barcelona = real good.

[cubercle]

 

[Seabishop]

You couldn't be more right.

 

[Greenescapist]

It's definitely Spain's most beautiful (and self-absorbed) city. I lived in Madrid for a semester in college and had the opportunity to travel all around that country. Barcelona is tops. The natural setting and the architecture are truly amazing.

 

[Miles Ignatius]

Eye Candy!

Thanks for the pix. I'm with you all the way; it's a rich place for anyone with appreciation of the built and natural landscape. I was there for the first time in February; my only complaint about the place was that Spanish beer sucks. So, the obvious remedy is to drink the Spanish wine, which is excellent...

 

[BKM]

I've never been there, so this is a question for those that have.

What are your opinions about some of the newer plazas and public spaces? Some of the photographs of the newer designs bother me a bit. I generally like creative architecture, but a few of the plazas were very hard and just plain bizarre.

I do want to go-maybe next year.

 

[Seabishop]

I've never been there, so this is a question for those that have.

What are your opinions about some of the newer plazas and public spaces? Some of the photographs of the newer designs bother me a bit. I generally like creative architecture, but a few of the plazas were very hard and just plain bizarre.

I do want to go-maybe next year.

I was let down by Port Olympic. It just seemed to be a couple of skyscrapers near the beach. I kept wondering what was there before redevelopment. I don't remember any other plazas like the ones you described. The city with what people consider the best public space in the world should know how to get it right.

 

[BKM]

Photographs probably don't do the spaces justice. Its hard to get accurate/perceptual images of a "town square" or plaza.

 

[Greenescapist]

I agree with Seabishop. I was there a while ago, back in 96 and I remember thinking that the newly-constructed Olympic area looked a little treeless and sterile. It also had Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood-type places which, I think, ruin the character of the area. However, the other public spaces - Las Ramblas, the Gaudi parks and the old city center are just beautiful. Some might see the architecture as weird; I found it clever and inspiring.

You can climb to the top of the Sagrada Familia cathedral (the drip sandcastle-like church, there is a photo in the first post) and you get a sweeping view of the bay and the entire city. I felt like it was Spain's San Francisco.

 

[BKM]

To clarify one thing: When I was mentioning the more sterile plazas, I wasn't referring to any of the photographs (all very nice). There are a few pictures in a couple of books that I own that are quesitonable.

 

[nerudite]

I love Barcelona! Anytime I travel in the north Mediterranean area I try to fly in to Barcelona and stay for the first three days to get over jet lag and re-adjust to Europe. I have been there three times now, and I absolutely love it. It is my favorite large city in Spain (my all-time favorite cities being Granada and Toledo so far). It is one of those cities that you don't need much to do (museums, etc.) because walking around, people watching and checking out architecture are so much fun. Just watch your personal belongings along Las Ramblas (at least the lower section).

 

[cubercle]

for me, the best part about barcelona was getting drunk on sangria at pizza hut. did i say pizza hut? i meant one of the many wondurful tapas bars. uh, yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[nerudite]

for me, the best part about barcelona was getting drunk on sangria at pizza hut.

[ot]
LOL... I admitted to a fellow planner that when I was in Madrid a few years back I went to Burger King. Not because I needed the food... it was all about the soda. I love big drinks and I love ICE. Ice seems to be a rarity in Europe, so I searched for an American fast food place when I was in Madrid (didn't have to look far) and found a Burger King. Sure enough... big fountain drinks and lots of ice. It's the little things that you crave over there.

Now getting a sangria at a pizza hut? That's different! I personally liked the pepsi machine on street corners with beer as three or four choices. [/ot]

 

[jresta]

ahh - i need to write my own homage to catalonia. I belong there.

The view from Tibidabo is unmatched. You can see the entire city from there. It's amazing what a little UGB can do. If you're going def. check it out. You won't be disappointed. The funicular only runs on the weekends in the off-season but the walk can be just as refreshing and make sure you climb up the tower of the cathedral!

I know of the more modern plazas that were spoken of. They're in the western and eastern parts of the city. Comparing them to the other plazas in the city they're not great but they're by no means bad. I can't walk around that city and think anything is bad. It just puts me in such a good mood.

 

[el Guapo]

Some of those buildings are somewhat gaudy. Sorry, it was laying out there all day and no one took it.

 

[Norris]

Barcelona is my favourite city. Last year I was trying to find a restaurant in the Barro Chino run by an anarchist group that survived the civil war in the 30's. No matter how many times I tromped up and down the street, the turning would not appear. It was only after meeting up with a friend the next day that I discovered that the particular street I wanted had been turned into the "new ramblas" by taking out a block of housing and creating a new palm lined boulevard. Its one of the most impressive bits of regeneration I've come across.

And yes, "La Fragua" had cannily survived the gentrification, still serving up fried rabbit and pigs trotters all lashed down with Cava!

 

[Cardinal]

And yes, "La Fragua" had cannily survived the gentrification, still serving up fried rabbit and pigs trotters all lashed down with Cava!

Cavas are much better than many champaigns, but what is a pig trotter?

 

[Howard Roark]

Barcelona is just about Architecture and Urban Design utopia. The old stuff is great, and the new boulevards and plazas are nice w/o trying to replicate 19th century architecure.

It is the textbook definition of the effective use of perimeter blocks, though I found many inside of blocks (whic sould be private space) developed into literally backoffice operations.

The beach at olympic village is entirely man made in 1991, it looks so natural I could not believe it.

Even the area around the FCB stadium (which is pretty low rent) is nice with thoughtful attention to streetscape. I jinx the team though, in 2 visits I saw 2 games and no winner, (don't tell the Catalans.)

The one area I found that was nice but could use fruther development was the area around Mt. Judic, which was great, just underutilized.

In school I attended a lecture w/ the head of planning from Barcelona (this was about a year ago) and the plans for the next ten years look as good as what has been implemented so far. They are planning a cont. of the boulevard that terminates in the harbour from Las Ramblas this will extend east passing by the waterfront and deeper into the city.

Also kick butt Foster TV tower on the edge of town.

Estrella Damn would be tastey right about now.