How Did Antoni Gaudi Use Sequence, Harmony, and Symbolism to Connect

Home , Antoni, Casa Calvet, Connect (sculpture), Dona i Ocell, Josep Maria Jujol

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006

How did Antoni Gaudi use sequence, harmony, and symbolism to connect the Greek Theater with the other elements and spaces of Park Güell? Shelley Wapniak LSA 461, Barcelona 2007

Table of Contents

Off-Campus Junior Thesis:………………………………………………………1-39 Introduction/ Study Question/ Study Site:………………………1 History of Anton Gaudi:…………………………………………………….2-6 Users of the Space:……………………………………………………………7-15 Circulation:…………………………………………………………………………15-17 Materials:……………………………………………………………………………17-20 Message Behind the Space:………………………………………………21-25 The Plaza as Seen in the Landscape…………………………………26 The Inspiration Behind the Art………………………………………….27-35 Park Güell’s Influence on the Neighborhood…………………….36-37 Conclusion:…………………………………………………………………………38 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….39 Context Map………………………………………………………………...... Appendix A-D Boundaries Map………………………………………………………………….Appendix E Circulation Map…………………………………………………………………..Appendix F Locus Map…………………………………………………………………………..Appendix G Drawings…………………………………………………………………………….Appendix H-M Cross Section……………………………………………………………………..Appendix N Journal Entries……………………………………………………………………Appendix O-Q Project Notebook……………………………………………………………….Appendix R-T Detail in the Landscape Field Study…………………………………Appendix U-W Beachscape Field Study……………………………………………………Appendix X-X

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 1 Introduction to the Greek Theater

Study Question: How did Antoni Gaudi use sequence, harmony, and symbolism to connect the Greek Theater with the other elements and spaces of Park Güell?

Name of Park: Park Güell Name of Piece: Greek Theater Atrist(s) and Designer(s): Anthoni Gaudi, and assistant Josep Maria Jujol Date of construction and installment: 1900-1914 Maintained: UNESCO World Heritage Site

How a work of art is placed effects the way it is interpreted. A curator of a museum or art gallery carefully chooses which work to place next to another to create a sequence that will further enhance the message behind each work. There is no one right way to place art. In a gallery setting work can be grouped according to medium, era, technique and/or style. Often an artist will even specify the exact sequence in which the pieces should be arranged in order to convey his own personal message behind the body of work. Often pieces that are arranged in juxtaposition will play off of one another. These concepts are not lost when crossing over into the realm of Public Art. In a gallery setting, it is common to find works of art placed within very close proximity to one another. While in a public setting, one is more likely to find the art work spread out, each piece “owning” its own individual space. Outdoor settings often offer more space than a gallery setting, and they serve a different function than museums and galler- ies, whose sole existence is based on the display of the artwork. In many parks the artwork is secondary to the outdoor space itself. But in some parks the art work is so powerful and well laid out that it can become the focus of the space. In Park Güell the natural landscape has become second to the sculptural elements in the park. The entire park covers a total of fifteen hectares, and the sculptural structures are spread throughout the property. The artwork in this park is different than any other. It consists of stone columns and viaducts, architectural structures and heavily detailed fountains and benches. Sequence and perception play a different role in a public setting than it does in a private gallery. In a gallery the sequence is based on the juxtaposition of the art work, how the rooms are laid out, and the separation of the different artists displayed within the same gallery. Sequence within a public setting such as a public park relates more to the rhythm, harmony and balance of the park, which all amounts to the sequence which one is exposed to when traveling through the park. The sequence correlates to how the person is lead or directed to the piece of art as well as to whether or not the piece of art is linked to anything else within the park. Gaudi designed Park Güell as he would a building, setting up spaces for specific functions as if they were rooms in a building. He chose a limited pallet of building and ornamental materials, to create consistency through out the entire park. Each space has its own entity and function. The treatment that Gaudi applied to the materials that he used in the space are different throughout the park. He took natural stones from the earth and used them to build nearly all of the structures in the park. However, to give each space its own character and unique quality he treated the stone differently throughout the park. Gaudi used different techniques when laying the stones, and was versatile in the ways that he treated the surface of the stones. Gaudi rarely used paints or finishes on the natural materials, but was deliberate in how he had the stones laid or mortared together so that the stone took on the qualities of other natural materials. Gaudi made the stone look like tree bark, elephant’s skin and gingerbread. By managing to draw out such versatility from simple, consistent materials, Gaudi was able to apply fluidity throughout the park. Each space holds its own entity, but can be viewed as part of a whole. Gaudi draws connections through the park with the use of materials, symbolism, design details and placement. All of this applies to the Greek Theater that sits on top of the Greek Temple/Market. Gaudi relates the Greek theater to the other areas of the park by using all of the materials, placement, physical attachment and symbolism. All of the materials found in the Greek Theater are used again in other locations in the park, and sometimes in the same manner. Each feature of the park is repeated in some form somewhere else in the park, and if one were to look at the visual, physical, and symbolic relationships of every feature in the park they could see that the entire space is tied together acting as a functional, fluid space. Through that way, the Greek temple is tied to all of the elements in the park. If the Theater isn’t resting directly on a structure, or doubling as its ceiling, it is providing water to spew forth from its fountains’ mouths, or relating to the same characters and the symbolism between them. The Plaza (which is also the Greek Theater) has also acquired a connection with places based on line of sight and where they can be seen from other areas within the space. The Greek Theater’s own existence in the park is comprised of the different elements that make up the space. The experience begins as a person walks up the steps from the Greek . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 2 History of Antoni Gaudi and Park Güell

Temple/ Market and catches a view of the side of the bench at eyelevel. The Serpentine bench is the . most powerful body in the space, rich in color and symbolism; it dominates the plaza. The Plaza itself is a large wide-open space covered in aggregate. The space can be used to hold large gatherings of people. Along the far end of the plaza is a stone retaining wall with steps on either side that leads up to a second level of the plaza. This level behaves as a form of seating overlooking the stage of the theater. It is used for an outdoor restaurant and is framed by a row of palm trees on either side. The first row is made of living palm trees while the second row is stone palm tree-like columns. These columns lean against another retaining wall holding it up. The tops of the columns come out like balconies or Greek Theater boxes, and overlook the plaza Antoni Gaudi was born under the sign of Cancer on June 25, 1852. Gaudi has and may always be the subject of controversy from the time of his birth, through the course of his career, his death and decades to follow. Gaudi was born in Reus, a regional town which is found in the Baix Camp (lower planes) west of Tarragona. His mother’s pregnancy with him was difficult, and his birth was traumatic to the extent that his father baptized him within the first hour of his life in order to save his soul. (1, Hensbergen) This action speaks to the religious upbringing that Gaudi had growing up which later came out in his work. Gaudi was a very sick child. After a severe lung infection he developed rheumatoid arthritis. (4, Hens- bergen) Instead of being defeated by his diseases, his rocky entrance and early start in the world gave him a sense of higher purpose. One of his first memories was overhearing his doctor tell his parents that unless he got enough rest, he would not make it. Instead of giving up and losing the will to live, Gaudi defied the doctor and pulled through. (4, Hensbergen) Gaudi’s defiance of death on these several occasions gave him a superior sense of purpose. Growing up, he felt as if he were meant to be a part of this world and that he did not survive by accident. This sense of self-worth and purpose followed him into Adulthood, and is reflected in his many works. Gaudi was born into a long accommodating line of Artisans dating back for eight generations including merchants, miners, farmers, weavers, boilermakers and coppersmiths. (4, Hensbergen) The Gaudi’s had been metalworkers and had married the daughters of other smiths. (468, Hughes) Gaudi had said; “I have the quality of special apprehension because I am the son, grandson and great-grandson of copper smiths. My father was a smith, my grandfather also. On my mothers side of the family were also smiths; her grandfather was a copper-there worker; my maternal grandfather was a sailor, who also are people of space and circumstance. All these generations of people gave me preparation” (4, Hens- bergen). Antoni Gaudi was the son of Francisco Gaudi and Antonia Cornet, he was names after his mother Antonia. Antoni was the youngest of five children, but was the only one who lived to adulthood. Antoni Gaudi was the first in a long line of Gaudi men to move out of the family craft. His father had the insight to understand that industry would soon replace craft trades, and was intent that neither remaining son at the time should continue in the trade. Instead Antoni Gaudi was to attend school for a formal education. Antoni attended school in Reus, but was not much of a scholar and had trouble passing most of his classes. However Gaudi did excell in geometry. (9, Hensber- gen) Aside from a few “free” schools in Madrid and figure 1.viaduct with leaning palm tree form Barcelona, a public education meant a Catholic one. (8, Hensbergen) Gaudi began his scholastic education in 1863 at Colegio de las Escuelas Pias de Reus. Guadi’s education consisted of Christian doctrine, religion, morals and religious history along with Greek, Latin, geometry, history, rhetoric and poetry. On Saturday attendance at the prayers of the Virgin was mandatory. (8, Hensbergen) Gaudi’s passion for religion stemmed deep within him but his early education must be credited for strengthening the religious backbone within him. Much of Gaudi’s religious faith can be seen in his work; his family and Education provided him with a fundamental foun dation. Gaudi’s secondary education was crucial to his future, especially in enabling him . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 3 History of Antoni Gaudi and Park Güell

to develop his life-long friendships with Eduardo Toda Güell and Jose Ribera. However it was the . education that he received in his father’s workshop that left a more rudimentary impression. Gaudi was introduced to the metal smithing early on, it was there that he first learned to understand space and feeling and to imagine in three dimensions. (7, Hensbergen). Gaudi’s notorious passion for nature developed early on. He was strongly influenced by his home town. “The Baix Camp de Tarrigon, is archetypically Mediterranean, hard stony country where the light is bright and clear and the earth’s structure shows vividly.” (468, Hughes) Like Barcelona, Tarri- gon had once been settled by Romans, who introduced farming to the country. It is possible that his fascination with plants, animals, birds, insects, geology and weather, stemmed from growing up in a town that farmed on such harsh soil. Of Nature, Gaudi once said “the great book , always open, that we should force ourselves to read.” Gaudi was a firm believer in God as the Great Architect. He drew his inspirations from nature, believing that everything one needed to understand in Architecture, structurally and ornamentally could be found and already exists within all of G-d’s creations. (468, Hughes) Gaudi uses natural forms in all of his work, he copied the form of a tree to create his pillars, imitating their tilt, branch formations and texture. He understood that they do not grow straight, but lean towards the sun and that they grow narrow at the top. He studied the shapes of animals and humans to copy form, and balance. He was a strong believer that anything that can be created already has a precedent, and that precedent is in nature. He also borrowed from past architects, looking at them as building blocks from which he could launch off of. Gaudi met Eusebi Güell while in school, and they became the closest of friends even back then. Güell was born into money in 1846. His family was originally from Torredem Baris. Güell studied economics and law in Barcelona and abroad. Upon the death of his father Joan G?ell Iferrer, Eusebi Güell inher- ited his family’s business. Eusebi Güell was one of the richest men in Catalunia, even before his mar- riage to Isabel Lopez i Bru. Güell set up his first colony in 1901, known as Colony Güell in Santa Coloma de Cervello. There he set up Asland Cement Factory, which was the first to produce Portland cement in Catalunia. Güell was well renown for being a patron of the arts and is best known for having been one of Gaudi’s loyal supporters. Güell was a very wealthy man but the lose of Catalonia’s colonial export market, after the 1898 Cuban crisis, had serious economic impact on Barcelona. (142, Hensbergen) The economic slump forced Güell to seek out other investments, outside the textile industry. During the recession Güell turned his attention to Property development. Anthoni Gaudi, and Eusebi Güell originally envisioned Park Güell to be a park in the center of a high- income housing project. Due to the falling economy and the isolated location of the estate, the housing project never came to realization and by most standards failed. The park itself took on its own identity and meaning when it was left to the city by Eusebi Güell. (504) and later made part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. “The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site, which can be a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Program adminis- tered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State Parties (countries) which are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a fixed term.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site) The property was originally two adjoining farms on Muntanya Pelada or Bald Mountain, up above Barri Gracia, the neighborhood that currently surrounds Park Gell, on the west edge of the city. Güell purchased the first farm in 1899 and the second adjoining farm in 1902. (504, Hughes) Together the two farms come to a total of 15 hectares. Güell actually signed the first contract on June 27th, which in Catalan is Saint Martha’s day. (9, Carandell) The park was developed between the years 1900 and 1914. (10, Carandell) The property was to be developed as a housing project like no other, a privately financed garden suburb. The inspiration for the concept behind Park Güell came from certain English educational establishments which had the students lodging located here and there within a private enclosed park. (10, Carandell) This is exactly what Park Güell was intended to be. The idea was that the houses would have been built on the 60 triangular plots that where originally reserved for development. (141, Zerbst) These proper- ties were to be situated on the unreserved steep slope of the Bald Hill so that the houses would not detract from the view of the city. The layout would have been such that all residents of the colony could live both as a community and in private isolation. (10, Carandell) What now exists of Park Güell are the amenities that Güell and Gaudi wished to provide for the complex. Güell had Gaudi design a

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 4 History of Antoni Gaudi and Park Güell

