Barcelona – Coastal Park

The park covers and area of 50,000m² and was designed by Foreign Office Architects which was completed in 2004.  It is located to the north end of the city on the coast, next to the bathing zone.  The project comprised of organic geometries that seek to reproduce the natural landscape.  These take the form of topographies generated artificially using dunes, a frequently found model in coastal areas.  The lay out of the programme for the park is based on an analysis of the various leisure and sporting activities that will take place on the platforms created.  These activities are organised into a network of different circuits that alternate paths and areas of activity. 

       

The construction of the park was very poor there were a large number of faults considering how new the park is.  There was loose tarmac between the slabs and in many place weeds were growing up in between them.  The site was not active with people, during the week the site was dead and even at the weekend it was still very quiet just a couple of skaters.  This was the opposite of the designed proposed pictures of the park, the pictures showed people running up the slopes, playing.

Bathing Zone

The bathing zone is located north of the city on the seafront between a surface water outflow and a marina. It is based on the idea of providing an alternative to the sandy beaches further south.  The project includes artificial reefs just off the seafront to create an area for sailing and leisure activities and to protect the bathing zone and nearby wetlands from gales.   

                        

In the bathing zone there are white marble platforms to allow diving in the water.  The use of this material brightened up the site with the sun reflecting on it.  Other materials used was concrete blocks which protected the bathing zone from the sea.  Over time some of the concrete blocks will become stained by rust which will run off the few rusty blocks.

                               

      

The longer I stayed on the site the more it grew on me.  Like the coastal park it was quiet during the week but at the weekend the site was full of activity from sailing to people walking.  During the summer I can see its potential when the water would be warmer to swim in, it provides a safe place to swim an alternative to the sea.

Rambla de Mar

It is located in Port Vell, Barcelona.  The bridge was designed by the architects Helio Pinion and Albert Viaplana.  The Rambla de Mar is an extension of the street La Rambla.  It connects the city to the 55 acre leisure, recreation and commercial complex through pedestrian access.  It is a bascule bridge which allows private boats moored in the harbour to have easy access to the sea. 

The skyline is shaped with the undulating shape of the bridge which reflects the surface shape of La Rambla.  This shape is also used on the surface that edges the bridge which breaks up the linearly shape.  There are extended platforms which act as wooden beaches.  The wood decking of the bridge is constructed from cedar wood.  This was a suitable choice of wood as it did not need treating against the sea water and the wood also has a rich colour and grain texture, adding the natural qualities to the site. 

                                                                                                                                                               

     

I really enjoyed the site and had a pleasant atmosphere.  The platforms provided plenty of places to sit and hang your feet over the edge.  The site is constantly in use whether its people just crossing the bridge or taking time out and sitting and taking in the views the site has to offer.  This bridge has been constructed to a high quality and whilst I was there maintenance was being carried out in replacing the wooden decking giving it a fresher look.