starts LES RAMBLES, a SERIES OF PROMINADS that connect all the way TO THE PORT.

RAMBLA DE CANALETES:

Rambla de Canaletes

The COLLECTIVE architectural CHARACTER of, the 1.5KM LONG Les Rambles was CONSOLIDATED in the LATE 18TH CENTURY. Its

ar

eM

la d

mb ion ect

54

nn

CLEAR GEOMETRIC DEFINITION of its plan which gives DOMINANCE to PEDESTRIANS over cars. Dominance is proved by placing the WIDE

Co

The most important ingredients to the SUCCESS of this long strip are: The OPENING of the GROUND FLOOR to public activities and The

The place where this strip lies was, in ANCIENT TIMES, a WATER PASS that delivered water from the mountain but dried out.

Ra

COMPLEX STRUCTURE can be easily understood as a THREE- PART COMPOSITION; Rambla de CATALUNYA, Rambla de CANALETES and Rambla de MAR.

Being the HISTORICAL ORIGIN of Les Rambles, it actually composes of MULTIPLE INTERSECTING RAMBLES: Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de Sant Josep, Rambla dels Caputxins, Rambla de Santa Monica.

RAMBLA DE MAR: Being a BRIDGE EXTINSION to the HISTORICAL RAMBLES, it extends out OVER THE WATER to the PIER OF PORT VELL; an area which up UNTIL the 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES was an ABANDONED harbor.

Never the less, Rambla de Mar is not only a bridge; but a CONTINIOUS

SURFACE OF FUNCTION AND LEISURE. It is A SWING BRIDGE with rotating sections to allow WATER TRAFFIC to pass in and out of the marina. It is also a place for street vendors, performances and amazing views of the sea.

Figure 48

Les Rambles

Despite the fact that Rambla de Mar is an excellent addition to the context of the city, ITS direct CONNECTION to the HISTORICAL RAMBLA is WEAK. Having to pass a major street gap, which was once a highway means that the connection can be lost among all the MULTITUDE OF CROSSWALKS. However, this can be solved with simple intervensions like planting trees by the Port Authority to highlight the route infront of it or pacing a pattern along the path.

Another, not so prominent, vertical connection in the old city, parallel to the mentioned one is RAMBLA DE RAVAL. It was one of the INTERVENTIONS done in the time of the 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES; which targeted POOR UNSAFE AREAS in order to revamp it. Multiple DWELLINGS were DEMOLISHED and the SPACE was REUSED as a Rambla.

Like Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla de Raval is situated on a dried out water pass, which allowed EL Raval district to be consolidated with the rest of the midevil city.

55

BARCELONA RINGED By 1903, Barcelona was well on its way to becoming an interconnected city.

In 1976, the General Metropolitan Plan was held. An Urban Planning competetion was announced, seeking to improve the connections between the different neighbourhoods of the city. The winning entery of LĂŠon Jaussely, though never fully realized, became the insperation for the ring roads.

In the 1980s, the ring roads construction was speeded up; as a vital elemnt in the urban infrastructure linking between the different venues of the 1992 Olympic Games.

With Ronda de Dalt remodeled and Ronda Litoral finished, the Rondas was finally consolidated A new physical infrastructural reality was introduced that was neither a street nor an avenue.

As a result, the city could, more evidently than ever, be understood as an interconnected vast curve of concentric rings at Plaça de les Drassanes.

56

Figure 49 Barcelona as Concentric Rings

57

Chapter 3 Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes A Sequence of Failed Reforms

58

PLAÇA GLORIAS A Large intersection of the three main axes of the city; Avenguda Diaginal, Avenguda Meridiana and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes.

The plaza first originated in Cerda’s plan for the extension and wes envisioned as the new city centre.

Such vision proved to be hard to achieve. With three failed attempts to reform the space and a fouty one on the way; already proven difficult, the plaza remains an unconsolidated part of the city.

The following pages will discuss the differenet attempts to reform the square and analyze the reason behind their failure.

59

Over the years, Plaça de les Glòries has become one of the SYMBOLS of the architectural FAILURE and poor urban management, which has transformed it into a space that is constantly isolated from the city. During the second half of the 20th century, Glorias witnessed THREE FAILED REFORMS, and a fourth reform is currently under way.

THE “NO MAN” SQUARE (1859 - 1948)

At first, Plaça de les Glòries HAD EVERYTHING to end up being an important CIVIC AND CULTURAL CENTRE in the city. This was anticipated by CERDÀ in his famous 1859 plan. Located at the CONFLUENCE OF the three main avenues of the city: Gran Via, Meridiana and Diagonal, the square of The Glories had to become the CENTER of the new RATIONALIZED Barcelona.