. grand entrance with lodges and a protective outside wall; a carriage parking garage, a grand staircase adorned with fountains and seating that led up to a covered market where residents of the colony could shop; a communal plaza which doubles as the roof for the market; several elaborate formal terraces, vistas and pavilions; garden surroundings, tree lined avenues, carriage roads which were to lead to the lots above, wooded park trails and a Capelya at the very top of the park. (504, Hughes) Güell worked out a very long and detailed standard sales contract for the plots on the site. Along with the amenities previously mentioned Güell also promised to provide finished sewers, aqueducts, and electricity lines, along with a maintenance staff of gardeners and night watchmen. (504, Hughes) On housing lots, Güell imposed zoning regulations. These regulations pertained to the relation between the size of the property and the size of the house. One sixth of each plot could be built on. Although Gaudi did not have to design each private home, the houses were to be approved by Güell himself. Güell stipulated that the “natural” forest was to be maintained and that residents of the colony were prohibited from cutting down any existing trees that had a trunk thicker than six inches in diameter. Güell enforced strict clauses which governed the height, setback and the pitch of approaching roads and like most zoning regulations today, residential use of the space. No property owner was allowed to use his or her property for “factories, workshops, brick or bread ovens, forges, hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, hotels, inns, restaurants, cafés, chocolate-houses, snack-bars, groceries, stores for drug or explosive substances, warehouses or in general for the pursuit of any industry, trade or profession that might prejudice or inconvenience the owners of Park property or clash with the special planning whose permanent character we seek to maintain” (505, Hughes). This plan seems out of character with what can beseen today in Barcelona. Most of the homes in Barcelona today are small apartment buildings, which more often than not, rent out ground level space to commercial busi- nesses. Güell wished to create an atmosphere for the elite and thought to achieve this buy controlling the size, use and appearance of the homes built on the property. Güell believed the market space beneath the community plaza would provide the residents with their necessities. At the time the park was too far from town for those who wished to be within convenient reach of the city, but wasn’t far enough for people who wished to retreat to figure 2. pavilion on the left of the entrance the. country. Güell’s desire to enforce a character on the development may have partially contributed to its failure. Not only were no trolley carts able to reach the settlements, but without local busi- nesses within close proximity, the inhabitants of the development would be highly inconvenienced. The accommodation of the market place is not to be ignored, but it does not seem like it would have been enough based on the distance from the Bald Mountain to the encroaching city at the time of development. Only two buyers signed up to purchase land on the site, and only three homes where built on the property. The Güell house which is now a school, the Trias house which was owned by Martin Trias Domenech, Güell’s lawyer and which is currently occupied, and Gaudi’s home, now a museum. Work on Park Güell began in 1900 the same year that Hansel and Gretel, by Engelbert Humperdinck, was in production for Barcelona’s Liceu’s I opera season. The performance was translated into Catalan by Joan Maragall, a friend of Gaudi’s. Gaudi might have known Hump- erdinck personally as well, because he had been a professor of music at the conservatori del Liceu 1886. Regardless of their personal relationship it is not a coincidence that visitors of the park associ- ate the two entrance pavilions with giant gingerbread houses. The pavilions are built out of the stones found on site, and their cement roofs are covered with broken pieces of ceramic tile. The contrast between the rough stone and the smooth, milky appearance of the mosaic covering, makes the pavilions appear as if they are made of gingerbread and covered with a candy shell. There are two houses in the story of Hansel und Gretel or as Ton I Guida, as it translates to in Catalan. The pavilion on the right was been said to be a ceramic frog with a poisonous, hallucinogenic mushroom Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 5 History of Antoni Gaudi and Park Güell

that rises from its roof: an emblem of a sorcerer. (508) Güell and . Gaudi were fascinated by magic, health, and medicine, themes that are repeated throughout the park. To stretch the idea a little farther it was well known at the time that Humperdinck was collaborating on another play, Parsifal, with Richard Wagner, who had set the hiding place of the Holy Grail in Catalunya. On the left side of the entrance is the second pavilion with the tall spire, decorated in blue and white checkers, and topped off with a cross. It has been said that the colors were chosen to blend in with the sky but it is also likely that they represent the colors of the bazillion flag, a reference to Wagner’s patron, Ludwig II. This would give the two pavilions there own individual personalities. On the right side, looking into the park, stands the misleading home of the witch, which by far holds a strong resemblance to a house made of candy. On the left side stands the virtuous home of the father, with its tall cross. Might this be a metaphor of Cata- lans struggle with the Madrid’s army’s? Gaudi’s actual intent is unknown but it is understood that Gaudi drew symbolism from his life. During the time of construction there was great tension between Catalon and Madrids army’s, and “in the 1900s the working class Catalanism had begun to emerge, and the “law of jurisdictions” brought these together with the conservatives of the Lliga in a new coalition called Solidaritat Catalana. The spreading solidarity between Catalans worked its way into Gaudis designs.” (506, Hughes) Priest Pere Mirquel de Espluges, Güell’s friend and quondam chaplain once wrote in a posthu- mous memoir (1921) “This Park responds to a mass of ideas that figure 3. are dear to Güell’s heart. In the park, there are memorable explo- sions of high Catalan ideas. Güell ordained the use of the park for the enlargement of the Catalan spirit.” (509, Hughes) Some of the Catalan references are clear as to what they are meant to represent, such as the fountain with the Catalan shield and dog/snake. But the fountain of the colorful mosaic reptile is not as obvious about its meaning. The sculpture is decorated in rencadis, a type of mosaic created from broken tile shards, and has the appearance of a gecko, an animal native to areas of warm climates. The sculpture may look like a small harmless reptile but its form was inspired buy an old Calvinist shield of the French city of Nimes. Nimes was the twin city of Barcelona and like Barcelona was a great textile center. (509, Hughes) The city of Nimes represented the northern limit of Old Catalunya in the days of the Frankish king. The emblem was of a crocodile tethered to a palm tree. The emblem held a personal meaning for Eusibi Güell that extended past his love for Catalunya and association with the textile factory. Güell himself lived and studied in Nimes during his youth. There was a garden called Parc de la Fontaine which Eusibi Güell would frequent. The main emblematic sculpture of the park was a crocodile between two palm trees. Güell asked Gaudi to recreate his own version of the symbol, for the park so Gaudi designed the colorful alchemist’s salamander. In Ancient mythology the salamander was a creature that lived in fire, but here it spits water. (63, Caranedell) The salamander was once flanked by palm trees, which are no longer there.and an early photo of the park from 1905 shows the reptilian sculpture between two palm trees flanking the lizard fountain. (510, Hughes) If the fountains that line the enter of the stairways represent an ancient extent of figure 4. Catalunya, it is likely to infer that the market place at the top of the . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 6 History of Antoni Gaudi and Park Güell

. grand staircase makes reference to the Roman settlers of ancient Barcelona. The market shares the appearance of a classic temple in the form of a vast cavern. Gaudi’s intention for the Roman/Greek temple was to design a sheltered market space for the community of the park. The space itself is rich with symbolic references to astrology, Catholicism and of Catalunya. The roof of the temple, which is also the floor of the community plaza, stands on 86 Doric columns. 86 is a number that is repeated throughout the park, and its sum adds up to 5, since 8 plus 6 equals 14 and then 1 plus 4 equals 5, (93, Carandell). There were originally 90 columns planned, but four of them were elimi- nated and replaced by four plafonds. The four plafonds were constructed by Jujol but designed by Gaudi. They resemble an earlier piece by Gaudi of a round, plafond that he designed for the aquarium in Parc de la Ciutadella. The plafond was stone, with a salamander in the center

surrounded by leaves. The arrangements of the elements on the earlier plafond are quite similar to the ones later designed for the Market place. The original ancient Roman road that traveled south to Tarragona bypassed Barcelona, running just below the site of the park. (510) Gaudi must have had this in mind when he was designing the Temple/Market.

Gaudi’s work inspired many artists. He was considered one of the great Architects of the Modern- isme movement in Barcelona. Modernisme, is an art term which refers to the early Modernist artistic movement in Catalan. The Movement is tied to Art Nouveau of the visual arts and architecture, and the Symbolism and Parnassians movement in literature. The Modernisme movement took place in Catalonia around 1890-1910. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernismo) Catalan Modernistes, largely rejected bourgeois values, a legal category in society, or social class, defined by conditions such as property ownership and source of income. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeois) The rising artists of the Modernisme period rejected these ideas which they thought to be in opposition with art. Mordernistes responded to this in two ways, some set themselves apart from society and adopted a bohemian lifestyle, living outside the conven- tions of society. (Decadent and Parnassian poets, Symbolist playwrights, etc.) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernismo)

The upsurge of Catalan nationalism was an important influence on Modernisme. The ideas of Valentí Almirall and Enric Prat de la Riba influenced Modernistes, most of whom opposed the centralism and militarism of the 19th century Spanish state. The Catalans wanted the Catalan culture to be recognized as equal to all other European cultures. Artists used their work to spread these ideas through their literature and plays. “Such ideas can be seen in some of Rusiñol's plays deriding the Spanish army (most notably L'Hèroe); in some authors close to anarchism (Jaume Brossa and Gabriel Alomar, for example) or in the articles of federalist anti-monarchic writers such as Miquel dels Sants Oliver.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernismo)

Salvador Dali was one of the artists inspired by Gaudi’s work. He was particularly fond of the surreal effect of Park Güell’s rock gardens, “its upper pathways lined with strange “trees” of rock with aloes bushing out widely from them, filled him with “unforgettable anguish” in his youth.” (511) Neither Salvador Dali or Antoni Gaudi were officially part of the surrealist movement during their day, but both wound up being heavily associated with it. Gaudi would have been insulted to have ever been classified or admired by the surrealist movement but that is the impression that his work invokes. Another artist who was influenced by Park Güell was Joan Miro, a man who did consider himself a surrealist. He was particularly influenced by the serpentine bench that flanks the edge of the Greek theater/ Plaza above the Roman Market. (511) Signs of this influence are visible in works such as Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird) a tall abstract sculpture of a woman wearing a bird. The surface of the sculpture is covered in mosaic, like the work of Gaudi. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 7

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Users of the Space . One of the lesser known reasons for tourists to admire the Greek Theater is its diverse group of users. Many visitors have observed that the activities and sites that Barcelona offers are geared to diverse age groups, and people of many backgrounds. Barcelona is a city where all age groups are commonly interacting and utilizing the same spaces. After studying the park-goers in the Greek The- ater I learned several things.

1. It is impossible to come up with an exact count of the different age groups and type of user that occupy the space at a given moment of the day. 2. The users range through the entire spectrum from infants to geriatrics. 3. Many of the users use the space in the same way 4. For the most part the activities that occur in the space are passive.

The extensive number of people, who use the space between 1000 to 1700 hours, makes it very difficult to count the exact number of users in the space. I took photographs of the space every ten minutes for three weekdays and one weekend, and watched the space for weeks. During my efforts to ascertain the age groups of users I began to understand that that wasn’t enough. Coming up with a count of the exact number of users from each age group in the space is irrelevant as it applies to understanding the users in this space. Both tourists and locals use this space. The tourists that come here are of all ages. They range from infants, to children, adolescents, teenagers, and adults of all ages as well as plenty of geriatrics. It would also be impossible to list where all the users were from because on any given day you can find people of all denominations in the park and up in this space. I had originally thought that I would be able to figure out where people were coming from and why they were using the space. The answer comes from understanding the nature of the area. Park Guell is not a short cut through the neighborhood. It is a winding, twisting park. It is not likely that most local people use it as a way of getting from point A to Point B. The space is visited by tourists, and locals who desire a scenic view while walking their dog or exercising. Park Güell is situated on a hill, so most of the walk through its winding paths and long staircases is up hill. There are very few straight connections and so it is a place that people personally choose to visit. The Greek Theater on the other hand is very close to the main entrance and all a person has to do is look up at the roof of the Marketplace to see people standing behind the bench, several stories up. All a person has to do to find it is; walk through the main gate, up the grand staircase, into the Greek temple and then straight up either staircase on their right or left. If one comes into the park from a different entrance, most paths will eventually offer a decent view of the entrance pavilions, if not the Greek Theater itself. Anyone who sees the majestic colors of the pavilions for the first time will not be able to resist a trip down to the entrance of the park to find out what it looks like close up. On one’s way up or down, it is possible to miss the bench but it is a difficult feat. The Greek Theater is such a popular tourist space that you can almost be certain that anyone who enters the park will end up spending time in this magnificent area some time during the day. It is not so much the users of the space which is significant, but how the space is used, which of course varies from person to person. What is most relevant is why people come to the space in the first place. In order to understand this, one must understand who is coming to the space and why. I will begin by explaining the Tourists.

Everyone in the space has his or her own reasons for being here, and very few end up here by accident. Some of the visitors know of Antoni Gaudi’s work and have come to admire the beauty of this famous park. But the majority of guests do not know what to expect, which is why it is so interesting to see users repeat the same actions over and over again, day in and day out. People discover the park through different means. Some tourists are avid Gaudi fans and come to Barcelona specifically to see Gaudi’s work. Other tourists learn about Park Güell through tourist manuals, in fact I would Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 8

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

say that that is how the majority of tourists hear about the park. The Park is also part of the Barcelona . Bus-tour’s route and some tourists end up at the park because they simply decide to get off at that stop. Park Güell is an extremely popular place for tour-guides to frequent. Guided tours are led through this space from 0950 in the morning to around 1700 in the afternoon. The most popular time for guided tours in this space was around 1400. It is also during this hour when most of the schools would bring their students to the park on class trips. Students could be seen eating their breakfast in the park as early as 1000- 1100 in the morning, but the majority arrive in the park around 1400 for lunch and learning activities. During the fall, classes from all over visit the park on educational trips. The ages of the students ranged from pre-schoolers to high school students. I have seen classes from France, Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada etc. The classes from other countries and cities usually come to the park as a part of a one or two day field trip. Barcelona is a popular city for schools to visit because of its rich history in Modernism or as they call it; Modernisma. Students are brought to Park Güell as a part of the educational experience. For the students, Park Güell is fun and beautiful. For the professors, it is a rich educational learning experience. Park Güell is an example of architecture that arose during the modernist movement and it is a rich part of the students’ history. Most of the classes visit the park around lunch time, at 1400 hours and remain between 1500 and 1600. The months of October and November were very popular for class trips. The behavior of the students differed depending on their age groups. Young students between the ages of 5-7 would run around and play, even when they were confined to a specific area in the park. The young children were usually the most interesting to watch in the space. They would draw in the aggregate, and treat it as if it were a sand box, trying to sculpt with the clay composite. The children would sit in circles and play hand games and cards, or chase pigeons for fun. One day a group of students from Barce- lona were in the park, and they sat around listening to the music played by a man who sells recorders in the park. When he finished they let out the most genuine hoots and cheers.

Out of necessity, for keeping track of all the students, the professors have to keep them in tight groups. Each group treated the students a little differently but there were some things that were popular among the groups. Often the teachers would have the young students sit against the lower wall adjacent to the bench toward the right side of the space, which looks out towards the sea. Other times they would spread out along the wall, but regardless of which, the wall was a popular spot for small children. This makes sense from a practical standpoint because as I learned from observing the activities practiced in the park, the space is one circle that can be divided into sections. The simplest way to divide up the space to explain this phenomenon is to simply cut the space in half. There is the bench side, and the wall side, and the dividing line cuts right across through the steps. The bench half is the half that holds the most traffic. Both spaces are large and open but the bench half is more triangular shaped and overlooks the city. The combination of its shape, volume of people and view make this half of the space look more interesting and far less mundane then the second space, which is an open area which is surrounded by a stone wall. Both halves are part of the same space, and yet the activities that take place in them differ considerably. Because there are more people occupying the first half of the space, it is far more logical to keep the small children in sight in a part of the area that offers more room for them and gives the teachers the ability to keep an eye on them. Other groups sit around the second level of the park, over to the right of the restaurant, facing the entrance of the park. This is not to say that none of the classes spend time at the bench. Most of the classes come to the park for educational purposes, and they all approach the bench at least at one point during their visit. The younger classes are even given worksheets and pamphlets that the teachers make up about the park. Young students are set to the task of drawing the structures that they see, to learn about shapes and colors. A young group of students between the ages of 6-7 came to the park to learn about the geometry that Gaudi used in his designs. This same class was assigned to create drawings of the bench and the view around it, dozens of little kids could be seen scattered along the bench, leaning over it with their crayons and papers. Some local schools bring Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 9

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

groups sit around the second level of the park, over to the right of . the restaurant, facing the entrance of the park. This is not to say that none of the classes spend time at the bench. Most of the classes come to the park for educational purposes, and they all approach the bench at least at one point during their visit. The younger classes are even given worksheets and pamphlets that the teachers make up about the park. Young students are set to the task of drawing the structures that they see, to learn about shapes and colors. A young group of students between the ages of 6-7 came to the park to learn about the geometry that Gaudi used in his designs. This same class was assigned to create drawings of the bench and the view around it, dozens of little kids could be seen scattered along the bench, leaning over it with figure 5. their crayons and papers. Some local schools bring their students to the space to play sports, such as football. The older students were not as fascinating to watch; they came in groups, listened to their guides explain things about the park and then did the typical things that most tourists do. Some wandered away from the tour guide as he was speaking and many walked over to the bench. Often, people walk straight to the center of the bench, look at the bench, and then look over the edge at the view and point to important landmarks like the Segrada Familia, the Two Towers and the sea. They take photographs, walk around the bench for a bit or just sit down for a long rest. This behavior is very typical of tourists visiting the site especially for the first time. There is a lot to discover here but not everyone picks up on it right away. Part of the experience is taking it all in without realiz- figure 6. ing what it is that actually surrounds you. People sit on the bench for hours, during nice days, and because the space is wide open, up hill and not shadowed by many trees or other erections, the space is usually exposed to direct sunlight.

