THE ENTRANCE . BARCELONA HILLS

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/DEVELOPED AT UPC- ETSAB

/FACULTY JORGE PEREA

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REALITY

“In a poetic sense, this neighborhood (El Carmel) would be the back of Barcelona, its spinal column. It has supported the city even though it is not the Barcelona we are used to see. Its limits are a park separating it from Vallcarca -a neighborhood of an opposite character- and Sanllehi square, which separates it from Gràcia Nord. It is the crossroad where we find the bar Delicias, a very emblematic place: you sit there and its like if you were dominating the access door of the neighborhood."

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STRATEGY

The hill is considered as part of the city, but without compromising neighbourhood's accessibility and comfort.

Linking Barcelona - El Carmel, Parks - El Carmel:

aim to connect not only to the city -urbanity-, but also to the parks -landscape-.

The main crossroad represents the new entrance for the nowadays isolated neighbourhoods of the city.

 

ACTUATION

Park-city integration: working on accesses, connections, park's articulation with neighbourhood gardens, permeability, pedestrian routes' priority, squares as transition between streets and parks...

Intervention in the whole area: sidewalks become wider, empty plots are occupied, level-differences are overcomed...

Landscape- urbanity transition: terraced surfaces (leisure, bars, pubs...)

 

I. THE CROSSROAD: becomes primordial, the linking point between Park Güell - aircraft shelters offereing both different and accessible routes as it becomes not only El Carmel's main entrace (clear structure + activity focus), but also an exchanging point (diversity activity focus) where landscape and urbanity coexist and limits are blurred.

II. THE NEW AXIS: the axis is transformed from a continuous/one-way/linear direction to meanders, crosses and extensions.

III. PEDESTRIAN/CYCLIST NEW ROUTE: Route proposed (Park Güell - Park - Crossroad - Park - Air raid shelters) with gentle slopes representing no difficulties to walkers or cyclists.