This public space, of 300X300 SQUARE METERS, was taking as a guideline for its orientation the path of the railway, built few years earlier than the design of Plan Cerda.

Figure 50 Dangerously High Pedestrian Crossings over the Railway

60

Figure 51 The Railways acted as a Barrier and Glorias was a disgrace

However, EIXAMPLE NEVER ABSORBED Ciutat Vella NOR EXTENDED to the right, swallowing the square. On the contrary, at the beginning of the 20th century Plaça de les Glòries was not even a square: it was an abandond land in the outskirts of the city, crossed by the train tracks and totally neglected by the municipal authorities.

THE SQUARE was perceived as A BARRIER between the EIXAMPLE and the SUBURBS of the city. This role was reinforced for many reasons: PUBLIC TRANSPORT ABSENCE, the LACK OF PROPER SANITATIONuntil 1982, PRESENCE OF THE TRAIN TRACKS. TRAIN TRACKS that connected to the north ana Zaragoza- Madrid crossed the square very often. CITIZENS had to CROSS DANGEROUSLY HIGH OVER BRIDGES. This created a sense of abandonment and DEGRADITION; and soon enough Glorias became AN ATTRACTOR TO CRIME and dangerous people.

The 1929 UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION tried to urbanize the square.

Glorias was EXAMINED to be the location of the PAVILIONS of the Exhibition. However, with the RAILWAYS acting as BARRIERS, the idea was dismissed and the exhibition was installed in MONTHUIC, giving birth to PLACA ESPANYA. The decision to PLACE ELS ENCANTS market in its vicinity in 1928 made it worse.The market was CRITICIZED for causing MORE DEGRADATION and CONTAMINATION of the area at all levels. It became ANOTHER BARRIER that harmed the development of bordering neighborhoods.

61

AFTER the SPANISH CIVIL WAR, HUGE MIGRATION fluxes

came from all over Spain to find work in the expanding city. This caused the POPULATION of the NEIGH-

BOURHOODS SURROUNDING GLORIAS to MULTIPLY and INFORMAL HOUSING TO APPEAR.

FIRST REFORM PROJECT (1948-1966)

The FRANCO AUTHORITIES could no longer ignore the obstacles of having an abandoned GLORIAS in the

MIDDLE OF THIS EXPANDING AREA.

The Plaรงa was connected to the city through the EXTENSION OF THE SUBWAY. Placing the subway station in Glorias put MORE PRESSURE on the need TO URBANIZE it; ACCESSING THE STATION meant crossing the DANGEROUS train tracks through elevated passes. This was a task deemed impossible when it rained or got too dark.

By the END OF THE 40S, the Figure 52 The 1st Reform, Inaugurated Unfinished 1963

62

Figure 53 Ariel View of Gloris 1930s

RAILROADS, which had forever bar-

ricaded Glorias form the rest of the city, was approved to be BURRIED underneath Meridiana. This plan was enitially APPROVED in 1935 but was later halted because of the Spanish Civil War.

With both the TRAIN TRACKS and SUBWAY burried UNDER GLORIAS, a new layer of ARTIFICIAL TOPOGRAPHY was added to the space elevating it heigher than its surroundings. This artificial topography ALONG WITH the NATURAL SLOPE OF THE CITY make GLORIAS a COMPLEX TOPOG-

RAPHY.

1953 saw the lauch a NEW MODERNIZATION phase of the city and Glorias was in it. Under this plan, 140 PROJECTS came to REALITY;

among which the Sants station square and the relocation of the old slaughterhouse to the Barcelona outskirts. The CITY was starting to ANSWER to the COMMUNITIES NEEDS and improve the quality of life.

The plan for GLORIAS, however, focused MAINLY on TRAFFIC REGULATION. A HIGHWAY RING was LIFTED with THREE RAMPS for QUICK CONNECTION between the THREE MAJOR AVENUES, in addition to a RUNWAY for SLOW MOVEMENT and passage of PEDESTRIANS. A

CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND and a MONUMENT to the Battle of

Lepanto were projected in the ring and the INFORMAL DWELLINGS in the vicinity were OVERTHROWN.

However, drivers were not the only ones to suffer the planning and execution of the work; the TERRIBLE CONSTRUCTION of the UNDERPASSES meant that PEDESTRIANS had to CROSS the RAILROAD TRACKS which were NOT yet COMPLETELY BURRIED. Being often switched on, people wishing to cross the roads were FORCED to either JUMP OVER the rails or GO a LONG WAY to get there USING the

SUBWAY.

Work on this project had a very slow start and did not commence until 1960 and four months later the UNFINISHED Glorias was INAUGURATED as nothing but half a ring in the middle of a clearing.