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The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The bench itself is packed on the weekends, and during the busier . hours during the week. Using photocopies of a map of the space, I marked off the seating and standing positions of people using the space on freeze-frames. There are so many users that I did not even bother to try to differentiate age and type for most of this task. The results show which times of day the park was most popular. The diagrams also offer an idea of how people circulate through the space. The bench proved to be the most popular area to be in; however there are other things that can be learned from this proce- dure. The bench offers many options for people in terms of personal comfort. Gaudi designed the bench to look like theater figure 7. boxes. The bench curves, and in some areas these curves are so severe that they create partitions in the bench. The bench’s angles offer areas of sun and shade any time of year, and the partitions offer a sense of privacy for anyone who is seeking it. This was part of Gaudi’s idea. Box seats in a theater house are exclusive and offer a sense of privacy. Gaudi wanted to design a place for people from the community to come to where they could readily be either alone or among others. After all, that was the overall vision for the garden community in the first place. People choose where to sit based on what it was that they are seeking. They chose which side they wanted to sit on based on sun and shade patterns during the time of day. People gravitate to different sides at different times of the day. Others choose the location they sit at based on the type of figure 8. interaction they are after. Those that come as couples usually prefer the more enclosed private spaces, small groups often prefer those kinds of spaces as well. Larger groups will often pick more open spaces so that everyone will fit together. Sometimes you can see patterns form with people nestled inside the concave spaces, leaving the convex parts of the bench open. At night the concave spaces are particularly popular with couples who come to the park for a romantic night. I have observed groups that seek out the convex spaces of the bench so that they can capture a photograph of their entire group. Of all the passive activities that take place on site, sitting and photographing are the main ones. The bench was made for passive interaction. People come to the park to see it, but once they are there they want to engage in it. To engage in a bench, which is an inani- mate object, people can only really experience it passively. First they look at it, and then they photograph and touch it. They look around and are overwhelmed by its colors and details. They notice the view and photograph that, not realizing that Gaudi has made the view a part of the bench. Then they sit, they have photographs of themselves and their party taken, and then they sit some more. Some lean back and soak up the sun, while others look around, take in the view, talk to their friends or watch everything around them. The bench is potentially one of the best places in Barcelona to people-watch. This too was part of Gaudi’s plan. The bench is called the Greek Theater because that is what it was supposed to be, a stage. William Shakespeare said in; As You Like It, “all the world is a stage” and that is exactly the idea here. The bench was formed into theater boxes, and all the people in the theater are the actors. This includes the people on the bench, who are being watched from the people above, in and around the outdoor restaurant, and those above, out of view. Originally the houses were supposed to be the box seats but only three were built on the property. The balconies across from the bench which rest on the stone palm trees were also designed to act as theater seats, and people stand on them from above to watch the activities down bellow. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 11

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The upper level is an interesting space, designed to be an alleyway of palm trees both alive and . made out of stone. The area is used for an outdoor self-serve restaurant, which during good weather is packed all day, until dusk. The benches above are used mostly during siesta when people come here for lunch. There is an area above, to the right of the bench (when facing the sea) that is popular as well. There is a little balcony there that looks over the steps, and seems to come out of the cave bellow. There, people like to sit and watch the space while slightly set apart from it. To the right of the ledge is a short wall where people gather and sit, when the park is crowded. When the park is at its busiest people sit where ever they can. They can be found on walls, benches, sitting in-between the planters on the upper level with their legs dangling over the side, and even on the round concrete rosary beads that Gaudi put in to navigate traffic.

Through my observations of the park for the past three months I have come to the understanding that the sculpture attracts many kinds of people. The sculpture brings many tourists who come to admire the parks beauty and historical significance; locals who use the park as a place for recreational activity, and the third group, are the merchants of Park Güell, who I was previously describing. They don’t have any license to sell in the park but come everyday as opportunists who know that they can make money off of the tourists. As mentioned before, many store- bought items are sold here, but what are most interesting are the handmade pieces. There is a certain quality to these people who figure 9. make. them, they don’t have a lot of money but seem to have a more laid back down to earth existence. The hand made jewelry is often made of string, hemp, silver, metal, stones, gems, and leather. The materials that they use are often natural stones from all over the world, and the craftsmen are always egger to tell you what they are and where they are from. The designs in the jewelry are inspired, particularly by the bench or at least it would seem so. The designs are spirals and swirls, mostly organic shapes. The craftsmen swirl twisted metals around rocks in beautiful curls that look as if they have come straight off of the bench. It appears as if the artwork of the bench, and the details in the mosaic has inspired these craftsmen and has affected the course of their work. But if that is not enough there are two cousins who make leather belts and bracelets. They rotate taking turns every few days to bring their work to the park and sell it on the bench. The girls cut and paint the leather with special fabric paints. They offer a large selection of bracelets to choose from, of all different styles and widths. But one style caught my attention; these bracelets were specifically inspired by the bench and the temple below. They are cut out in the shape of the bench, and have design patterns painted on them that represent designs that can be found in the art. The girls have painted them so that they look as if they are covered in little fragments of mosaic. Next to them is a little sign that reads; Inspired by Gaudi. Art inspires art, and attracts those of who are susceptible to its influences

People sit on the bench and draw it. Those who can’t draw, photograph it. People are inspired to take a piece of its beauty home with them. The jewelry that these craftsmen sell represents more then just mercantilism. It is an expression of how the artwork in figure. 10 Park Güell both inspires creativity as well as attracts those that are drawn to certain shapes and artistic forms. Many of the shapes that can be found in the handmade silver jewelry can also . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 12

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

be found in the bench. I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that the designers of these pieces are . attracted to this space. I asked one of the men who design the jewelry pieces, “Who comes to this space?” and he said one word “tourists”. With the amount of people that travel through this space it is obvious why someone looking to sell a product without paying taxes would choose this location. However there is a reason why the park attracts the artists that it does. The park, and particularly this space, awakens an inner voice within those who see it. The organic shapes and curves of the bench attract those that are in touch with natural forms. Tourists who are inspired by the forms of the bench are more likely to want to take a piece of the park home with them. There are many kitschy souvenirs that can be purchased in the souvenir shops but these handmade pieces of jewelry speak of the essence of the park; they are craft and art, and in touch with something that Gaudi was trying to make us see. Merchants situate themselves all over the site; the steps on either side, the ends of the bench, and scattered all along the bench. It is odd that UNESCO has made it illegal to sell merchandise in the park. Although the park never had the opportunity to fulfill its original destiny, the area just below the Greek Theater was originally intended to be a Market Place, also known as the Greek Temple. The two spaces are connected and neither is allowed to function as they were originally designed for. The merchants should be allowed to sell their products in the Market as Gaudi originally envisioned, and performers should not have to worry about being fined for performing in the Greek Theater. However if any of them are caught doing either of these things by the police that patrol the site, they will be fined and their merchandise or instruments will be confiscated. In fact if they go to claim their items, the person must then pay another fine so that he can recover his merchandice

Gaudi planned to have venders and merchants sell products one story bellow in the Market Place/ Greek Temple. However the merchants only set up down in the market when it rains, otherwise they prefer to sell up on the Theater. Gaudi wanted to offer a place for sun and shade, and he succeeded in doing so but the merchants seem to prefer the open exposed spaces; however they are not selling produce that has any risk of spoil- ing either.

Far above the site is a space that is completely out of view. It is figure 11. the Capelya. There, there is an artist who comes every day and paints pictures. He does not paint the scenic view that is around him but images of dancers from his imagination. He has a display of his original works, all for sale. Among them are pieces of art that were inspired by Gaudi. He has done paint- ings of the front entrance pavilions, in a style that is most reminiscent of stained glass or an abstract impression of mosaic. Gaudi may not have approved of the artwork but he would have had no argument against a person’s attempt at drawing inspiration from an existing form. I wish I could say that the sole inspiration for these pieces was the beauty of Gaudi’s work, but I believe that the artist was only producing what he thought figure. 12 people would want as souvenirs. Ideally it is both the buyer and the creator who feel something special for the piece, but that is not always the case.

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The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Occasionally there are performances held in the theater. The first time I was there, I saw a puppet . act, and on a weekend there was a mime, a juggler, and a man with a really long horn. I once even had the opportunity to learn all about applying for a performance license to play in the metro from some musicians who were playing in the park. There are not as many performers as you might expect in this space since they spend their time in other areas of the park. I would imagine that the acoustics are better in the enclosed spaces. In fact the acoustics in the Market are so good that when people are making noise down in the Market place not a sound of it can be heard above, in the Greek Theater.

There are others that use the space for their own means. Park

Güell has become a very popular spot to shoot photographs and movie scenes. I have witnessed the taping of television cooking shows, and the taping for a show for the BBC. The show is about actors asking families and children educational questions. They were using the space to learn about shadows, and were asking the kids to point out all the shapes they saw. Photo shoots are also taken in the space. Models are photographed on the bench in front of Gaudi’s entrance pavilions. There was another photo shoot that was quite memorable. I witnessed one shoot early in the morning. figure 13. There were about five people working the lighting, makeup, and camera. They were photographing a model for pictures to be used in a calendar. There was one film crew that was particularly interesting. I did not speak their language but they were photographing a very young looking woman who was wearing a very peculiar old fashioned outfit. They looked like professional photographers and the girl showed up in the same odd getup for several days. People who want to use the space for their own purposes are better off coming to the park early in the morning or later in the evening. Wedding parties often come to the space late in the afternoon as most people leave. That is when soon to be wed couples can have their pictures taken without others getting in the way of their shots. Young couples feel exotic having their wedding photographs taken on the main steps of the park, in the Greek Temple, and in the Greek Theater. The most popular spot in the Theater is at the center of the bench. There the curves of the bench look as if they are embracing the married couple, with the Segrada Familia in the distance to their left. The scene is very romantic but a lot easier figure 14. model to be captured towards the end of the day. It is then that the space empties out. It is interesting to see the space used in this way, knowing how Gaudi felt about couples using the space for dating and courting. It is unclear exactly what Gaudi’s issue was but he was said to be very shy around woman, and resented them because he was turned down by the one woman that he proposed too. Although it was said that he was almost married, others say he may have died a virgin. There are many rumors that over- shadow Gaudi’s real life but the popular opinion is that he resented women, was never married, and detested having his space used for anything that might lead to or be associated with courtship. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 14

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

At first I thought that the park closes at night; the stores do shut . down and so do the restaurants, but the gates themselves never lock. However, as soon as the weather begins to get cool people leave. I find this to be very odd. In the summer I consider the early morning and late evening to be the best time of the day to be in the park. It is at these times of the day when the sun is less fierce and the crowds have thinned out. However I understand that if people were to catch on to this, the space would be far less enjoyable during those hours of the day.

The space is stunning at night although not very practical because of the lack of lights. The park begins to get quiet around sunset. figure 17. jogger At that point tour-guides have stopped guiding groups through the park, and the weather begins to get chillier. The popular hours of use vary depending on the season but the pattern is the same; as soon as the sun has disappeated, so do most of the park’s visitors. At night, the park’s uses change. There are runners and joggers throughout the day, at least during the cooler weather, but after sunset is the time that more locals are off from work, and you can see by far, more runners running through the park at night. They don’t run through the space that holds the bench, but up above it, along the alley of trees, where the restaurant is set up during the day. There are ground lights along the ground up above but many figure 18

runners wear a flashlight on their heads to help them see and be seen at night. Most of the people who frequent the park at night are locals. Retired folk who live in Barcelona can be seen in the park all day, from morning to evening, especially during the cooler seasons, and young locals can be seen around during the day as well. But the more popular times for them to use the space is when they are off from work for the day, and the tourists have left. A popular activity here at night and day is dog walking. The Greek theater offers a big open space for dogs to run around in. People bring their pets to the park during the day, but those who wait until evening can really take advantage of the acreage. At night the park turns into a relatively ordinary dark space that offers a beautiful view. The view is transformed as the light of the sun goes down and the lights from the city take over. Couples sit here in the dark for hours, enjoying the lights of Barcelona and each other. Groups show up every once and a while walking in and out of the space, but not staying too long, and from time to time young couples with their small children come out for an evening stroll. It is the dog-walkers with their flashlights, the runners and the couples who dominate the space at night. There were plenty of times when I wished I had a flashlight myself. The space is fright- ening late at night, especially if you are experiencing it in the dark for the first time. The first time I showed up to the park after dark I did not even enter the Greek Theater. I made it up the steps, poked my head around the corner and decided that no one was there and it was too dangerous for me to stay. I entered the park at 2145, there was a boy outside the park on the phone, and a couple sitting in the bench that is stationed right before the Marketplace. I entered the Marketplace and was immediately spooked out. The columns are incredibly intimidating at night, there are 86 of them all lined up in rows. They looked like the perfect place for a person to hide out in, in the dark. I usually take the stairs on the left, up to the Greek Theater, but it was so dark that I could not see, and so instead I decided to use the stairs on the right because the School house which used to be Güell’s house was giving off some light to that path. As I walked up those steps I began to feel as if I had made the wrong choice. The wave-like cave to the left of the stairwell looked so spooky at night, and the feeling that someone was hiding in the dark was haunting me. As soon as I reached the Greek Theater I decided to turn around. I suddenly became very aware that I was about to approach the longest bench in Barcelona, a bench that curves and can conceal in the . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 15

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

day, let alone at night. I decided that it would be best if I didn’t find out. It began to dawn on me . that this was supposed to be a housing complex. Although never finished, a few things didn’t seem right. I could not figure out why Gaudi would design a place that would be used in a way that could be so dangerous to its residents. There are so many places for people to hide along this estate, and the main entrance seems the most problematic of all. It is true that Gaudi built a wall around the park for protection, and Güell had opted to hire patrol officers, but the design does not seem like a practical place for a young woman or child to walk through at night. In addition, the lake of lighting is eerie. In the dark, the structures truly are reminiscent of natural forms. The wave feels like a real cave, and the darkness gives you the impression that you are in a real forest. It is true that only two lots were sold on the property, but by now lights could have been added to the park. The space was meant to be used by the residents therefore Gaudi must have had a lighting plan for the space. Yet the only lights that we see here are a few ground lights, and the lights from the school and the tower of Gaudi’s own home. Very little of this light reaches the Greek Theater at night Since that incident I was back in the space at night, but was always there as it turned dark. I was not interested in walking in on anything that could be dangerous.

