Locations

Mostra USk BCN 2013. Workshops and useful information. en un mapa més gran

Workshop A: Plaça de la Vila de Madrid/ Carrer Canuda

Barcelona's Roman necropolis, the Via Sepulcral Romana, is found in the Gothic Quarter, on the Plaça de la Vila de Madrid and Carrer Canuda. One block away from Les Rambles, the necropolis features well-preserved Roman tombs enclosed in an attractive park surrounded by typically Barcelonese residential blocks built in the 1950s. The necropolis of Via Sepulcral Romana was a funerary road outside the city walls where citizens of the Roman city of Barcino buried their dead over 2,000 years ago. Three centuries worth of tombs containing the remains of over 200 individuals are incorporated into the modern setting of the Plaça de la Vila de Madrid square, having been discovered in the 1950s following a fire which burned down the Carmelite convent occupying the area. The necropolis is believed to have been used for humble folk, including slaves and freedmen. Its restoration, completed in 2010, has been faithful to the original lay-out of the gardens, including the planting of trees and plants that would have furnished them 2,000 years ago. There is also a small interpretation centre on the site, which has a wealth of information about Roman necropoli.

Source: http://gospain.about.com/od/thingstodoinbarcelona/a/Via-Sepulcral-Romana-Barcelona.htm





Workshop B: Plaça del Pi i San Josep Oriol

Under the watchful eye of the stunning Santa Maria del Pi, this charming square reveals us one of the most interesting places of the Gothic quarter. Together with its neighbouring Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, Plaça del Pi has an authentic bohemian atmosphere. The square is surrounded by old decorated facades, antique shops, bars and restaurants with interesting cuisine. There is also a nice little market dedicated to artisan products. Plaça del Pi is located at the end of the street Petritxol, just off La Rambla. Its translation (pi) would be "pine” and is so named because when the square was opened there was a large pine tree in the middle, which had to be replaced. The most significant building at the east side of the square is the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi with its huge multicolored rose window.

Source: http://www.secretsofbarcelona.com/en/special-places/street-square/placa-del-pi.html








Workshop C: Illa de la Discòrdia on Passeig de Gràcia

The Illa de la Discòrdia is a block on Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample District. The block is noted for having buildings by four of Barcelona's most important Modernist architects, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Enric Sagnier, in close proximity. As the four architects' styles were very different, the buildings clash with each other and the neighboring buildings. They were all built in the early years of the 20th century. The block is the southwest side of Passeig de Gràcia, between Carrer del Consell de Cent and Carrer d'Aragó. The houses are the Casa Lleó-Morera, at Passeig de Gràcia 35, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner; Casa Mulleras, at Passeig de Gràcia 37, designed by Enric Sagnier; Casa Bonet, at Passeig de Gràcia 39, designed by Marcel·lí Coquillat i Llofriu; Casa Amatller, at Passeig de Gràcia 41, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; and Casa Batlló, at Passeig de Gràcia 43, designed by Antoni Gaudí. Due to the presence of these famous landmark buildings, the block is a significant tourist attraction in Barcelona.

Adapted from Wikipedia



Workshop D: Pla de la Boqueria/ La Rambla

One of Europe’s largest and most famous food markets, the first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. In the beginning, the market was not enclosed and had no official status. The inauguration of the structure took place in 1853, and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914. La Boqueria is located in La Rambla, a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural form Les Rambles (the original Catalan form). From the Plaça de Catalunya toward the harbour, the street is successively called the Rambla de Canaletes, the Rambla dels Estudis, the Rambla de Sant Josep, the Rambla dels Caputxins, and the Rambla de Santa Mònica. Construction of the Maremàgnum in the early 1990s resulted in a continuation of La Rambla on a wooden walkway into the harbour called the Rambla de Mar. The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was "the only street in the world which I wish would never end." The name rambla refers to an intermittent watercourse in Catalan. This is reflected in the undulating design on the pavement which is also decorated with a mosaic by Joan Miró.

Adapted from Wikipedia and http://www.bcn.cat/historia

Workshop E: Plaça Catalunya 

Plaça de Catalunya, meaning in English "Catalonia Square", is a large square in central Barcelona that is generally considered to be both its city centre and the place where the old city (Barri Gòtic and Raval, in Ciutat Vella) and the 19th century-built Eixample meet. Some of the city's most important streets and avenues meet at Plaça Catalunya: Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, La Rambla or Portal de l'Àngel, in addition to Ronda de Sant Pere, Carrer de Vergara or Carrer de Pelai. The square occupies an area of about 50,000 square metres. It is especially known for its fountains and statues, its proximity to some of Barcelona's most popular attractions, and for the flocks of pigeons that gather in the centre.