FIVE YEARS AFTER its inauguration, the unfinished work was DEMOLISHED as it FAILED to properly channel the traffic. And the promised landscape was still a dream.

63

SECOND REFORM PROJECT (1966-1987)

The second reform COINCIDED with the PLA DE LA RIBERA, which sought to REVITALIZE the city’s SEAFRONT from the PORT to the BESÒS. As a SECONDARY EFFECT of this, the opening of Barcelona to the sea, it was EXPECTED that the CITY CENTER would MOVE towards Plaça de les GLÒRIES. As the reform of the square also wanted to coincide with the TRANSFORMATION of the GRAN VIA into a FREEWAY, the works were not started until April 1972.

This Plaça de les Glòries was

CROSSED BY TWO ELEVATED ROAD JUNCTIONS AND A PEDESTRIAN METAL BRIDGE,

which won a European design prize in 1975. A six-hectare GARDEN was built on one side of the square shortly after, with an artificial river and a playground.

This garden had a good acceptance on the part of the neighbors of the neighborhood, although THE PROXIMITY

OF THE PRESENCE OF STREET (ELS ENCANTS) VENDORS

Figure 54 The 2nd Reform realized 1973

64

Figure 55 Glorias 2nd reform vision 1966

MOVED IT. SIMILARLY to the previous reform, this new order of THE SQUARE WAS ONLY INTENDED TO CREATE A MORE FLUID TRAFFIC. HARD to experience ON FOOT, much of the square was still a land of no one WITHOUT any URBAN CONTINUITY with the

surrounding areas, which contributed to SEPARATING more than uniting.

The TRAIN TRACKS CONTINUED to be an OBSTACLE for a new generation of pedestrians. THE PLA

DE LA RIBERA NEVER WENT AHEAD, and the CITY CENTRE DID NOT MOVE a meter to the

right of the Eixample. At the end of the eighties, it seemed that the place had REACHED its LIMIT OF TRAF-

FIC MANAGEMENT AGAIN AND FAILED.

65

The OLYMPIC GAMES shook the city of Barcelona like no other event had done in its recent history. Consequently, many areas of the city were unrecognizable as a result of the GREAT REFORMS carried out in preparation for the Olympics.

THIRD REFORM PROJECT (1987-2003)

The third reform of Placa de les Glories was given by the ARCHITECTS: Andreu Arriola, Gaspar Garca¬, Joan Mas and Artur Juanmarta¬, with the consulting and technical advising of the aeronautic engineer Adolf Monclas.

Under the leadership of the municipal chief architect, José Antonio Acebillo, the new reform of the square DID

NOT MODIFY THE ESSENTIAL PHILOSOPHY of the previous ones: a HIGHWAY RING ELEVATED for fast traffic and ANOTHER on the level of the GROUND for SLOW TRAFFIC and PEDESTRIANs. Consequently, it was NOT a project that was VERY DIFFERENT from its predecessors as EXPERTS CLAIMED that BURYING the TRAFFIC was IMPOSSIBLE. Figure 56 The 3rd Reform realized 2008

66

Figure 57 The Drum with the Design Museum Cantilevered above it

The Placa de las Glorias was supplied with VARIOUS PUBLIC FACILITIES to ensure its revitalization. A GARDEN with sports facilities was projected. The elevated Ring also housed a PARKING LOT. The RAILROAD was now COMPLETELY BURIED underground.

In proximity, the NATIONAL THEATRE was built. In October1993 the

GLÒRIES SHOPPING CENTER

rose replacing an old factory, which, soon had a very GOOD ACCEPTANCE on the part of the people of the neighborhood. However, it caused the PROTESTS of SHOPKEEPERS in the area, whose businesses were in danger.

Unfortunately, for the third time in a row, the project FAILED as mistakes of the previous reforms were blindly repeated.

The public PARKING LOT located inside the elevated ring proved its STRATEGIC FAILURE. It was intended that drivers who arrived in the city would leave the vehicles in that parking lot and approach the center by public

transport. One of the factors behind this failure was BECAUSE of the sensation of INSECURITY that the place transmitted. The place simply did not encourage people to leave the vehicle or to pick it up when it had already become dark.

THE GARDEN was wrong in all aspects; people would never enjoy walking in a park ENCLOSED IN THE INTERIOR OF A CONCRETE CYLINDER. With running traffic at full speed around such a HIDDEN PLACE quickly became a refuge for street vendors and VANDALS, to the extent that the City Council decided to CLOSE it shortly afterwards.

In the early 2000s, the area saw A

SERIES OF INTERVENTIONS. THE DESIGN MUSEUM was con-

structed expecting that the high ring, also referred to as “THE DRUM” would have LESS OF A WALL appearance by simply cantilevering a building over it.