The morning, before 1000 hours, is a very nice time in the park as well. Tour groups begin to show up around 0950 and that is when other tourists and the merchants begin to gather in the space as well, but before then the park’s space is relatively empty. On some mornings there are models and photographers there, but usually the only other people that use the space are sanitation workers getting the park ready for another day, and a few locals. Geriatrics are the most common users of the space early in the morning. Runners, spread walkers and dog walkers can also be seen crossing the space in the early morning. At around 0900, children and their parents gather on the steps of the Market and wait for the school to open for the day. Circulation

When watching the way that people move through the space, I was able to pick out pattern of high and low density. People are constantly coming and going from the space, and the most active times in the park are between 10:00 to sundown. The highest density of traffic is mostly on the stairs, and the firsts half of the Plaza. The traffic that flows through the plaza usually remains close to the bench, and doesn’t really spread to the center of the space. Medium traffic occurs through the alley of palm trees. Many people pass by on through the upper level of the Theater but the density of people walking through that space does not match the volume of people that come and go from the bench. The area of the Plaza that has the lowest amount of traffic is the path that cuts right through the plaza, from one set of stairs across to the other. In relation to that part of the space there are also very few people who use the second half of the plaza, the side that is mostly used for football and sports.

There are several ways to enter the space. There are two stairways that lead up to the space from below, both connecting to either side of the temple. The staircase on the left side of the space when facing the sea also connects to the English garden. If you follow the stairs up you can take the path to the restaurant, or turn right towards Gaudi’s house. From there you can follow the paths all over the park, or straight out to the parking lot. The staircase on the right leads down into the wave shaped cave, and if you follow the steps up you can turn right and go to the restaurant or turn left and exit the park through the side exit, or take the stairs up to the rest of the park. Based on what I have observed through the circulation of the park’s utilizers, the staircase on the left are the most heavily used. How people arrive at the park effects how they enter the space. If they take a Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 16

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

train to the park there are several metro stops that a person can get off at. Lessep and Vallcarca . are the two most popular stops to take to the park. Lessep is far more used by tourists then Vallcarca because that is the way that the tour-guide books instruct them to go and because it is the best way to get to the main entrance. If you take the metro to Lessep, you will follow Passege de dalt Travessera to the park. There are signs in the shape of arrows along this road, and throughout the entire neighborhood that point the direction to park Güell. The walk to the park is not short, and finally you reach Carrer de Larrora. It is here where you can begin to see the influence that Park Guell has had on the neighborhood. The restaurants and shops along this uphill strip are all dedi. cated to tourists. The restaurants all have English signs, and the street is littered with gift shops. Part of Gaudi’s influence on this street, can be seen in the storefronts’ motifs. Many of the stores’ facades have been adorned with mosaic designs which frame the doorways and windows. It is an inge- nious marketing strategy because the motifs catch the pedestrian’s eye and get them in the spirit of the park. If you look around you can notice other blue arrows, pointing in the direction of the park further down on other side streets. In that way park Guell has had small influence on the landscape and the surrounding neighborhood. Unlike the amusement park at figure 19. the top of Mont Tibidabo which can be seen from all over Barcelona, Park Guell is more hidden from sight. Gaudi designed the housing development so that it wouldn’t detract from the landscape, and all the recent development that has crept up around the park, further obscure it from view. The walk up to the park is steep, but far less steep than from any other entrance. Gaudi designed nine entrances to the site, two of which are off to either side of the main entrance. One of the entrances is up a flight of steps, to the left of the park which can be gotten to by way of Passeig Sant Joseph de la Miristanya, a small side street. People who use this entrance are more likely to enter the Greek Theater from the right entrance (when you face the sea). The other side entrance is down the street to the right of the main entrance, from there you are likely to wander anywhere, but if you are headed to the center of the park then you would most likely travel through the English garden, and over to the main entrance, or up the zigzagging paths to the Greek Theater. There are local bus stops near many of the parks’ entrances, and the Barcelona Tour-bus stops right along Passege de dalt Travessera near Carrer de Larrora

The other entrances are at the other end of the park; however the park is up hill so getting to it is more of an effort. There are many ways to get to the park through the neighborhood, and there are signs set up everywhere to help people find their way, but the small arrow shaped signs can show up sporadically and they are not always there when you need them. However since they are there at all says something diffinitive about the park’s importance to the neighborhood and to Barcelona. There are several entrances to the park near the Vallcarca metro stop, but the roads leading up to the park are so steep that the city has put in steps and escalators to help people with the walk. These paths bring you up to the top of the park, and from there you need to work your way down and around to whatever it is that you want to see in Park Güell. More often it is the locals who enter the park via the back or side entrances, because they are usually coming from home for a nice stroll or run. These people would more likely enter the Greek Theater space from above, whereas people who enter the park through the main entrance would enter from below, with the exception of the people who wander off in another direction. The paths in the park loop around and all eventually connect to one another, so it is as easy to find your way around as it is to miss sights in the park. In short it is not always clear where people are coming from, because not only can they be coming straight to the site, from the entrance, but there are plenty of other spaces within the park that they could be coming from. If someone were to enter the space from the left (when facing the sea) they could be walking straight from the parking lot down the path, or from Gaudi’s house, from above, or Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 17

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

any one of his stone paths or caverns that wind throughout the park. There are so many places to . visit in the space which can be gotten to by any one direction that there is no way of telling where people are coming from or going to.

Materials:

The Materials chosen for the creation of the bench were vital to the success of the piece. The bench was made of individual concrete casts which were then joined together to form one continuous bench. The individual casts were not identical; they were made with different widths and lengths. Gaudi cast some modules a meter and a half long, these pieces were joined together to form the curves of the bench. After the pieces were adjoined they were further modified to fit together. To get the most comfortable fit, Gaudi cast a mold of one of his workers, to ensure that the bench was the right fit for sitting.

Due to the length of the bench the number of organic curves required could only have been achieved through the use of molds. The last part of construction to the bench was the broken pieces of ceramic that were applied to the bench’s surface in the form of a mosaic. The broken pieces of tile were chosen for their beauty, affordability, availability, political message and lastly as an effective way to mask the disjointed nature of the modules. Covering the bench with broken pieces of ceramic and glass, Gaudi and Jujol were able to mask the joined modules so that the merged figure 20 pieces appear to be one solid, curving bench.

The material is what gives the bench its intrigue. In order to create an undulating bench of this scale Gaudi needed to use small curved modules that he could be joined together. It is the combination of the benches length; curves, asymmetrical shape, and textile finish which gives the bench its beauty and allure.

There are several reasons why Gaudi chose to cover the bench in broken pieces of ceramic tile, rather then any other material. The material that makes up the surface of the bench is a combination of glass, ceramic, porcelain, and other objects that could be grouted together. The curved ceramic tiles which frame the mosaic design were made specifically for the bench, whereas the other pieces were collected scraps from factories, workshops and other buildings which Gaudi also designed. Gaudi could have used other mediums to decorate the bench, for example paint could have been applied to the surface in the form of a mural, but it would have lacked the longevity that the ceramic tiles offered. One reason for choosing ceramic tiles as a surface for the bench, along with many of the structures that Gaudi built, was for its ability to protect, waterproof, and last over time. Gaudi’s designs have been known to survive the test of time. The reason for this is due to his understanding of design, geometry and materials.

Gaudi had to break the ceramic tiles into small fragments so that they could lie flat against the benches curving surface. Even though the bench is massive in length, by using broken pieces of ceramic tiles, Gaudi was able to get the flat material to fit the round curving shape of the bench. Because Gaudi did not need whole pieces of tile, he was able to save Geull money by collecting scraps from other previous projects and his workshops. In this way Gaudi was able to use his own ceramic pieces from other buildings that he designed. The bench intern has become a work of art that connects to all the buildings and houses that were being built during that period in Barcelona. If a local were to study the bench, he/she might have been able to find a piece of their own home Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 18

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

in the bench, lending a personal flavor and attachment to this singular work of art. . The choice of ceramic tile served more than just a practical function; it was a political statement as well. Historically during the time of Park Güell’s construction, Barcelona began to experience social unrest. Tension between the wealthy industrial barons and the working class began to develop. Gaudi most likely had strong feelings about this since his best friend, Güell, was one of those wealthy industrial tycoons, while Gaudi himself harbored strong ties with the working class members of Barcelona (http://www.seebarcelona.com/hist.htm ). By covering the curving bench with ceramic pieces Gaudi was able to make a political statement without offending either side. Gaudi took one of the most popular symbols of industry of the time and broke it into pieces, revealing his true feelings for the political situation of the time. In a way it could be conjectured that he was not actually taking sides but simply documenting history.

Antoni Gaudi and Güell like many noteworthy Spaniards of that time experienced strong feelings of nationalism. Gaudi’s decision to use ceramic tiles in the park and on the bench may have been his way of portraying his own feelings of nationalism in his work. During the early 20th century, tension between Barcelona and the rest of Spain began to rise. Barcelonans found themselves amidst general strikes, and week long series of confrontations between the army of Madrid and the working classes of Barcelona and other cities of Catalonia. These riots were backed by the anarchists, com- munists and republicans, during the last week of July 1909. The civil strife began with the calling-up of reserve troops by Prime Minister Antonio Maura to be sent as reinforcements when Spain renewed military-colonial activity in Morocco on July 9. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragic_Week) This event caused nationalist feelings to spread throughout Catalonia. Park Güell which was ficonstructed during this uproar of national pride reflects the spreading patriotism of the time. Gaudi was both a strong advocate of the church and Catalonia, and had sidings with both, but his strong emotions in the Church did not get in the way of his pride for his City. Barcelona was a stronghold in the Industrial Market at that time, therefore including ceramic tiles into his design was more than just a practical choice.

Gaudi took advantage of the use of scraps in other ways. He added pieces that held personal meanings of importance to him. On the bench there can be found pieces of porcelain china and a ceramic tile from Casa Batllo. These pieces speak to the wave-like nature of the bench. Gaudi drew his inspiration from organic shapes found in nature, and many of his works hold dual meanings. One of the natural elements that inspired the bench was water. The bench is shaped like a giant wave. There was the custom for fishermen to save pieces of broken dinner plates for when they would go out to sea. The custom was to throw the ceramic chips to the fish as ground bait. t Those shiny pieces of serving ware would excite the fish which would then jump at the surface of the water, making the sea look like it was boiling over. This was a personal memory for both Gaudi and Jujol referencing back to the days they spent fishing in the sea off the Plain of Tarragona. (128, Carandell) Jujol included a piece of porcelain china from his own dinner service that was decorated with cherubs. (128, Carandell) The tile that was used in the wall of Casa Batllo also alludes to the bench’s association with water. Casa Batllo is a building that can be found on Passage de Gracia that was designed by Gaudi. The interior of the building was modeled after a whale, and the entire building makes frequent water references. By incorporating a piece of tile that was used for this house, Gaudi was pointing out the bench’s association with water. figure 20. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 19

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Gaudi and Jujol included other hidden messages that were of importance to them. Jujol engraved hidden . words into the pieces of ceramic tiles which he personally painted and cast. These messages referred to religious figures, signatures and places that held meaning for himself, Gaudi and Güell. The inscriptions are both in Catalan and Latin, and can be mistaken for graffiti. These inscriptions were carved into the clay before the ceramic tiles were fired, but when discovered by the eyes of unsuspecting visitors they can look like the work of a vandal. Some of the pieces that contain these original inscriptions have been vandalized by visitors who had no idea that the pieces were inscribed by the Artist who collaborating in the designing of Park Güell. The inscriptions bring to question Jujols’ actual intent. Many artists enjoy adding in little hidden messages into their works. Painters and sculptors often include little treats for their fans to find. But in the case of the bench, one of the treats is in the form of graffiti. It can not be ignored that these inscriptions were put there before graffiti was popular, but be that as it may, Jujol’s actions bring to question his understanding of human nature. Jujol responded to the human need to leave his/her mark fo posterity. He was very creative in the way he went about it, altering his handwriting and changing his signature. In some instances he wrote the words in a sloppy unprofessional manner. People responded by allowing themselves to give in to the desire to leave their mark as well; “Such and such was here!” Some artists recognize this and encourage people to take part in their work. Artists have been known to design interactive pieces to satisfy this craving. In fact Gaudi has made it so that the people of Barcelona can feel a part of the Segrada Familia through their donations. The bench itself comes very close to this in its own ways. The bench is interactive, in that it can be sat on, and as mentioned earlier the tiles in the bench can be seen in many other structures throughout Barcelona. In this way people can build a personal sense of ownership, they can have “their seat” or even be able to say that “that piece is in my house.” It has to be assumed that Jujol may have known what he was doing when he incorporated the graffiti-like words into the bench. When you come across some of the words or symbols that he hid within the bench you can often find other, more recent carvings that were most likely put there by tourists. The question is whether Jujol had anticipated these actions and if he realized that not only do people have a need to leave their mark on things, but they like to leave their mark on other people’s things, like ancient ruins, art and any public property that they can sign. The bench itself is relatively vandalism free. Barcelona and UNESCO have done a great job of controlling vandalism at the site, aside for those few locations near Jujols engravings. This probably implies that people not only feel the need to make what is not theirs their own, but that most people have no originality, and what is more, they can’t handle the idea that some one else got to it first. In their eyes, if some one else has vandalized, then it gives them license to do it too.

Gaudi and Jujol used the variety of colors and shapes available to get creative in the design of the bench. In fact when studying the bench you can see where the process began and ended based on the maturity and creativity of the design. As you move from right to left (facing the entrance of the park towards the sea) inside the park you can see how the design and craftsmanship matures and becomes more refined.