Adapted from Wikipedia


Workshop F: Via Laietana / Plaça Urquinaona / Carrer Comtal

Plaça Urquinaona is one of the important squares in central Barcelona. Its urbanised surface amounts to 18,050 square meters, and has a green central area. The square is crowned by the Torre Urquinaona and was created in 1857, after the demolition of the Sant Pere and Jonqueres bastions. Via Laietana is an avenue which runs from Plaça Urquinaona to Plaça d'Antonio López, by the seafront, and separates the neighbourhoods of the old city it has on each side: La Ribera/El Born and Sant Pere on one, and Barri Gòtic opposite. It is usually overcrowded with both locals and tourists attracted by its Modernist Art Nouveau, Art Déco and Noucentista neo-classical architecture, in addition to its nearness to the Rambles and the pedestrian streets of Barri Gòtic, like Carrer Comtal to the right. The extension of this street takes us close to Carrer Patriarca, which leads to Carrer Montsió, with its famous café Els Quatre Gats, where famous Catalan Modernist writers and artists, such as Santiago Rossinyol and Ramón Casas, met. This café was the venue for Pablo Picasso's first exhibition.

Adapted from Wikipedia






Workshop G: Plaça Reial 

Plaça Reial is a square in the Barri Gòtic. It lies next to La Rambla and constitutes a well-known touristic attraction, especially at night. On the square there are a large number of restaurants and some of the city's most famous nightclubs including Sidecar, Jamboree or Karma. It is also known for its many outdoor venues and is a popular meeting place during the summer and the annual La Mercè festival in September, when open air concerts take place, and during other celebrations such as New Year's Eve, often being very crowded. The Plaça Reial was designed by Francesc Daniel Molina i Casamajó in the 19th century. The square is twinned with Plaza Garibaldi, in Mexico City. The lanterns there were designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It ought not be confused with Plaça del Rei, also in the Barri Gòtic.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop H: Carrer Pintor Fortuny/ Carrer Xuclà

Carrer Fortuny and Xuclà are located in the heart of El Raval, Ciutat Vella. As such they are an exciting example of this area in Barcelona, with a special personality and character all of its own that make this an interesting visit. Although it also has its darker and seedy side that you ought to be aware of, the neighbourhood is vibrant, historic, lively and multi-cultural with a huge variety of tempting cafes, restaurants and bars. One of them is Granja Viader on Carrer Xuclà, a family run creamery since the 1880s, famous for its hot chocolate and xurros.

Adapted from http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/areas/el-raval-barrio.html

Workshop I: Pla dels Àngels/ MACBA

The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) is situated in the Plaça dels Àngels, in El Raval, Ciutat Vella. In 1986 the Barcelona City Council recommended the American architect Richard Meier & Partners to design the museum. After the completion of the $35 million construction, local media referred to the museum as “the pearl” amongst the old architecture and narrow streets just a few blocks from Gothic center of Barcelona, in addition to revamping the public space of the Raval. The large (120 by 35 meters) white building has much of its southern elevation glazed, providing the visitor with views across the plaça, and allowing for an abundance of natural light to illuminate the interior galleries. Opposite the main museum, in the medieval Convent dels Àngels for which the square is named, a chapel has been converted into a separate exposition area. Entrance to this part of the museum is free. Another contemporary art museum, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), is adjacent to MACBA. The surrounding square and architecture outside of the museum is among the most well-known and respected places for modern skateboarding. Together with surrounding places in Barcelona, it is a meeting ground in youth culture due to its reputation in the world of skateboarding photography and cinema.

 Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop J: CaixaForum

CaixaForum Barcelona is and art gallery sponsored by Barcelona bank "la Caixa", and opened in 2002 in a former factory. CaixaForum is located in the Montjuïc area, on Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia. The museum houses art exhibits and is free to the public. The building was originally commissioned as a textile factory by Casimir Casaramona i Puigcercós, and built by the famous Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Called the "Casaramona factory", it was completed in 1911, and the same year won the City Council's award for best industrial building. It closed in 1918, but reopened as a warehouse in 1929. In 1940 the building was used by the Spanish National Police Force, and it was used as such until "la Caixa" bought it in 1963. It was opened as a museum in February 2002. The building was restored prior to its opening, and a new entrance was built, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, in a process that included firing 100,000 bricks to match the original ones. The museum, which opened in spring 2002, has almost three acres of exhibition space, a media library, auditorium, classrooms and a restaurant. Visitors descend by escalator to the basement lobby, adorned by a Sol LeWitt mural, then rise again to the exhibition spaces on the ground floor, within the crenelated brickwork.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop K: Mercat de la Boqueria