Other projects included the construction of THE AGBAR TOWER, designed

by Jean Nouvel.

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FOURTH REFORM PROJECT (2003-)

The fate of the THE FLEA MARKET was finally resolved and the market which was FORMERLY HOUSED at the NORTH-WESTERN side of the square, has been built at a site at the south-western end of the square, under a TRIANGULAR ROOF STRUCTURE consisting of a multi-level construction to provide covered walkways, modern facilities for the traders, and parking for customers. The market design was the 2009 winning proposal of a City Council competition; won by “b720 Arquitectos”.

AN URBAN COMPETETION

was launched in 2013 seeking a new aproach to resolve the cursed square.

THE CANÒPIA URBANA, by Agence Ter and Ana Coello de Llobet, won.

This meant the DEMOLITION of the ELEVATED RING and the construction of A HUGE PARK of 105,000 square meters. TRAFFIC will go through TUNNELS under the square; solution described as impossible a few years before.

Figure 58 The 2013 Competition Winner, The Canopy

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Figure 59 The Flea Market Winning Project

Though the winning entery recieved alot of prais form the municipality and the residents of the community, MANY architects CRITICIZED it as a FORCED BLOCKING of all activities rather than answering to them.

In recent news, it was reported that the tunnel, currently under construction, was facing alot of technical difficulties. Seems like the 50 MILLION EUROS investement’s inauguration would be delayed indifinatly.

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Chapter 4 Intertwining Glorias Proposed Strategy and Work Process

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The proposal focuses on the natural elements of the city and what happenes when they come in contact with urban structures.

This new axis would introduce the Mountains and the Sea to Glorias, consolidating it as the contingency point of the natural boundaries of the city.

Barcelona is approached as a sensetive plain, where man made efforts are forever encountered by natural elements; that sometimes act as a barrier while, in others, act as a gate opening the city to the world.

Also, uncovering the hiden Rec Comtal puts Glorias and the entire city back in touch with an important piece of its history. Being the first large scale artificial infrastructure in the history of Barcelona, Rec Comtal would stand as bare witness of how great the city is and triger agriculture back to the heart of the city in the form of Urban Agricultural fields gathered around it, bringing greenery to Glorias.

Glorias is seen as a melting point where the urban physical connectors of various natural elements meet. Being the confluence of the three main avenues of the city; Diagonal, Meridiana and Gran Via, it might seem that Glorias is busy enough. On the contrary, the research work that my colleagues and I have conducted proved otherwise. Much of the vicinity of Glorias was uninhabited and disused. As a matter of fact, our work propose adding one more axis to this, seemingly, already complex space.

making Glorias a three dimensional green lung of the city.

The following pages will go more in depth of the process of coming to the final strategy as well as show case the drawings, models and final reflections on the project.

The work process is broken down into Four phases: • Analyzing the City ‘Large Scale’ • Approaching Glorias on Foot • Analyzing Glorias ‘Medium Scale’ • Developing the Strategy

As for the future green corridor, an elevated platform is proposed instead

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PHASE 1: Discovering Barcelona’s Natural Boundaries and their relashionship to the Urban Axes of the city.

Figure 60 The main Urban Axes, Diagonal, Meridiana and Gran Via as Connectors Between the Natural Elements. Plaça Glorias as the common point where the Three urban connectors of the natural elements meet.

Figure 61 Analysis of the Vertical Axes of the city as Mountain/Hills - Sea Connectors. An embalance of distribution is discovered as Glorias is missing out on this prospect.

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Figure 62 Proposing one more axis to Glorias as the Vertical Mountain-Sea connetion.The new Axis was chosen to be in Carrer de la Independencia.

Figure 63 Glorias as the melting point of the main urban axes and all the natural elements connectors.

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PHASE 2: Walking along the Axes and Discovering the characters which shoud be consolidated through Glorias.

Meridiana / Future Green Corridor

• High Speed

Gran Via

Figure 64 Axes Analysis

• Sequence of Importance • Public Spaces

• Tunneled High way

Making observations on the relation of the pedestrian and public space to the cars and transportation lanes.

Understanding the sequence of spaces and different activities and atmospheres of each axis was achieved.

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• Future Green Corridor • Currently Disconnected

Diagonal

• High way

• International Style

• Public Distinations

Carrer de la Independencia / New Axes

• High Density High Rise

• Narrow Streets

• Low Density-Low Rise • Abundant Space Figure 65 Axes Analysis

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PHASE 3: Critical Analysis of Glorias and its vicinity.