The same can be said when following the bench on the opposite side from left to right (back around). This growth is even more evident when looking at the stages on the back of the bench which cover the storm drains. Through the process of design these stages become more and more beautiful in pattern, detail, use of color, and craft. As you move along the back of the bench the patterns actually appear more refined. The bench is a vision of Artistic growth.

Figure 21 sign of the Tauros Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 20

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

This growth is harder to see on the front side of the bench because so many of the original pieces have . been replaced. Over time the bench had been damaged through use. Gaudi was gifted at designing and constructing things to last. However the bench was made for a community and it is unlikely that Gaudi had anticipated the swarms of tourists that the Park would attract. Maybe he understood the beauty of the park and that is why he built the outer wall, to deter those that do not belong. Like many tourist attractions the bench has paid a price. UNESCO has kept up on the park’s restoration, but it is not easy to match the original tiles with replacement pieces, and many of the lost tiles have been replaced by white ones. This has been done so often that it is difficult to interpret the original design, and studying the front of the bench is difficult. It is hard to know which patterns are originals and what has been tinkered with. There are many places in the park where Gaudi’s original messages have been lost due to destruc- tion and revitalization. Gaudi’s designs were complex and full of hidden meanings which cannot be recreated once lost. The bench can be engaged. Visitors to the park are welcome to sit on the bench. There are few areas of the park that are blocked off to visitors. UNESCO is willing to make the necessary repairs to the park rather than deprive it of its purpose. The bench is for sitting on, relaxing, meeting with groups or couples. People bask in the sun, and eat their lunch on it. Tourists take this time to relax from an exciting day of sight seeing while taking in the view all around them. When people approach the bench they are mesmerized by its beauty. People who have no idea what to expect stand in wonder. There is so much to take in. People see the view of the park that surrounds them, the sloping hills covered in trees behind them and the city and sea that stretches out before them. Some don’t know what to look at first; the bench details, or the view of the city and sea. As they look around they realize how much more of the park there is to see. The view is part of the experience. It exposes the essence of the bench. The bench itself can be overwhelming; because there is so much to see and to find. You can hear visitors talking out loud about its beauty, wondering who had the time, patience and money to lay each individual piece of ceramic.

The park responds to all of our senses, but the bench hones in on sight and touch. On a nice day the space itself is full of noise from other users, and the park is filled with smells from the garden to the left of the space. The visual pleasures that the bench offers are indescribable, they are experienced through color, design, pattern, and viewing the surroundings of the bench. The bench engages our sense of touch through the textures of the ceramic tiles, and their absorption of hot and cold. In the cold weather, the tiles are frigid. Touching them with bare hands and feet can make a person feel frozen, but in the sun the tiles absorb the warmth. This serves a practical function in the summer a bit more than in the winter. In the summer the bench may feel very hot in the sun but the areas that are in the shade will keep a person feeling cool. Because of the undulating shape of the bench there will always be spots that are in the sun and others in the shade, no mater the time of year. The materials that were used in the mosaic were not all flat pieces. The ceramic tiles that Jujol fired have designs carved into them. Other found pieces have designs imbedded into them as exemplified with some sunken relief’s, and even more can be described as low or alto-relievo, although this description may be inaccurate for many of the tiles which were probably mass produced and therefore poured into pre-cased molds. Regardless of how the majority of the tiles were made, the irregular surface of the bench offers the viewer another level of exploration. For those with wandering hands and minds the surface of the bench is a whole other dimension to get lost in. Jujol was incredibly crafty in the way that he incorporated the ceramic tiles with extra height. Hediscovered ways of incorporating these pieces so that they could be worked into the pattern with out contrasting with the other pieces. Instead these unique pieces were worked into the design in such a way that they offer a sense of harmony to the bench. The textured surface adds an additional dimension to the bench that would not have been achieved with a flat smooth surface.

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 21

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The Message Behind the Space . The Greek Theater overlooks the city and offers a view that stretches out to the sea. When sitting on the bench you face the main body of the park which is representative of nature. One of Gaudi’s visions for the bench was to create a dialog addressing the concept of man vs. nature. The bench is clearly a man made form, covered in man made pieces of ceramic tile, the embodiment of industry at the time. The curves of the bench were influenced by natural forms. The bench seems to move like a wave or snake around the ledge of the plaza which overlooks the city. The work of art, which is the bench, ties the city to nature by being in itself an organically stylized man-made bench constructed figure 22. view of the city from industrial materials. The bench is centered between the view of the city, and the naturalized forest above it. Its positioning draws a direct connection to both civilization and nature. Gaudi uses the bench to create a dialog with the inhabitants of the park. The bench says an enormity about man and nature itself. Gaudi’s use of the textile form on the bench can be seen as a way of creating harmony between industry and nature, but Gaudi designed the bench in such a way that it required his altering of the original form of the tiles, literally having to break them. It would seem that Gaudi is trying to warn us that in order to retain both industry and nature, man needs to make some vfigure 23. view to the forest changes. If we continue behaving the way we do, ruthlessly exploiting our r esources, fighting amongst ourselves over money and land and political ideologies, we will never survive. Gaudi was suggesting that we needed to work harmoniously within the confines of nature. He first shows us the city, which has been completely redesigned by man, and then brings our view back to the park and the bench. We turn around and we are faced with another predicament, man-sculpted trees. Right behind the Greek Theater is a space that is directly connected to it. It not only overlooks the Greek Theater but represents the same ideas. One level up from the bench is a wall that overlooks the space. Along the wall are columns or pillars that stand between arches. Some of the arches act as doorways into rooms, which are being used as an on-premise restaurant or lavatories while others are there for esthetics only. Their unusual design forces the viewer to contemplate their purpose. The columns look like palm trees and are in fact separated from the Greek Theater by a row of fourteen live palm trees. Gaudi achieved the effect of rough bark covering the columns through the use of mortared stones. The tops of the columns branch out to form a circular balcony, which seems to grow out of the wall, overlooking the space from above. The tops of the columns serve as a guardrail for the balconies which are in turn supported by the branches arising from the columns. Gaudi culls his inspiration from nature and here he has taken the “tree form” and used it functionally to add a tasteful detail to the site. Gaudi’s designs often refer back to his religious training. The palms refer to both the palms that were strewn at the feet of Christ as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and the comparison of the bride to a palm tree in the song of Solomon. (469,) The colonnade of palm trees creates an effective transition from the city.

to the bench, and then to the naturalistic effects of the park above. The columns are one step closer to nature with their more representative forms and the natural materials that Gaudi built them out of, originating from the landscape. Beyond the colonnade, your eye is led up to the forest of trees that makes up the naturalistic area of the park. It can not be ignored that although there were always trees on this site, much of this vegetation has been added by man. The foliaged area that we are looking at is man made, and slightly controlled or even contrived. This last piece sums up what Gaudi is trying to make us see through the bench and colonnades. Man’s hand is deeply imbedded into nature, but we need to respect it and take care of it. We can neither control it nor let it control us; just as we should never let Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 22

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Gaudi welcomes his visitors with an elaborate entrance they will never forget. . The effect of the towering temple, the grand staircase adorned by the four fountains and the gingerbread-like pavilions, make you feel like you have stepped into an alternate dimension. The scene is a vision that is half candy land and half ancient Greek. The experience is visually overwhelming. Gaudi combines the smooth, shiny surface of ceramic with the rough natural quarry stone from the local sites to achieve unique textures that enhance as well as accentuate his imaginative leaps into his fantasy landscapes.

All the stone used in the park was taken from that very location, dug up from the earth. adds another element of consistency to the park. The stone is used figure. 24 for steps, walls, pillars, caves, planters and seating walls. Gaudi uses the stones in nearly every structure of the park, including the steps, retaining wall, and the palm tree pillars. What’s remarkable about the way that Gaudi uses the locally quarried stone is how nearly every wall and pillar is designed in its own unique way. Each set of columns looks different; no two guardrails are exactly the same. Gaudi uses the same materials through the entire space to create consistency while offering diversity in the way that the structures are built. The consistency creates rhythm while the original designs provide an element of interest and surprise.

It is not only through his use of materials that Gaudi makes connections between the Greek Theater and the rest of the park. Gaudi also makes use of figure 25 available viewing space to alter the way his designs are viewed and from which accessible angles. For instance, the best view of the back of the bench is not from below where the structures are covered with mosaic, but from the sides. The left side of the bench is best seen from the English Garden, and the right side from the wave and school yard and from the balcony ledge over the staircase. The best view of this side of the bench would be seen from a few steps back, but it is blocked by vegetation. It is possible to see the sides of the bench at eye level from the staircases on either side which leads from the Greek Temple/Market, but the view in many areas are obscured by the vegetation which surrounds the bench. Gaudi and Jujol worked intricate details into the bench and then blocked off the best views so that viewers could only see it in its entirety from afar. It is not a coincidence that the best view of the bench can be seen right next to the wave-like tunnel. The tunnel is only several steps down from the bench. They are connected to one another through their metaphor. Both the bench and the tunnel represent water, one of the most significant themes of the park. Water ties the bench to the Greek Temple/Market and the fountains on the staircase. The bench and the wave-like cave are closely connected through their shape and their physical and visual proximity. This is where you can see Gaudi laying the pieces of his vision. Each element in the park is connected with one another, tied together like little pieces of a puzzle.

The serpentine bench creates a space. It makes up a large portion of the Greek Theater, but it is actually a small part of the larger picture. Each piece, both literally and metaphorically stands by itself artistically, but also is supported together as a whole. The Theater is attached to the Market and connected to everything that the Market relates too. Looking up from the entrance the Carriage lodge, the grand-staircase, the fountains, the Greek temple and the Theater/Bench all look like one massive sculpture/architectural masterpiece. From down below it, the entire work is seen as a whole. But when you ascend the stairs and spend time in the Theater, it becomes its own entity. The Theater has direct connections with the stone wave, which is itself a unique architectural entity but at the same time exhibits qualities that are reminiscent of the other cave-like structures and columns in the park. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 23

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The Alley of Palms has a direct connection to the serpentine bench through their spatial arrangement and . shared symbolism. The bench and the stone trees are strongly linked together through Gaudi’s message on man vs. nature. They are a part of an invisible line that starts at the sea and continues all the way to the top of the forest of trees. The bench and the trees may be their own entities but they are very much linked together, the way that the bench is linked to the Market. The stone trees were designed to serve as balconies that overlook the plaza. The curves of the balconies which project from the palm tree columns have a formal similarity shared by the tight curves of the serpentine bench and the tight curves which form “theater boxes” where people gather. (119, Carandell) They are in that way an extension of the plaza, drawing the space up to the higher reaches of the park. If the bench is the theater boxes then the stone trees are the mezzanine seats.

The bench and the columns of trees are tied together again through a metamorphosis of design which slowly changes Gaudi’s columns to trees as you move through the park. Gaudi, a devout Catholic, did something very creative with the design details in the park. He was a man of the bible and understood that not everything can be grasped at once.

figure 27 figure 28 figure 26

He’s design required that the viewer take in all the parts before understanding the sum. Just like the Bible, the passages of which hold meaning based on situations described before and after the stated passage, his park could only be understood if you take in the full context of it. One feature of the park that needs to be viewed as a whole are the stone columns. Gaudi has a pronounced fondness for vegetation. He took a particular liking to the vegetation which grows in Jerusalem. It has been documented that each of the thirty species of plants that he used in the design of the Segrada Familia were native to Jerusalem and Barcelona. Here in Park Güell, Gaudi designed three different styles of planters, two of which resemble a different plant or tree. Each plant that is represented in stone is an abstract form of a plant native to Jerusalem or Barcelona. Each of the three alleyways of trees in the park connect to a long row of benches. There is the alleyway of palm trees which is connected with the serpentine bench, the overpass that is lined with benches separated by stone Carob trees, and a bridge with smaller tree-like planters that separate pairs of individual seats.

Gaudi chose to do something interesting with these rows of seating. Many of the paths in the park curve and twist, providing many angels of view from any given space or passage. But Gaudi set up the two viaducts with seating, so that it would be one of the few places in the park that do not provide the user with a view of the serpentine bench. He even went to the extreme of setting these spaces up in a position that one can not even see the entrance pavilions, so that no hint of those spaces exist when you are there. It is possible that Gaudi decided to keep people from seeing the bench from the seating walls because he wanted to keep the spaces separate, so that the three seating walls didn’t detract from one another. The three benches are designed very differently, each having their own purpose. The bench in the Greek Theater is a long and serpentine solid bench where people can seek out privacy or be social in a space that can hold a very large group of people. The planters on this bench are round, and help pull people into the site. They are the first thing you see as you enter the space, and their position navigates the way people move through the space.

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 24

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The other two seating walls were built along paths or viaducts. The lower seating wall has cylindrical planters of medium height that hold a type of cactus plant. There is a high stone wall behind the planters and . each planter has two seats on both sides of it. This created several sections of two seats, side by side, framed by the two small tree-like planters. The seats were designed so that two people could sit side by side facing each other, or out by the path. This seating wall was not built for large groups to gather, that function was left to the serpentine bench.

The second wall is a bench of ordinary height. The benches are separated into sections divided by columns of stone. The backs of the benches are stones cut into sharp jagged edges. The benches are convex and separated by columns that were designed to look like Carob trees with pots of Agaves (189, Carandell). If one were to look at these three alleyways of trees and then consider the shapes of all the columns that hold up the viaducts they could see a pattern forming, a slow metamorphosis of stone pillars slowly transforming into trees as they work their way around the park. Gaudi designed his columns to branch out at the top like trees and built all of the outer columns on a slant, so that they could lean into the structure to lend extra needed support where it was most crucial. This added feature helps make the columns seem more alive. Trees do not grow perfectly straight. Trees and plants grow towards the sun, and therefore a leaning column looks far more alive than one that stands perfectly upright. Like things in nature, no two columns in Gaudi’s entire park are perfectly identical. Gaudi managed to make them all look unique, using the stones in different ways for each overpass and underpass. This too helps lend to the impression of a metamorphic transformation through the park. The trees gradually become more lifelike until they reach the stage of Carob trees and the Alley of Palms. Visually the Alley of Palms resembles the Carob trees, but structurally they are more like the palm tree forms that hold up the overpass of Carob trees and stone benches. It is important to look at the entire park as a complete and whole entity to understand what Gaudi was after.

Gaudi controls the visual alignment in the park. Gaudi has a talent for creating visual connections between spaces by lining up views from point A to point B. At Casa Mila he designed an archway on the roof that frames the Segrada Familia perfectly, and he designed the Greek Theater so that it would face the Segrada Familia as well. The uphill nature of the park offered great opportunity to play with line of sight so as to notice which structures can be seen from other places in the park. Gaudi was able to manipulate winding paths and vegetation in order to achieve the effects that pleased him. Gaudi designed the park in such a way that you could usually see pieces of the Greek Theater from most areas of the park. The plaza can be seen throughout the park from different areas, if even just slightly through the dense vegetation of the park. This not only helps draw connections through the space, but helps the user with ways of finding routes through the winding trails. The size and colors of the space allow it to stand out in its environment, and the tall tower of one of the pavilions directly behind the bench can usually be seen from a distance even when the plaza is out of view.