One of Europe’s largest and most famous food markets, the first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. In the beginning, the market was not enclosed and had no official status. Later, the authorities decided to construct a separate market on La Rambla, housing mainly fishmongers and butchers. It was not until 1826 that the market was legally recognized, and a convention held in 1835 decided to build an official structure. The Boqueria Market was built over where the Discalced Carmelite Convent of Sant Josep had stood (which is why it is also known as Saint Joseph's Market). After the convent was burned down in 1835, the City Council decided to build a square for the market stalls, which was inaugurated in 1836. But Josep Mas Vila's project (a monumental portico with a terrace on the first floor that surrounded the entire square) was only partially completed, leading to much criticism as the market was left open to the elements. A further project, by engineer Miquel de Bergue, was approved in 1864, which covered the open market with a metal structure, finally completed at the beginning of the 20th century, with the metal roof that still exists today constructed in 1914.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop L: Plaça Vicenç Martorell

With the crowds of the Rambles just two blocks away, traffic-free Plaça Sant Vicenç Martorell in el Raval is a great place to enjoy some light refreshment when you need a break from the crowds. The square also has some grass, a playground and a beautiful arcade. Plaça Vicenç Martorell has an entrance to The Casa de la Misericòrdia, the House of Mercy, a complex of convent buildings that remained almost fully intact until the 19th century. It was run by Sisters of Charity nuns who took responsibility for the city’s abandoned children following its opening in 1583. In recent years what is left of the original complex has been affected by urban redevelopment. Nevertheless, the buildings that form part of it, mainly the convents on Carrer Elisabets, Carrer dels Àngels and Carrer de Montalegre, and the former Sant Guillem d’Aquitània School, are still intact.

Adapted from http://w1.bcn.cat/barcelonablog/unknown-city/orphans-turntable-at-the-house-of-mercy-poorhouse?lang=en

Workshop M: Carrer and Església de Santa Anna

A haven of peace and tranquillity in the heart of Barcelona, the church of Santa Anna is a hidden treasure tucked away right in the city centre. Surrounded by the Plaça Catalunya and the main shopping streets, it is a haven of peace that will take you back to another age. The church was founded in 1141 by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and built between the 12th and 13th centuries. Its architecture marks the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic styles. The cloister dates from the 15th century when the monastery of Santa Eulàlia became part of the church building.

Source: ww.barcelonaturisme.com

Workshop N: Rambla del Raval 

El Raval is a neighbourhood in the Ciutat Vella district. The area, especially the part closest to the port, was also informally known as Barri Xino, meaning "Chinatown". El Raval is one of the two historical neighborhoods that border La Rambla, the other being the Barri Gòtic, and contains some 50,000 people. An area historically infamous for its nightlife and cabarets, as well as prostitution and crime, El Raval has changed significantly in recent years and due to its central location has become a minor attraction of Barcelona. It currently has a very diverse immigrant community (47.4% of its population was born abroad), ranging from Pakistanis and Indonesians, to a more recent Eastern European community. It is home to many bars, restaurants, and night spots. There are a few historical monuments such as the Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp, as well as newer additions such as the Rambla del Raval, and the Modern Art Museum of Barcelona or the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. In the southern part of the neighborhood an old wall and gate of the medieval city called Portal de Santa Madrona still exists as part of the Maritime Museum. The Raval is also known for its large statue of a cat by Fernando Botero, located on the Rambla del Raval. The city's most famous market, La Boqueria, is also situated in the Raval.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop O: Plaça Universitat 

Plaça de la Universitat is one of Barcelona's central squares, split between the districts of Eixample and Ciutat Vella. It's on the intersection of Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Carrer d'Aribau and Ronda de Sant Antoni, to the west of Plaça de Catalunya, to which it's linked through Ronda de la Universitat and Carrer de Pelai. It receives its name from the Universitat de Barcelona neo-gothic main campus, which lies on the Gran Via side, and was built between the years 1863-1889 by the architect Elies Rogent, who devised the square as well in 1874, at the time when the Eixample was being built after the complete demolition of the city walls. Along with Plaça d'Urquinaona, it's arguably one of the most usual gathering points for demonstrations in the city, as well as offering a pedestrianised area popular with skaters. There are also a number of shops and restaurants, and a primary school.