Figure 66 Built Up Masses

Figure 67 Void

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Figure 68 Extensions of Glorias

Figure 69 Direct Vicinity to be impacted by the proposal

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Figure 70 Glorias Skyline full of Prominent Architectural Projects

Looking at the surrounding vacinity of Glorias, we find many celebrated architectural projects like: • Jean Nouvel’s AgbarTower • Oriol Bohigas’ Design Museum • Ricardo Bofill’s National Museum • Rafael Moneo’s L’ Auditori • The Flea market • And not so far away, Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia 78

Evidently, Plaรงa Glorias is filled with destinations for people. Most of these magnificant projects were commisioned at the beginning of the 21st century as an attempt to revamp the plaza and attract users.

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PHASE 4: Developing the Strategy

Figure 71 Glorias Absorbing the characteristic features of each of the, now, four axes converging

Glories was approached as ONE ENTITY that represents a MELTING POINT of different flows of cultural experiences. So the strategy for Glories came to be converging the natural boundaries of the city into glories by RESHAPING ITS TOPOGRAPHY. Thus, creating a 3-DIMENTIONAL SPACE of different qualities.

The Design Concept developed into having 3 different levels inside Glories: • •

Gran Via as a tunnel.

Diagonal & New Axis emphasizing the ground level, which is an Urban Public space that connects the existing and proposed cultural entities through activating the space between them.

The Green Corridor as an elevated complete structure platform of a dual character.

•

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Figure 72 Glorias as a 3 Dimensional Hybrid Space Proposed Axes Diagonal Green Corridor Gran Via

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Figure 73 Master Plan of the Ground Floor

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Figure 74 Master Plan with the Elevated Platform

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Figure 75 Situation Collage - Urban Agriculture Arena

On the Ground level: An Urban Public space that connects the existing and proposed cultural entities through activating the space between them and hosts the Public Transportation Node. Redesigning the space around the Design Museum allowed for a new access point to the existing library. The flea market is extended.

Figure 76 Situation Collage - Transportation node

Moreover, an open Green Space that exposes the hidden natural element the Rec Comtal triggers the theme of Urban Agriculture. Being of a topographic nature, spaces like an Arena and open-air screening areas are prominent.

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Figure 77 Situation Collage - Light Structure of the New Axes

As for the proposed axis, Carrer dela Independencia is chosen. Having a constant view of Agbar Tower gives it a strong since of orientation. Having the UNESCO preserved Hospital Sant Pau and the mountain hills and the developing Poblenou and the sea on the other side give the axis a good start towards the direction of pedestrianization as Ramblas. Converging into Glorias, a Light Structure Pavilion emphasizes the linearity of the New Axis and serves as a shaded urban agriculture market.

Figure 78 Situation Collage of the Elevated Platform

On the upper level, the Green Corridor as a complete structure of a dual character. Being an elevated platform of Nature and Greens on top that connects to the Ground through various Access points and openings. It also serves as a roof to a sequence of open and enclosed space underneath on the ground and as an access point to the Transportation node beneath.

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Diagrams showing supportive design elements to reach our strategy.

Figure 79 Topographic Reality. Glorias is much Elevated from its surroundings

Figure 80 Incorporating the Rec Comtal as a hidden water element

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Figure 81 Replanning the Transportation Routes and the Tram Continues through Avenguda Diagonall

Figure 82 Diagram of the Proposoed Topographic changes

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Figure 83 Solid and Void Plan showing introduced buildings in red

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Figure 84 Exploded Axonometric of the complex levels of the proposal

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Model Photos

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91

Following are some early thoughts regarding the Elevated Platform design and structural concept

Figure 86 Topography and Materiality

The place where the elevated Green corridor is critical to the success of the structure to consolidate its surroundings. My initial efforts were more focused on what is happening underneath the bridge, rather than what was abouve it.

Having the bridge to touch the ground opposite to the National Theatre on one side, and in Park Clot on the other, I decided to work on the Meridiana side as it is more complex, with more pressing problems.

Figure 85 Abstract representation of the Topographic Manipulation suggested

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Figure 88 Spacial Composition where the bridge touches the ground.

Having the train tracks on a lower level has created a complex topography to the space.

Conceptual Spacial Composition Collages were created to test the potential to further manipulate this topography in a way that serves the context rather than disconnect it.

Figure 87 Spacial Composition where the bridge touches the ground.

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Figure 89 Section showing how the bridge manipulates and utilisez surrounding Topography

Having Decided to manipulate the topography created by the train tracks, I decided to experiment with a complex topography that would create a sufficient space underneath it for more activities. Thus, solving the problem where the bridge touches the ground without ending up with much unusable spaces underneath.

These spaces were envisioned as youthful and multifunctional that allows people to use them as they please, ulternating between open and enclosed spaces.