There are a few places in the park where the sight of the Greek theater is completely blocked off from view. These places are; the yard of the Gaudi house, the Trias house, the Capelya and the two other seating walls, with planters. Both the Gaudi house and the Trias house are visible from the Greek Theater, but you cannot see the Theater from the first level of either home. While standing in the Gaudi house yard it becomes apparent that this was a conscious decision. Gaudi deliberately set his private home apart from the public open space of the plaza. Metal gates set with vegetation growing over them to create a sense of privacy surround Gaudi’s yard. However if one was to exit out the back yard fence door he would enter straight into the top landing of the English Garden with a clear view of the plaza only meters ahead. It is interesting to note that one of the spaces that provide the best view of the bench is the Court yard in front of the Güell house (which is now a school). Gaudi was making a bold statement about ownership and control through this act. Güell was the owner of all the property and in the end he had authority over the Development’s public spaces, therefore his property was the only one that needed to be able to have visual access to the space at all times. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 25

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The other areas of the park which offer no view of the plaza are the two viaducts which have built-in stone seating in its walls, framed by stone planters. These two spaces have different natures than the Greek Theater, but offer similar amenities. Where Gaudi could have created a visual alignment between the three spaces, he chose to do the opposite. Gaudi prevents the user from being able to see any of the two other spaces while visiting the third. This is his way of informing his users that each of the three spaces are different from one another and nothing he builds is without reason. The fourth space where Gaudi went out of his way to block the view of the space was the Capelya, which is at the highest point of the park, 182.3m above sea level. The Capelya is a closed Chapel on the left side of Park Guell. It is located on the hill known as the Turo de les Menes (Iron Ore Hill). The hill got its name for the deposits of Iron that it contains. (217, Carandell) At the top of Turo de les Menes, Gaudi designed a six lobed building. Alongside the building were the word Capelya, which means capella or chapel, but in a very unorthodox fashion.

The Capelya is a talayot, or a watch tower is military in function which is tied in function to the outer wall, which acts as the fortress of Park Guell. The talayots were thought to be primitive sanctuaries. Capelya was the name given to shrines used by Druid priests. The doctrine of Hermes, or hermetic doctoring is secret and closed like this chapel which has no doors or windows. Instead visitors have to climb the winding staircase to the roof of the chapel where the three crosses stand.

figure 29. The other areas of the park which offer no view of the plaza are the two viaducts which have built-in stone seating in its walls, framed by stone planters. These two spaces have different natures than the Greek Theater, but offer similar amenities. Where Gaudi could have created a visual alignment between the three spaces, he chose to do the opposite. Gaudi prevents the user from being able to see any of the two other spaces while visiting the third. This is his way of informing his users that each of the three spaces are different from one another and nothing he builds is without reason. The fourth space where Gaudi went out of his way to block the view of the space was the Capelya, which is at the highest point of the park, 182.3m above sea level. The Capelya is a closed Chapel on the left side of Park Guell. It is located on the hill known as the Turo de les Menes (Iron Ore Hill). The hill got its name for the deposits of Iron that it contains. (217, Carandell) At the top of Turo de les Menes, Gaudi designed a six lobed building. Alongside the building were the word Capelya, which means capella or chapel, but in a very unorthodox fashion.

The Capelya is a talayot, or a watch tower is military in function which is tied in function to the outer wall, which acts as the fortress of Park Guell. The talayots were thought to be primitive sanctuaries. Capelya was the name given to shrines used by Druid priests. The doctrine of Hermes, or hermetic doctoring is secret and closed like this chapel which has no doors or windows. Instead visitors have to climb the winding staircase to the roof of the chapel where the three crosses stand.

There is a certain enlightenment that can be achieved through great heights, beautiful views, and the understanding of god’s greatest achievement, nature. By building a Chapel without doorways Gaudi is able to force his audience to see their surroundings and take in the view. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 26

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The Plaza as seen in the landscape

The plaza is a plane in the landscape. Even when standing below it at the entrance, it looks like a horizontal plane. It is when you reach it that you see it as a series of planes each gradually getting higher. This may be the only thing that is straight forward about the space.

Gaudi uses the method of Hiding and Revealing in the Park. He manipulates line of sight, and applies ongoing themes to his structures so that understanding one piece helps reveal hidden messages in the others. Each piece in the park is linked to one another so there hidden meanings support and reveal each other. Gaudi’s applies this method to the Greek Theater in several different ways. From the front entrance the Greek Theater looks like the roof to the Market Place, but when one reaches it they discovers that it is a large plaza. It isn’t until further speculation that one begins to realize that this is no ordinary plaza but a space designed as a Modern Greek Theater. The seats are set up all around the space. They are the serpentine bench, the second level of the plaza, and the tops of the palm tree colonnade. In this theater the people are the actors. Gaudi designed the space so that the seats face each other so that everyone in the plaza becomes the performers. This space has become the ultimate people watching experience. The space itself is full of hidden meaning which comes out when understanding the history behind the space. The bench which is the most memorable part of the plaza, is the best example of how Gaudi uses this technique in the space literally and figuratively. The bench winds in and out, and offers a sense of seclusion. At night in the dark people can literally disappear in the shadows of the deep curves of the bench. Even during the day people are masked buy the waves of the bench, and as you walk along the bench areas will disappear from sight. This makes it difficult to see all the details of the bench at onse. If a person is interested in seeing the entire content of the bench from either side, front and back, they need to put in an effort. To see either the front or the back of the bench a person needs to walk along the bench, or even on the bench, in order to see most of the details on the other side. But even then it is impossible to see all of the details of the back side of the bench from up in the Plaza. some details can be seen bellow at ground level, from the English Garden, or from the wave like viaduct. When people sit on the bench the design gets covered, which is frustration to someone who wants to see every bit of the original work that’s left, but it was a part of the Gaudi’s intention. Gaudi designed a sculpture for the purpose of sitting, and knew exactly what he was doing when he designed it. Just like he believed that some spaces should be hidden from the view of others, he did not feel that people should be able to see all of his art work at once. Gaudi believed that an effort needed to be made in order for people to earn it. That is why he and Jojul hid symbols in the mosaic. They were put in for there own pleasure and for the surprise and delight of others. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 27

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The Inspiration Behind The Art.

Gaudi, as an artist used his projects as a canvas to express his own interests. He put pieces of himself into his work by incorporating ideas that were of personal importance to him. He is a religious catholic, a passionate nationalist, studies myths, astrology, and most of all draws most of his inspiration from nature. All of the structures that he designed for the park can be traced back to natural shapes that can be found in animals or within the landscape. The serpentine bench in the Greek Theater, or main plaza, has been associ ated with both a reptilian form and water. The curves and length of the bench look like waves in the sea andthe body of a snake, with its head and tail wrapped around planters at both ends. Both water and snake are accurate descriptions for this long serpentine bench. Gaudi looks to nature for inspiration. There are many animals that can be found throughout much of his work. The Güell Pavilion is famous for its Dragon gate, the knocker on the front door of Casa Calvet hits against the back of a beetle, the Segrada Familia has animals climbing all over its walls, the facade of Casa Batllo looks like fish scales, the roof looks like the colorful scales of a mythical dragon or dinosaur, its balconies like the skulls of an animal, and its interior was modeled after a whale. Park Güell itself is a jungle of animals. The serpentine bench, paths, and walls that surround the park are like two snakes, figer 30 (9, Carandell) meeting face to face at the entrance, doubling as the two pavilions. The pavilions Park Guell Gaudi’s themselves look like the face of an elephant with their giant ear shaped windows, Utopia while the roofs of the pavilion are in the shape of enormous elephant saddles and inside the pavilion on the left, (which is now the book store) the ceiling looks like an elephant’s pallet, and the tower can be viewed as an erect trunk. The carriage lodge directly across from the pavilion on the right looks like the bottom half of an elephant as well. Here the four legs and tail are visible. What is most magnificent about this structure is how the natural stones that make up the elephant’s legs, really look like the animal’s dry leathery skin. On top of the elephant-like carriage lodge is a ridged detail that looks like a dragon back. The most notorious animals in the park are the famous lizards, salamanders or dragons that cling to the steps which lead up to the Market place. The lizard represents the crocodile tethered to palm trees on the coat of armsof King Francis I, the king of Nimes. figure 31 Güell studied in Nimes and asked Gaudi to recreate this image in his own manner. For the park, figureGaudi designed the colorful alchemist’s salamander. In Ancient mythology the salamander was a creature that lived in fire, but was able to spit water. (63, Caranedell) The salamander was once flanked by palm trees, which are no longer there. Gaudi incorporates both realistic and abstracted animal forms in his work. The bench is modeled after the form of a snake and is merely an abstraction, but holds true to the essence of a snake, from the long, curving body, to the scale-like surface achieved through the shattered pieces of ceramic tile that cover its body . The snake is the only animal that can slither and curve in this manner. Gaudi chose the snake because it worked with the park’s themes of medicine and health. Snakes are associated with many mythologies and the way that people feel about snakes is heavily rooted in the beliefs of their culture. (http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html) The mythology that follows snakes in the Judeo-Christian world originates back to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. In the story, the snake is depicted as the figure 32 embodiment of trickery who cojoles Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, leading to man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 28

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Other cultures attribute snakes with medicinal powers and rebirth. In Indian cultures cobras are thought to be the reincarnations of important people, known as Nagas. (http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html) The snake is also the symbol of modern medicine. The modern symbol for medicine is a staff or caduceus with one or two snakes wrapped around it. The most popular symbol is the single serpent entwined with the staff of Aesclepus, the ancient Greco-Roman god of medicine. Thus the symbol comes from ancient Greek Mythology. According to Greek beliefs, Aescu- lapius the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology, discovered medicine by watching as one snake used herbs to bring another snake back to life. (http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html) According to the mythology Aesclepus’s wisdom in medicine was so great that a heavenly constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer was dedicated to him. In the constellation, the Bearer grasps the snake with widely outstretched arms. The body of the snake is pulled long and the head and tail stretch over the Snake Bearers head, forming the shape of a swirling U. (134, Carandell) If one were to remove the Serpent Bearer himself from the constellation, they would be left with undulating shape of the bench found above the Market place in Park Guell. This isn’t the only constellation that Gaudi incorporated into the bench. Along the back of the bench are organic designs that morph and transform in shape. These designs look like plants, flowers and animals. Amongst them is the symbol of medicine and the zodiacal signs. The most predominant Zodiac sign found on the bench is the sign of the cancer, which is represented by the crab. The bench is designed with a series of metamorphic stages which surround the drains that lead to the gutter behind the bench. The stages are of organic shapes morphing into depictions of a palm tree which slowly transform into other organic designs and then back again until they deteriorate into amorphous shapes. The process moves along the back of the bench from right to left if you are facing the bench from the entrance of the park.

figure 34

figure 33 Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 29

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These are images of rubbings I’ve done to see what impressions a three dimensional form could leave on the flat surface of paper.

Notice that there are carvings around the flower, as if some one thought that this design was carved into the hard ceramic, after it was fired.

this writing of the name Matiar is actually upside down on the bench, so that it is harder to read

you can actually see the dimension through the rubbings. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 30

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

These are images of rubbings I’ve done to see what impressions a three dimensional form could leave on the flat surface of paper.

Circles clovers and flowers are repeated over the entire bench. Circles represent eternity, and cycle, while clovers symbolize industry, luck and the cross. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 31

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

These are images of rubbings I’ve done to see what impressions a three dimensional form could leave on the flat surface of paper.

Covers and flowers is a recurring theme in the bench, both in front and on back.

Star pieces used in the bench, can be seen as a reference to the zodiac symbols on the back of the bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 32

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

It has been said that Gaudi and Jujol had a custom of throwing plates into the sea to entice fish, and that the act of incorporating the plated in the bench was there way of reminding their viewers that the bench was a symbol of water.

Gaudi and Jujol use repetitive symbols on both the front and the back of the bench. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 33

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Gaudi and Jujol supplied the back of the bench with astrological symbols

This disign symbolizes the Taurus sign The fish is the sign of pisses

Taurus Here we can see a shooting star, referring to astrology

This is the sign of Sagittarius, with its broken This is an image of the Libra arrow head, and bent bow. scale. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 34

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Along the back of the bench Gaudi and Jujol designed shield shaped forms, out of broken glass and ceramic. The designs are of plants transforming into creatures, most often a crab, which is Gaudi’s birth sign. Other zodiac symbols are hidden in the benched design which can be spotted once you know what you are looking for.

Gaudi and Jujol use repetitive symbols on both the front and the back of the bench.

These two creaters facing away from each other symbolize Gemini, the twins.

This small black image faces another just like it, and is the representation of Pisces, while the larger image is beginning to look like Cancer. the designs that wrap around the bench drains look as if they are undergoing a metamorphose from plant to crab.

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 35

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The images on the bench transform in gradual stages.

This figure looks as if it belongs in the sea, but the bench is associated with a large wave, and many of the features in the park are connected through water.

This design not only fits in with the gradual transformationthat the shapes seem to be undergoing, but it has the appearance of the European symbol for medicine. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 36

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Park Güell’s Influence on the Neighborhood. . Park Guell has left a tangible impression on Barri Gracia, the neighborhood that surrounds it. Through the Barri Gracia section of Barcelona, stores, restaurants and homes have imitated design elements found in the park.

The street that has been most physically affected by Park Guell is Carrer de Larrora. The restaurants and stores along this strip are all geared towards the tourists who pass through. Carrer de Larrora, is the most popularly used street to get to the main figure 35 entrance of Park Guell. Hundreds or thousands of tourists pass through this street on any given day. The owners and renters of the space have learned to exploit this. The restaurants along this road, post signs and menus in English while other stores are set up as souvenir gift shops. One of the stores along the strip even went as far as designing a mosaic boarder around the doorpost, windows and lower edge of the ground floor. The design attracts attention, and captures a shallow essence of the park. This strategy is probably more effective on visitors leaving the park. Recreating a piece of the experience serves as a reminder, encouraging tourists to purchase a souvenir to take home. The souvenirs sold in the stores on this strip are mostly devoted to Park Guell.

