OCS 220: Studies in the Arts BARCELONA ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN

The course focuses on the architecture and city plan reforms of Barcelona and its evolution from the Romans to the present day.

By analyzing and commenting of the evolution of Barcelona and by comparing it with other European and American cases, the student will have a more complete knowledge of Urbanism and Art and will be able to identify different architectural styles.

The city plan reform by Ildefons Cerdà and works of the city’s principal architects will be discussed in class, as well as the connection between their main ideas and concepts with those of contemporary architecture.

The course also examines the Barcelona of today and how the new Urbanism influences the life quality of citizens. Students will analyze and comment on the impact of the city plan reforms and the ideas and objectives behind them.

Requirements:

Attendance in classes and field trips is mandatory; poor attendance will affect the final grade of the student as well as the everyday participation grade.

The final grade consists of four different parts: class participation, a midterm written exam, a final written exam, and a final project. The breakdown of grades is made up as follows:

20% Class participation (classroom interaction, field studies, journal, and attendance)

25% Midterm written exam

25% Final written exam

30% Final project (15% Written paper, 15% class presentation)

Contents

1. Introduction to city planning and architectonical language 1.1. Definition of architecture 1.2. Town planning: brief history of Urbanism 1.2.1. Ancient World 1.2.2. Middle Age 1.2.3. Early Modern 1.2.4. Late Modern

2. Barcelona and its changes through the ages.

2.1 Foundation.

2.2. From the Roman Barcino to the Barcelona of the Spanish March. 2.3. Barcelona with and without the Spanish monarchy.

2.4. The War of the Spanish Succession.

3. Barcelona 1850: The demolition of the city walls

3.1. Barcelona and the Renaixença

3.2. Barcelona and the Catalan Industrialization: Life quality and conflicts

3.3. Ildefons Cerdà: L’Eixample and other city plan reforms

3.4. The 1888 International World Fair

4. Modernisme and l’Eixample: main architects and artist

4.1 Josep Puig i Cadafalch: The house and the city.

4.2. Lluís Domènech i Muntaner: Architecture and city plan reforms (Via Laietana and Montjuic)

4.3. Antoni Gaudí and Organic Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

5. Barcelona and its heritage

5.1. The Olympic Games

5.2. New reforms: The Forum

5.3. Immigration, identity and marketing: Made in Barcelona

BIBLOGRAPHY

Aibar,Eduard. Constructuing a city: The Cerdà Plan for the Extension of Barcelona. Science, Technology & Human Values. January 1997 22: 3-30

Busquets, Joan; Corominas Ayala, Miquel. Cerdà i la Barcelona del futur, realitat versus proyecte. English version. Centre de Cultura Contemporània. Barcelona 2009.

Cirici, Alexandre. Gomis, Joaquim. 1900 en Barcelona. English version. Polígrafa. Barcelona, 1967.

Fundació Caixa de Pensions (ed) Josep Puig i Cadafalch: architecture between the House and the City. Fundació Caixa de Pensions. Barcelona 1989.

Llimargas, Marc; Bergos, Joan; Bassegoda i Nonell, Joan;Crippa, Maria Antonietta .Gaudí. Lunwerg. Barcelona 2009

Miles, Malcom. Cities and cultures. Routledge. London 2007 Ricard Pié, (ed) Aportacions catalanes en el camp de la urbanística i de l'ordenació del territori, des de Cerdà als nostres dies. English version. Societat Catalana d'Ordenació del Territori; Agrupació d'Arquitectes Urbanistes de Catalunya. Barcelona 2007.

Smith, Angel. Anarchism, revolution and reaction: catalan labour and the crissi of the Spanish state, 1898-1923. Berghan Books. New York; Oxford