Wide Openings in the Elevated Platform’s surface act as light shafts, introducing different lighting situations as the day goes by. Also, offering spaces where tall trees can sprout out of the Ground to the sky.

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Figure 90 Conceptual Collage with Air Vents on the sub floor

Figure 91 Concept Sketches of the playfullniss of the spaces under the bridge and the light shafts with Trees sprouting from them

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First Chalanges:

Critical Review on Work Process

One of the biggest chalenges that faced my team from the start was finding the correct way to explain our ideas and formulate the philosophical strategy that was in our minds.

Having decided to take on the chalenge of approaching the city as a whole, we spent weeks analysing the city, from its extreme ends all the way to Glorias.

Walking down Glorias and approaching it from the three main axes of the city at different times of the day helped us we discovere something new and understand a little bit more what Glorias should be like. We started to experiment with our documentation tools, using photography, videos and even sketches. The more we did that, the closer we got to grasping the idea that was slowly formulating in our heads.

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Such level of analysis took alot of time and effort, but eventually, paid of.

Trying to push the work forward while doing the analysis, we started to sketch situations that we would imagine happening in Glorias. Being inspired by the magnitude of the natural elemets in and around the city was clearly reflected in the sketches that we made and the discusions that we had with one another.

We spent hours trying to articulate our concept and developed many documents in the process until we finally succeeded.

Communication:

Communication was key to the work flow. However, at a certain point, the individual part was due. Supporting each other with our personal opinion in the individual phase was important. By

doing so we were able to reach common grounds on the geometric form of each space.

After doing so, we regrouped creating a phase of exciting, some times nerve wrecking, chaos trying to absorb all our ideas into one cohesive project.

Even though we were using the same techniques to generate the forms; triangulation, levels and concentric angles, each person did it in her own manner and the result seemed, as if, overly designed even though it was the same mechanism of form generation used by all.

On an individual level:

As rooted as my concept was, I had hoped to reach a deeper level of detail in realising it.

my individual part, I expected to reach the structural details of the platform. Unfortunately, time was not sufficient.

Although the design can stll be modified, I believe that the concept is very strong and succeeded in consolidtaing the dfferent parts of the project and over come the problem of the big scale of the space by acting as a tool to fragment it.

Final Result:

Cohesively working on the panels and models of the Final Jury was vital. We spent many nights at the university without going home so that we can have all our inputs on

each drawing and make them cohesive with one another. Working on each of our inidividual strength and skill set, drafting, photoshop, rendering and model making, allowed each one of us to do her best on the task she took.

More time would have been better, of course, as there is always room for improvement. Given the limited amount of time we had, I am happy with the results that we reached. Over all, no regrets!

Having the elevated platform as

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Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, Glorias has proven to be a complex space, with more failed attempts at reforming it than actually successful ones. Intertwining Glorias suggested that to consolidate a space as complex as Glorias, the entire city must be taken into consideration as well as the needs of the immediate vecinity.

The proposal offers the theam of uncovering and reconnecting natural elements as the way to consolidate this big space with the city. Glorias as a three dimensional space offers many activities and a complex program that, not only serve the needs of the community, but add to it as well.

An Intertwined Glorias, is a Glorias that does not simply answer the direct quaestions but dig deeper than that and uncovers more hidden layers of the complex reality.

emphases on the potential that Glorias has as a sustainable model of Urban Agriculture.

The Project already uncovers Rec Comtal and offers wide spaces for Urban Agriculture. Also, farmers market is incorporated in the light structure of the new axis. However, more work can be done in that area, For example, some spaces under the elevated green corridor can act as warm houses for agriculture in winter.

Also, the columns of the bridge can have a dual property of recollecting rain water, which happens even in hot summer days in this mediterranian city, and redistributing it to serve the space.

Also, regarding the new axis, with many buildings, on the sea side, left unused, there is a great chance for rehabilitating architecture and converting many Further improvements can be of these spaces into hubs that made to the project. One of accomodate different needs. which would be putting more

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The Olympics. Retrieved from http://historyofbarcelona.weebly.com/olympics.html Barcelona: Event As Catalyst. (2011, December 1). Retrieved from