On the other side of the park, there is a house that was strongly influenced by Park Guell. Photograph# is a picture of a house located on Carrer de les Balears. In the photograph you can see a house that is decorated in mosaic tiles around the roof and windowsills. The same color-pallet of ceramic mosaic is carries on in the short

wall or fence that surrounds the property. Although it is not figure 39 figure 36 an exact duplicate, this red mosaic wall was inspired by struc- tural elements in Park Guell. This wall is reminiscent of the surrounding wall of the park, the Marketplace, and the serpentine bench in the Greek Theater. The wall is covered in red clay pieces that look like they have been broken to form a mosaic, like the way that the ceramic tiles were applied to the serpentine bench in the Greek Theater. Like the wall that surrounds Park Guell this wall is also capped off with pieces figure 40 figure 37 of ceramic tiles, which serves as a cap stone. In the case of the wall that surrounds Park Guell the use of the ceramic tile is both decretive and protective. The pieces of tile help waterproof the stone wall allowing it to withstand weather- ing more effectively then a stone cap could. The ceramic tiles also making it difficult for trespassers to scale the walls of the meant to be housing development. In the case of the wall on Carrer de les Balears, the mosaic serves more as a decorative figure 41 element over anything else. But it too makes this wall more difficult to climb if any one were to try. The two caps are not at all identical. The mosaic cap that tops the wall of Park Guell, dips in on the sides slightly, giving it the appearance of a small wave or elongated dragon scale. Where as the cap on this wall lies flat on the surface.

figure 38 . figure 42 Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 37

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

The colors of Park Guell’s cap rotate between red and white evenly measured bars, with . evenly spaced medallions at the top. The wall that surrounds the house on Carrer de les Balears, is covered in shades of blue tile, which are more reminiscent of the inner courtyard of Casa Ballo. However it is important to note that the red and white tiles on the wall surrounding Park Guell are the colors of the Navy which is associated with water. Both the serpentine bench, Casa Batllo, and the outer wall of the park have been inspired by elements of water. The designer of this wall has picked up on a recurring theme of the park. figure 43 The shape of the blue mosaic cape is different from the original as well. Like the original wall in Park Güell the cap on the wall surrounding the house is rounded, but it steps down to correct the grade change of the street, and its bottom edge of the ceramic cap is jagged, giving it the look of moving water.

The wall is covered in red clay pieces that have been broken into triangular fragments, and then applied as a veneer to the surface of the wall. This is like the small fragments of ceramic which cover the surface of the bench, and many of the other features in the entrance of the park. Along the wall are three colorful mosaic circles, which look remark- ably similar to the solar plafonds, in Gaudi’s Greek Temple/ Market. Here each plafond inspired sphere is decorated in similar colors as Gaud’s plafond’s but are only inspired by his work and are once again not true replicas. Gaudi used very specific geometry when designing his plafonds. It is not to say that this concept was ignored here but what ever symbolism was used is unique to this wall. Here the three spheres represent the sun, moon, and stars, adopting Park Güells ongoing theme of astrology. The sphere to the farthest left represents the sun. It is most like the larger plafond’s of the Temple but only has 8 sun rays instead of 20, the second sphere looks more iconic to a star. The star crest has seven points, and its center image is much smaller then that of the image in the sphere to its left. The design of the third sphere looks very similar to the small plafonds in the temple which were intended to symbolism the 28 phases of the moon. The wall at Carrer de les Balears is only a firm example of how the Park has left an impression on the neighborhood around it.

figure 44 Towards the East on the other side of the park is a restaurant that was named Tapas Gaudi. The restaurant is several streets down from the park, on Carrer de Bruniquer. The sign over the door has the name written on a round puffy letters and the words are surrounded by a colorful mosaic. The Restaurant does not have an other specific references to the park but Park Guell is the most famous work by Gaudi that is located in Barri Gracia.

Signage around the Gracia neighborhood has been changed due to the popularity of the Park. Park Guell has nine entrances and so there are over nine ways in which one can get to the park. The neighborhood that surrounds the park did not adhere to the strict formal grid which the other neighborhoods where modeled in. The steep nature of the terrain figure 345 forced the engineers to make some adjustments. Some of the roads can be confusing as you get closer to the park, and Barcelona anticipated that most of the parks visitors would be unfamiliar with the areas. Signs have been set up all over the Gracia section pointing in the direction of Park Güell. Some of the signs are the same big white signs that you see all over the city when you are close to a site that is significant to Barcelona. As you get closer to the park signs in the shaped like blue arrows appear, pointing you in the direction of the park. There is another park next to Park Güell, which has small green signs that tell you in which direction to find the park. The neighborhood around the park has learnt to accommodate the growing popularity of Park Güell. figure 46 Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 38

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. Conclusion:

The entire park is a work of art and the Greek Theater is only a fragment of the entire picture. The Theater is a powerful place that invokes our desire to reconnect with nature. Gaudi designed the space to help man see our world, a world that we have conquered through industry and technology, and a world that we have destroyed. The Theater is rich in meaning and dialog, it invokes a discussion with the user. The space provides most of the answers to the questions it addresses, and each visitor will get there own message out of it. This is what makes the space so powerful. Every day in the space tells you something new about the bench, the trees and all that you can see around you. Everything that surrounds the space lends to its meaning, including the ever changing city that stands before it. That is what makes the Theater a living dialog. The space is a theater, as well ad everything that it looks on to. People feel welcomed there because it was designed for socializing and interaction. The space was made for people to come and gather, and to use as a meeting place. People sit in the plaza for hours. Gaudi had designed the bench for maximum comfort using the impression that he got from a worker to create the curves of the bench. It was made to be used, and it was made for comfort. All the details that he put into the space were designed to enhance the viewer’s experience, and as a way of keeping people interested in the space no matter how frequently they visit.

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Page 39

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. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carandell, Josep Maria. Park Guell: utopia de Gaudi Triangle Postals, 1998

Hensbergen, Van Gijs Gaudi. Harper Collins Publishers, 2002

Hughes, Robert. Barcelona, Quimby Warehouse, 1993

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Natural Resources and Environmental Conser- vation http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html 2004.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d1/Zodiac_woodcut.png

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernismo

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragic_Week

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site

Zerbst, Rainer. Antoni Gaudi The Complete Building Taschen, 2002. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix A

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Context map of Park Guell Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix B

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Context map of Park Guell Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix C

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

Context map of Park Guell Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix D

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Context map of Park Guell Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix E

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GREEK THEATER BOUNDARIES Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix F

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix G

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench

GREEK THEATER LOCUS MAP Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix H

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix I

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix J

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix K

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix L

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix M

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix N

The Greek Theater and the Serpentine Bench Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix O

JOURNAL ENTRANCE FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix P

JOURNAL ENTRANCE FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix Q

JOURNAL ENTRANCE FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix R

PROJECT NOTEBOOK FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix S

PROJECT NOTEBOOK FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix T

PROJECT NOTEBOOK FOR OFF CAMPUS Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix U

Design Detail Field Study

5. Arch de Triumph This fountain is located in Passiege Arch de Triumph Liuis Company. Instead of being Placed on a platform like most of the fountains in Barcelona this one is set in a depression 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess water runs, it also offers the fountain its own space in the park. Beneath the typical spigot is a catch basin that is detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small stool. The fountain is small in stature, and its base looks like an American fire hydrant. The fountain is toped with a large cap that has a small knob on top, which is sort of shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of four semicircles the details within the half circles are identical and symmetrical. In the center of each half circle is the Adjuntament shield of Barcelona, wrapped with in curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which represent industry, like the red brick of the arch. . Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix V

Design Detail Field Study

1. Placa De Sant Pere 2. Park Carles I 3. Make Shift fountain in the Gothic Quarter. This fountain is located in a small plaza in the Barri This fountain Stands next to the sculpture Asantiago Rolan This fountain is located in a makeshift community Gothica. Placa Saint Pere is located right outside a By Edward Urculo in Park Carles I. The fountain is made of designed park in the gothic quarter. The park has been small Cathedral. The two story high fountain serves as black marble, a unique material for a fountain in Barcelona. deemed unsafe and will soon be torn down along with a focal point of the plaza. The fountain is Neo-Gothic The marble is repeated throughout the park. The marble is the fountain. The park was built illegally by squatters, out and made of dark steal. The fountain is covered in black with shades of green, and it complements the dark of found objects. The fountain is built out of Iron for the clovers which in the case of this fountain symbolizes color of the adjacent sculpture. In contrast with the base, and was covered with broken pieces of glass and the cross. Throughout the fountain there can be sculpture which is tall and thin, the fountain is of medium tile for style and protection. The texture of the rectangu- spotted both repetition in shapes and numbers. height 145mm, and 500mm long. Both fountain and lar fountain is both smooth and jagged. And the surface Throughout the fountain the clovers are clustered in sculpture resemble monuments or memorials through of the ceramic and glass is reflective, and glistens. groups of 3, 4, and 12. 3 = holy trinity, 4 = sides of the their design and materials. Together they bring both Individually the broken pieces of ceramic tile and glass cross, 12 = Apostles. In addition to the number vertical and horizontal interest to the space. (the drain is are smooth, but there edges are ruff and then when references a more obvious reference to the cross can made of brick and looks like a small grill). Like many of the combined with grout they create a bumpy surface. Each be seen in the covers that have been welded over the parks in Barcelona this one has not escaped vandalism. side of the fountain holds a unique image each with is four catch basins. The openings of these covers are in The back of the fountain is covered in green, yellow and own color scheme, but each side transitions into the next. the shape of a cross. This adds to my belief that the white, spray-paint which stands out against the shiny black On top of the fountain is a giant planter made of steal, in four-sided clovers are meant to hold symbolic religious background of the marble fountain. the shape of a wavy bowl. meaning here. In contrast with the catholic references is a very large representation of the city seal. Beneath the seal is a sign painted in gold with white lettering that reads Plaza Pedro.

4. Plaza de Saint Agusti Vell There a=re presently 1,547 public fountains in 5. Arch de Triumph This fountain is located in the Gothic Quarter. This Barcelona. All public fountains are supplied by the This fountain is located in Passiege Arch de Triumph Liuis fountain serves the duel task of providing both light and municipal water network. Continuous consumption Company. Instead of being Placed on a platform like most water for the Plaza. Attached to the two story tall fountain facilities are equipped with flow regulating electro of the fountains in Barcelona this one is set in a depression are two lamps. This is a convenient and cost effective way valves and timers in accordance with water consump- 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess to provide for two functions in a small space. In this space tion facilities. All the fountains in Barcelona are water runs, it also offers the fountain its own space in the the lamps are a necessary feature because there are a lot conserved by a contracted service company which park. Beneath the typical spigot is a catch basin that is of shape trees and even during the day this Plaza is dark take care of there cleaning maintenance, and function. detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small and shady. The fountain is set on a circular grid platform www.bcn.es/mediumbient/eng/web/cont_bcn_aigua stool. The fountain is small in stature, and its base looks like that is 15 mm high. The fountain has four spigots, four an American fire hydrant. The fountain is toped with a catch basins, and a small birdbath, which can double as a _fonts.htm large cap that has a small knob on top, which is sort of drinking bowl for cats and dogs. The platform of the shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of fountain is covered in a steal grid with holes for runoff four semicircles the details within the half circles are water to drain into. The fountain is made of steal and identical and symmetrical. In the center of each half circle painted gray, and some details are painted gold. is the Adjuntament shield of Barcelona, wrapped with in curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which represent industry, like the red brick of the arch. .

6. Little Red Riding Hood 7. Plaza Lessep 7. Plaza Lessep This fountain acts a pedestal for a sculpture of a This fountain is not one of a kind but nor is it common in This fountain is not one of a kind but nor is it common in children’s book character “Little Red Riding Hood”. The Barcelona. There are several fountains identical to this one Barcelona. There are several fountains identical to this one in fountain is set across from a children’s playground, on in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. There the fountain is the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. There the fountain is Carrer Mallarce and Passiege Sant Jaun, in the painted dark grey on steel, with gold sea horses and painted dark grey on steel, with gold sea horses and l’Eixample. The actual fountain is made of concrete and seashells. There are several other shapes on the fountain seashells. There are several other shapes on the fountain that serves as an ornate pedestal for the bronze casting of a that have been highlighted in gold paint. The fountain has have been highlighted in gold paint. The fountain has two little girl wearing a hooded cape, holding a picnic two spigots on opposite sides of the fountain. Behind the spigots on opposite sides of the fountain. Behind the spigots basket, petting a wolf the fountain has the common spigots are gold painted flowers. The fountain is tall and are gold painted flowers. The fountain is tall and formal long gold spigot which is 17mm long (and can be found formal looking. It is located in the center of a very busy looking. It is located in the center of a very busy intersection on most of the fountains in Barcelona). The base of the intersection in the Gracia section at the Lessep Metro stop. in the Gracia section at the Lessep Metro stop. The station is fountain is made of a concrete center block with a The station is the most popular stop that people take to get the most popular stop that people take to get to Park Güell. slightly depressed center and two identical concrete to Park Güell. The seahorse and shell detail on the fountain The seahorse and shell detail on the fountain are linked to wings. The base is 67mm wide and 161 mm high, with are linked to Barcelona’s harbor. The bottom of the Barcelona’s harbor. The bottom of the fountain is square and an additional mount for the sculpture. The mound is fountain is square and the middle is cylindrical. The the middle is cylindrical. The fountain looks like it was 16mm high, making the total height 177mm. The wings fountain looks like it was assembles out of two separate assembles out of two separate fountains. are 82mm wide but do not level out to one continuous fountains. plane. They meet at the top of the base, curving down to 142mm, then 123mm. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix W

Design Detail Field Study

Beachscape Field Study

Beach division The beach is divided into six sections. • Sant Sabastia • Barceloneta • Nova Icaria • Bogatell • Mar Bella • Nova Mar Bella

