Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
No one longs for the pre-Olympic days when the waterfront was a dangerous and pol-
luted wasteland. However, some old timers still bemoan the loss of its old rickety restaur-
ant shacks, which sat on stilts over the water and served delectable if utterly unfussy sea-
food.
The City of Tomorrow
Big projects are slowly unfolding around the city, although the continuing economic crisis
has dramatically slowed the pace of construction.The redevelopment of the area near Plaça
de les Glòries Catalanes is one of the latest projects underway, with the goal of revitalising
the neighbourhood and making it a draw for tourism.
The centerpiece is the new Disseny Hub (which now houses Barcelona's design museum),
a building completed in 2013 that incorporates sustainable features in its cantilevered,
metal-sheathed building. Vaguely futuristic (though some say it looks like a stapler), it has a
rather imposing, anvil-shaped presence over the neighbourhood.
Nearby, stands the Els Encants Vells ('the Old Charms' flea market), which was given a
dramatic new look by local architecture firm b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos. Traders
now sell their wares beneath a giant, mirrored canopy, situated at geometric angles and held
aloft with long, slender poles. It opened to much acclaim in 2013.
In a rather thoughtful bit of recycling, British architect Lord Richard Rogers transformed
the former Les Arenes bullring on Plaça d'Espanya into a singular, circular leisure complex,
with shops, cinemas and more, which opened in 2011. He did so while still maintaining its
red-brick, 19th-century Moorish-looking facade. Perhaps its best feature is the rooftop with
360-degree views from the open-air promenade and cafes and restaurants.
In the
ciutata vela
(old city), El Raval continues to be the focal point for urban renewal.
The Filmoteca de Catalunya is a hulking rather brutalist building of concrete and glass, with
sharp angles. It was designed by Catalan architect Josep Lluís Mateo and completed in
2011. It sits near the Richard Meier-designed MACBA, which opened in 1995.