Barcelona And The Journey of Urban Transformation. Retrieved from http://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/barcelona-and-journey-urbantransformation/57461/ 1992 Olympics: Going For Gold! Retrieved from http://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/1992-olympic-games Glueck, G. (1987, August 4). Barcelona Tidies Up For 1992 Olympics, And the People Win. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/04/arts/barcelona-tidies-up-for-1992-olympics-and-the-people-win.html The Olympics. Retrieved from http://historyofbarcelona.weebly.com/olympics.html Barcelona: Event As Catalyst. (2011, December 1). Retrieved from http://urbanwaterfront.blogspot.com.eg/2011/01/barcelona-event-as-catalyst.html International Expositions Fair 1929. Retrieved from http://historyofbarcelona.weebly.com/international-expositionfair.html Culture Trip Barcelona (2016, December 6). The History of Place D’Espanya in 1 Minute. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-history-of-placa-despanya-in-1-minute/ Jessop, T. (2016, May 5). The Legacy of The 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-legacy-of-the-1929-barcelona-international-exposition/ Plaça d’Espanya. Retrieved from http://www.barcelonalowdown.com/placa-despanya/ Plaça De Catalunya - The Center of Barcelona. (2015, January 9).Retrieved from https://www.shbarcelona.com/blog/en/placa-catalunya/ Polyzoides, S. (2013). Les Rambles & La Rambla Catalunya, Barcelona. Retrieved from http://www.mparchitects.com/site/thoughts/les-rambles-la-rambla-catalunya-barcelona Cox, W. (2012, August 10). The Evolving Urban Form: Barcelona. Retrieved from http://www.newgeography.com/content/003123-the-evolving-urban-form-barcelona Nelson, P. Barcelona, Spain. The Complete Integrated City. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/open2100/Resources/1_OpenSpaceSystems/Open_Space_Systems/BarcelonaCase Study.pdf Fuente C., et al. Remodelació de l’Avinguda Meridiana. Retrieved from http://www.publicspace.org/en/works/w024remodelacio-de-l-avinguda-meridiana Avinguda Meridiana. (2017, August 05). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avinguda_Meridiana Diagonal Mar Park - Data, Photos & Plans. Retrieved from https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/diagonal-mar-park/ Diagonal Mar Park. (2014, March 13). Retrieved from http://www.archello.com/en/project/diagonal-mar-park Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes. (2016, March 08). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%A7a_de_les_Gl%C3%B2ries_Catalanes Tagliabue, B. Rediscovering Glories.Retrieved from https://docslide.net/documents/syllabus-rediscovering-gloriesbenedetta-tagliabue.html La Placa de les Glories Catalanes (I). (2009, May 25). Retrieved from http://documentbarcelona.blogspot.com.eg/2009/05/la-placa-de-les-glories-catalanes-i.html La Placa de les Glories Catalanes (II). (2009, May 25). Retrieved from http://documentbarcelona.blogspot.com.eg/2009/05/la-placa-de-les-glories-catalanes-ii.html La Placa de les Glories Catalanes (III). (2009, May 25). Retrieved from http://documentbarcelona.blogspot.com.es/2009/05/la-placa-de-les-glories-catalanes-i-iii.html Fase 4: Túnels viaris a la Plaça de les Glòries. (2014, October 21). Retrieved from http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/glories/gfase/tunels-viaris-a-la-placa-de-les-glories/

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List of Figures Figure 1 Current State of Glorias. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 Figure 2 Barcelona Plain 550 - Barcino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 Figure 3 Barcelona 260 - Barcino Pure Roman Centuriation Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 Figure 4 Barcelona 550 - Barcino Denser and the Forum Disappears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13 Figure 5 Barcelona Map 1100 - Rec Comtal Expands and new neighbourhoods appear. . . . . . . . . .

14 Figure 6 Tracing the full Rec Comtal Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 Figure 7 Barcelona Map 1500 - Expanded city walls fully closed on the seafront . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16 Figure 8 Barcelona Map 1840 - Barcelonetta Dwellings Expanded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18 Figure 9 Barcelona Map 1840 -First Railway Track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20 Figure 10 Barcelona Map 1890 -Railway Expands and Eixample Taking Shape - Port Growth. . . . . . .

22 Figure 11 Barcelona Map 1936 - Montjuic Develeoped for 1929 International Exposition - Industrial Revolution and Port Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24 Figure 12 Barcelona Map 1976 - Eixample Development and the Surroundings of Barcelona Built . . .

26 Figure 13 Barcelona Map 1976 - Sea Line drastic remodeling and the 1992 Olympic Games . . . . . . .

28 Figure 14 Barcelona Map 2004 - The Forum Developement on the sea line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30 Figure 15 Diverted Path of Llobregat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34 Figure 16 Increasing FarmLands Acting as A Green Built Against Urban Sprawl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34 Figure 17 1859 Cerda’s Plan with The Besos Left Banck as A big City Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35 Figure 18 1932 Cerda’s Grid Continues Expanding and the agricyltural land on the Besos starts declining.