Adapted from Wikipedia


Workshop P: Palau de la Música Catalana

The Palau de la Música Catalana, the Palace of Catalan Music, is a concert hall in Barcelona. Designed in the Catalan Modernist style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for the Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 that was a leading force in the Catalan cultural movement that came to be known as the Renaixença (Catalan Rebirth). It was inaugurated February 9, 1908. The project was financed primarily by the society, but important financial contributions also were made by Barcelona's wealthy industrialists and bourgeoisie. The Palau won the architect an award from the Barcelona City Council in 1909, given to the best building built during the previous year. Between 1982 and 1989, the building underwent extensive restoration, remodeling, and extension under the direction of architects Oscar Tusquets and Carles Díaz. In 1997, the Palau de la Música Catalana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Hospital de Sant Pau. Today, more than half a million people a year attend musical performances in the Palau that range from symphonic and chamber music to jazz and Cançó (Catalan song).

Adapted from Wikipedia

Workshop Q: Colom / Maremàgnum

The Columbus Monument is at the lower end of La Rambla. It was constructed for the Exposició Universal de Barcelona (1888) in honor to Columbus first voyage to the Americas, as a reminder that he reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent. At the very top of the monument stands a 7.2 m (24 ft) tall bronze statue atop a 40 m (131 ft) tall Corinthian column, depicting Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand. It is a commonly held belief that instead of pointing to the west towards the New World, the statue simply points out to sea. The Port Vell area comprises two marinas or yacht harbors, a fishing port, a maritime station for ferries travelling to the Balearic Islands and other destinations in the Mediterranean and other stations or landing areas for cruise ships, and it abuts the industrial port. In the central area, it also houses "Maremagnum" (a shopping mall and nightlife complex), a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell (large-format cinema complex) and Europe's largest aquarium. Next to the Maremagnum area are the "Golondrines", small ships that take tourists for a visit around the port area and beyond. The Barcelona industrial port is to the south. A good place to view both the industrial and pleasure port is from Montjuïc, and more specifically, from Montjuïc Castle, as well as from the aerial cable car connecting Barceloneta with the Ferry Station and Montjuïc.

Adapted from Wikipedia


Workshop R: Plaça George Orwell

Plaça George Orwell is one ofthe most interesting squares in Barcelona's Barri Gòtic, named after the British writer who penned Homage to Catalonia. The square has some good bars, a controversial sculpture and an enjoyably seedy, libertine vibe. Also known as La Plaça del Tripi - the acid square - an allusion of its reputation for civic decadence, the square throws up an interesting incongruity; it's named in George Orwell's honour, but for years a security camera has been mounted on the wall right next to the plaque with the writer's name... Very Big Brother. Orwell himself fought in Barcelona during the Civil War. In the middle of the square there's a highly unusual example of public art by the sculptor Leandre Cristòfol.

Adapted from: http://gospain.about.com/od/thingstodoinbarcelona/ss/Placa-George-Orwell.htm

Workshop S: Plaça Sant Felip Neri

Possibly the most beautiful square in Barcelona, yet also the most tragic. It was to the baroque church in this tiny square that Gaudi was travelling when he was run over by a tram in the Gran Via and subsequently died. It was also here that a Fascist bomb blast killed many people including 20 children sheltering in the church during the Civil War. There is a plaque to commemorate them, and you can still see evidence of the violent past in the pockmarked stone of the church. Perhaps it is fitting that there is a school here now, and that children play peacefully around the fountain. The trees, fountain and absence of cars give the place an almost rural feel. It is also here that Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall are seen having lunch on an outdoor terrace in Woody Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

From: http://www.secretsofbarcelona.com/en/special-places/street-square/placa-sant-felip-neri.html

Workshop T: Palau de Mar

The building that we know today as the Palau de Mar is the former General Stores, the sole building of Barcelona's Old Port still standing. The Stores were designed in 1881 and were intended for use as trading depots. The Stores are one of Catalonia's most important examples of industrial heritage, of the conceptually most innovative construction techniques of the period from the late 19th century to the early 20th. The Stores have a double structure. The interior structure consists of a rolled steel framework while the exterior structure is brickwork. The building was refurbished in 1992, the year Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, by the architects Josep Benedito and Augustí Mateos, resulting a major transformation of the Stores, blending the port tradition with the dynamism of contemporary architecture. Firstly, a large open space was created in the centre of the building to make it seem lighter and at the same time to allow for vertical circulation within it. Secondly, a new floor was added in order to allow access to the rooftop, which has been acclaimed as a great success as it enables visitors to enjoy fabulous views of the port and the city. The building currently houses the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Catalonia and a number of restaurants.

Adapted from http://www.en.mhcat.cat/content/view/full/50