35 Figure 19 Besos Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35 Figure 20 Vertical Water passes from Collserola to sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36 Figure 21 Collserola and Three Hills: La Rovera, Carmel and La Creueta Del Coll . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37 Figure 22 Barcelona Beaches Open for the Public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39 Figure 23 Coast Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39 Figure 24 550 The sea Receaded creating lagoons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 25 1500 The 1st artificial port Sedementation against the new wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 26 1700 Barcelonetta Taking Shape for fishermen and merchants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 27 1400 The City Expanded and new City Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 28 1600 The walls are closed and sedementation increases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 29 1840 Barcellonetta Dwellings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40 Figure 30 1890 The port expanding and Industrial Revolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 Figure 31 1992 The Olympics: A drastic remodelling and The city turns to the sea. . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 Figure 32 1956 The sea dominated by the port and factories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 Figure 33 2004 The Forum and the new marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 Figure 34 Main Urban Axes of he city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

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Figure 35 Park del Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

44 Figure 36 Diagonal Mar Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 Figure 37 International Convention Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 Figure 38 Avenguda Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 Figure 39 Plaรงa Espanya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46 Figure 40 Plaรงa Tetuan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46 Figure 41 Plaรงa Catalunya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

47 Figure 42 Gran Via as a sequence of Publis Squares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

47 Figure 43 Plaรงa Glorias. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

47 Figure 44 Meridiana Converging into Highway and Future Green Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48 Figure 45 Apartmen Block designed by Oriol Bohigas.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

49 Figure 46 Vertical Axes of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51 Figure 47 Vertical Axes of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53 Figure 48 Les Rambles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

55 Figure 49 Barcelona as Concentric Rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57 Figure 50 Dangerously High Pedestrian Crossings over the Railway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

60 Figure 51 The Railways acted as a Barrier and Glorias was a disgrace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

61 Figure 52 The 1st Reform, Inaugurated Unfinished 1963 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

62 Figure 53 Ariel View of Gloris 1930s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

63 Figure 54 The 2nd Reform realized 1973. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

64 Figure 55 Glorias 2nd reform vision 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65 Figure 56 The 3rd Reform realized 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

66 Figure 57 The Drum with the Design Museum Cantilevered above it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

67 Figure 58 The 2013 Competition Winner, The Canopy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

68 Figure 59 The Flea Market Winning Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

69 Figure 60 The main Urban Axes, Diagonal, Meridiana and Gran Via as Connectors Between the Natural Elements. Plaรงa Glorias as the common point where the Three urban connectors of the natural elements meet.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72 Figure 61 Analysis of the Vertical Axes of the city as Mountain/Hills - Sea Connectors. An embalance of distribution is discovered as Glorias is missing out on this prospect. . . . . . . . . . . .

72 Figure 62 Proposing one more axis to Glorias as the Vertical Mountain-Sea connetion.The new Axis was chosen to be in Carrer de la Independencia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

73 Figure 63 Glorias as the melting point of the main urban axes and all the natural elements connectors. .

73 Figure 64 Axes Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

74 Figure 65 Axes Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

75 Figure 66 Built Up Masses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

76 Figure 67 Void .

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Figure 68 Extensions of Glorias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

77 Figure 69 Direct Vicinity to be impacted by the proposal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

77 Figure 70 Glorias Skyline full of Prominent Architectural Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78 Figure 71 Glorias Absorbing the characteristic features of each of the, now, four axes converging . . . .

80 Figure 72 Glorias as a 3 Dimensional Hybrid Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

81 Figure 73 Master Plan of the Ground Floor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

82 Figure 74 Master Plan with the Elevated Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

83 Figure 75 Situation Collage - Transportation node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84 Figure 76 Situation Collage - Urban Agriculture Arena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84 Figure 77 Situation Collage - Light Structure of the New Axes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

85 Figure 78 Situation Collage of the Elevated Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

85 Figure 79 Topographic Reality. Glorias is much Elevated from its surroundings. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

86 Figure 80 Incorporating the Rec Comtal as a hidden water element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

86 Figure 81 Replanning the Transportation Routes and the Tram Continues through Avenguda Diagonall .

87 Figure 82 Diagram of the Proposoed Topographic changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87 Figure 83 Solid and Void Plan showing introduced buildings in red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

88 Figure 84 Exploded Axonometric of the complex levels of the proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

89 Figure 85 Topography and Materiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

92 Figure 86 Abstract representation of the Topographic Manipulation suggested . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

92 Figure 87 Spacial Composition where the bridge touches the ground.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

93 Figure 88 Spacial Composition where the bridge touches the ground.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

93 Figure 89 Section showing how the bridge manipulates and utilisez surrounding Topography . . . . . . .

94 Figure 90 Conceptual Collage with Air Vents on the sub floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94 Figure 91 Concept Sketches of the playfullniss of the spaces under the bridge and the light shafts with Trees sprouting from them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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