The San Sabastia beach of Barcelona Spain is city funded and is under the care of the Ajuntament de Barcelona. It is a public beach so access is free. It is under the responsibility of the Parcs i Jardins department whose responsibility it is to provide Red Cross, beach cleanup and maintenance, as well as keeping up and providing for the beach’s environmental concerns such as the recent erosion problems that have plagued the beach. Barcelona is currently trying to fix this erosion problem with a view to preventive maintenance for the future. The Parc i Jardins department provides Red-Cross services from 1000-1900 hours. This includes life-guard service, beach trash removal, and 5. Arch de Triumph medical care. Most rental services close around 1900 hours as well. The beachThis fountainhas loud is located speakers in Passiege Archset de up Triumph in order Liuis to let you know about swimming safety. The announcements are repeated fourCompany. times Instead in four of being different Placed on a platform languages: like most Spanish, Catalan, French and in English. There are three levels of beach alertof corresponding the fountains in Barcelona to this traffic one is set signal in a depression colors. 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess Green means that the water is completely safe to swim in. When the beach wateris at runs, yellow it also offers alert the itfountain means its own that space swim- in the mers need to be cautious because of tide anomalies or the presence of jellyfish.park. Beneath When the thetypical beach spigot is isa catch in red basin alertthat is it is detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small not safe to swim and swimming is forbidden while the lifeguards are on duty.stool. There The fountain is beach is small in cleanstature, and up its basebetween looks like 0700 and 0800 hours to remove litter from the sand. Trash from waste baskets is anremoved American fire throughout hydrant. The fountain the is day.toped with a large cap that has a small knob on top, which is sort of shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of Unlike many of the public parks in Barcelona the beach has no particular hoursfour semicircles and never the details closes. within Peoplethe half circles can are stay on the beach all night if they wish, and with all the nightlife activity that the beachidentical provides, and symmetrical. many In the docenter so. of each half circle is the Adjuntament shield of Barcelona, wrapped with in curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which Beach layout, beach front and board walk design represent industry, like the red brick of the arch. . • The design of the boardwalk has a lot of character. The boardwalk starts out at Sant Sebastia. Here it is level with the ground. The boardwalk is made of two materials in this part of the beach. The majority of the boardwalk is covered in modular bluestone. The edge of the boardwalk closer to the sand is built out of wooden boards. There are restaurants along the edge of the boardwalk, and plazas where people can dine. The plazas were designed with built-in planters for palm trees. Underneath the palm trees are benches where people can sit and take advantage of the shade that the trees offer. Some restaurants have also put out planters to add some greenery to their dinning areas, or to section off their space. As the boardwalk approaches Barceloneta, the boardwalk slopes up to meet the grade of the sloping terrain. Here the beach property is separated from the boardwalk by a road. The boardwalk at this point is at two levels and continues in this fashion for the rest of its length. The upper level of the boardwalk has a paved asphalt bike trail along Barceloneta/ Port Olympica and the rest of its surface is covered in modular blue stone. The lower level of the beach is covered in the same modular blue stone and wooden boards that were seen at Sant Sebastia. On the upper level of the boardwalk there are two rows of palm trees which line the bike trails, offering shade for those exercising in the heat. At Port Olympica where outdoor restaurants replace the bike trail, the palm trees shade diners instead. There is also a row of palm trees at beach level at Port Olympica, bordered by fancy lower-level restaurants, and next to all the beach cafés bordering along the beach. At the end of Barcelo- neta or Port Olympica the paving stops on the upper level. There, the upper level is covered in a sand base surface. However the lower level continues as it was before. There are still palm trees planted beneath the sandy Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix VI

Beachscape Field Study turf along the bike trail. When Nova Icaria ends and Bogatell begins, so does the paved bike trail. The paved bike trail doesn’t reappear until you reach the next beach, Mar Bella, but here the palm trees flank the restaurants that appear on the boardwalk. The boardwalk slopes down to Mar Bella, where the paved bike paths reappear behind a dense mound of vegetation. The left and right bike paths are separated by planting beds and to the right of the bike trail is a skate park and Park Esportiu De La Mar Bella. At Mar Bella the Boardwalk separates into three distinct paths, one for pedestrians, which is closest to the sea and two bike trails. This path is separated from the two others by a wide planter with dense high shrubs, and the two bike trails are separated by planters with medium sized shrubs. The blue stone pavers are no longer used here, on either level of the boardwalk. Now the lower level is only marked by wooden boards. The boardwalk follows this design until it approaches the end of Mar Bella, there the boardwalk does something unusual. Instead of sloping down to the beach in the form of an angled ramp as it does in most other places on the beach, the boardwalk forms a curved bridge as it transitions into Nova Mar Bella, and curves around in a circle as it slowly slopes down to beach level. The ramp is so wide that it looks as if it was built to accommodate cars. This circling ramp creates a round circular pit between the ramp and the bridge. The other side of the boardwalk wraps around, meeting up with the bridge on the other side, forming a complete circle. On the beach to the side of the bridge is a two story high slide made out of steel and wood, that has the appearance of a tepee. The boardwalk of Nova Mar Bella is narrow, and paved in red concrete. There is no distinction between pedestrian space and bike trail, and the side of the trail is lined with a vegetation bed and a parking lot. The board- 5. Arch de Triumph walk eventually ends by a large sandy/rocky lot. The design of the boardwalk’sThis fountain changes is located are in Passiegebased Arch on de theTriumph beach Liuis it is associated with as well as the function of the vegetation planted about it. TheCompany. vegetation Instead of being is Placedused on for a platform multiple like most purposes including shade, as barriers and for aesthetic purposes. of the fountains in Barcelona this one is set in a depression 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess water runs, it also offers the fountain its own space in the Activities park. Beneath the typical spigot is a catch basin that is detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small Although many people come to the beach to swim and sunbathe, the beachstool. offers The fountain a large is small variety in stature, andof itsother base looks activities like as well which help attract a diverse array of people to the beach. an American fire hydrant. The fountain is toped with a large cap that has a small knob on top, which is sort of shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of Some come to the beach just to walk the boardwalk, walk their dog, ride theirfour bikes, semicircles run, the jog,details skateboard, within the half circles or inline- are skate Others go to the boardwalk to dine out or enjoy the clubs and the nightidentical life. and symmetrical. In the center of each half circle is the Adjuntament shield of Barcelona, wrapped with in curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which The beach provides many areas for sports activities. represent industry, like the red brick of the arch. . • There are nets set up on the beach for beach volley ball, and there are even volley ball nets set up in some of the parks adjacent to the beach. • People can be found playing a game of football on the beach and as well in the parks right off of the beach. • There are tables on the beach for paddleball, a popular sport in Barcelona, and some people can be seen just choosing to hit the ball back and forth to each other with out a net or table. • There are several play areas set up on the beach, two of which stand out in particular. The first one is a tall wooden structure which resembles a teepee, with a long metal round tubular slide, which is located on the edge of Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella. The second play area that stands out is a tall jungle gym devoted to climbing. It is made out of red rope woven together in a geometrical patterns, which takes on a teepee form as well, and resembles one of Gaudi’s towers. This play area is located on the left of a permanent outdoor exercise area which is also next to a small skate park and some permanent concrete beach seating. • There are two skate-parks at the beach. There is a small skate-park by the exercise area at Port Olympica and another in a park right off the beach by Sant Sabastia. • An NBA and Campion sponsored Basketball tournament called the NBA Basketball Jam 2006 was held on the boardwalk by port Olympica on September 2006. Amateur teams signed up to compete in a televised basketball tournament for one full day. Spain won the world championship in basketball in 2006 so it has become a very popular sport in Barcelona. Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix VII

Beachscape Field Study

• Boating, scuba diving and wind-surfing are popular water activities in Barcelona. Many people in Barcelona own their own boats or wind-surfers. There is a surf shop called Wind 220 Surf-shop Bon on the beach which offers rental space to lodge your wind-surfer. There are also many shops around Barcelona that sell boats and boat products. There are several large ports and docks where boats are moored and they are one of the first things that you see when walking towards the beach. Some of these private boats even post numbers for tourists to call so that they can be rented while visiting Barcelona. There is a school on the beach which offers scuba-diving and windsurfing classes. The school at which you can take scuba diving and wind surfing is Centro De Buceo Y Windsurfing Vanas Dive. Most people sail their boats on the weekends but you can see some out during the week as well. • There are night cruises that take guests out to the sea on luxurious boats • There is a casino located on the board walk at Port Olimpica

Utilities i.e. lighting seating trash water fountains, showers, signage

There is permanent seating on the boardwalk and on the beach. There are short rectangular backless benches made of wood with metal legs that literally line the edge of the board walk. In some areas there are spaces between the benches and on other sections of the boardwalk the bench was built as one continues line, as if it plays the role of guard rail as well. On other sections of the beach the benches that line the edge of the boardwalk are made of 5. Arch de Triumph concrete slabs instead of wood. These differences in design are subtle waysThis to fountainlet visitors is located knowin Passiege that Arch dethey Triumph are Liuis in a new section of the beach. Alongside the vegetation which separates the pedestrianCompany. Instead boardwalk of being Placed from on a platform the likebike most lane are wooden benches with wooden backs. These benches were placed underof the the fountains shade-trees in Barcelona thisand one are is set ain agood depression place 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess for runners to rest. On the beach two kinds of permanent seating can be foundwater runs,within it also offersthe thesame fountain location. its own space Both in the forms of seating are made of concrete, the more predominant form being a park.round-backed Beneath the typical chair spigot withis a catch a basinseat that that is detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small slants up at an angle forcing the sitter to really rest his/her legs. These specificstool. chairs The fountain are is small set in up stature, in andclusters its base looks and like face out to the sea. The second form of permanent seating can also be seen in Parcan American Diagonal fire hydrant. del TheMar. fountain They is toped are withorgani- a cally shaped concrete benches that can seat several people facing in differentlarge directions cap that has a smallall atknob once. on top, Thewhich is“back” sort of of shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of the chair is actually in the center, and the chair is curved in such a way that itfour fits semicircles the curves the details of withina person’s the half circles body. are The shape of these chairs gives a person many options on how they choose to relaxidentical and and symmetrical. a person In thecan center find of each a space half circle on this seat to suit his own preferences. It is also incredibly comfortable to lie downis the Adjuntament on these shield chairs of Barcelona, as well. wrapped Aside with in from curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which their function the chairs are a nice decorative objects, they vary in sculpturalrepresent design industry, and like really the red brickcatch of the a arch. person’s . eye.

Life guard towers

The lifeguard towers are tall metallic structures comprising a tall ladder and a round cage- like seat for the lifeguard to sit in. The tower is equipped with a large, flat, circular awning. The awning is white with a large red cross and is meant to protect the lifeguard from the sun and to let visitors know what this stand is for, universally. The lifeguards also hang flags off the tower to let visitors know if the beach is on red, yellow or green alert.

Trash receptacles

There are several kinds of trash receptacles that can be found on the beach. The first type are the trash receptacles on the boardwalk. These trash cans are made of metal and are similar to the trash cans that are commonly found throughout the streets of Barcelona. Whimsically they can be described to look like Luke Skywalker’s robot R2D2 without the round lid for a head. The trash cans that the beach puts out on the sand are made of colored plastic. These receptacles come to about 3 feet in height, widen at the top, and have a round removable lid, with a hole in the center. These trash cans come in four colors; gray for ordinary non-recyclable garbage, yellow for plastic and Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix VIII

Beachscape Field Study metal recyclables, blue for paper, and green for glass. The colors primarily found on the beach are yellow and gray.

Showers

The beach provides outdoor showers on the beach. There are several of these shower stands on every beach. The design of the showers is basically the same all over the beach. The showers are two metal poles with several spouts; they are on a concrete slab and placed in the center of a large circular drain. The water is activated by pushing a round metal button, the same type that is found on most of the fountains in Barcelona. It has a safety feature which controls the amount of water that comes out every time it is pushed. There is a wood path that leads visitors from the shower station to the boardwalk, so that they do not need to step on the sand with their clean wet feet.

Signage

Each beach has signs that let the beach-goers know which beach they are on. The signs are blue and yellow and inform the beach-goers which beach they are on by indicating the name of the beach in bold black letters and by boxing off the location of that beach on a small map at the bottom of the sign. These maps also let beach-goers know important things about the beach, for instance what the different colored flags mean and what can and cannot be done on the beach. 5. Arch de Triumph This fountain is located in Passiege Arch de Triumph Liuis Water fountains Company. Instead of being Placed on a platform like most of the fountains in Barcelona this one is set in a depression 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess There are two types of water fountains at the beach. One looks like an ordinarywater run-of-the-millruns, it also offers the fountain water its own fountain. space in the It is made up of a round steel cylinder with the water spigot on the top of the fountain.park. Beneath Often the typical these spigot fountainsis a catch basin arethat is up on detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small an elevated base which is often wet during the day from the fountain’s highstool. volume The fountain of use.is small inThe stature, second and its base style looks like is a modern fountain that has been almost literally popping up all over the city. anThis American is a fire flat hydrant. rectangular The fountain shapedis toped with foun- a tain made of steel as well. The fountain has the typical gold spout that is locatedlarge cap in that front has a small of theknob fountain.on top, which is There sort of is a shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of rectangular drain in front of the fountain to catch the excess water which is fouroften semicircles designed the details in withinthe shapethe half circles of a arewave. identical and symmetrical. In the center of each half circle Lighting is the Adjuntament shield of Barcelona, wrapped with in curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which There is plenty of adequate lighting on the boardwalk at night due to the high-poweredrepresent industry, like light the red brickposts of the which arch. . are spaced out along the boardwalk.

Night life Even after the sun goes down you can still see plenty of people relaxing on the beach and you can even find some people night-swimming in the sea. There are often games of beach volley ball going on at night. You can find people using the beach play-areas and outdoor workout centers. There are even groups of people that play games on the beach such as charades. The boardwalk is rife with people until all hours of the night and many people come to the beach in the evening to dine and party in the bars or night clubs. The beach cafés play music all day but it is far more prominent at night when it is quieter on the beach. The night time music helps transform the beach, with its party atmosphere into a different sort of play land. The beach’s cafés are adorned with colored lights and fun, playful lamp fixtures which help set the mood. There are still plenty of joggers, skaters and bikers out at night mixed with the restaurant and club goers. It is very common to see people engaging in sports activities later in the evening because they are either home from work or simply prefer the cooler weather.

Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix IX

Beachscape Field Study

Beach front property The beach front property isn’t all that different from the typical homes in Barcelona. The residential neighborhoods consist primarily of small apartment buildings, with the ground level devoted to shops and restaurants. In fact there are very many restaurants, groceries and convenient stores which attract the ever-present beach goers. There are also some hotels and business buildings adjacent to the beach. The beach area is on its own, a big business district. Along the beach are a lot of restaurants, both on the boardwalk and directly on the beach. In particular, Barceloneta maintains the largest business district on the beach. There are also several parks that line the beach including; Parc de la Barceloneta, Parc de les Cascades, Parc del port Olimpic, Parc de la Nove Icaria, Parc del Poblenou, Parc Esportiu de la Mar Bella, Parc de Diagonal-Mar, and Parc dels Auditoris. There are sports arenas along the beach which were built expressly for the 1992 Olympics. In fact a lot of the beach’s quality is a result of a transformation instigated by the needs and attraction of the Olympics.

Rental, Shops and Restaurants • The most popular business geared to attract beach goers are the restaurants. The beach is lined with possi- bly a hundred of them, especially if you include the restaurants within the surrounding neighborhoods right off of the beach. The largest clusters of restaurants are located by Sant Sabastia, and Barcelonetas Port Olimpica, some of which are transformed into night clubs around midnight. There are also restaurants on the boardwalk, like those by 5. Arch de Triumph Port Olympica and Bogatell, beneath the boardwalk, and small beach café’s setThis fountain up on is locatedthe sand. in Passiege The Arch cafésde Triumph sell Liuis drinks, tapas and sandwiches and like most of the restaurants on the beach they provideCompany. EnglishInstead of being menus. Placed on Manya platform beach like most cafés are also equipped with bathrooms which the public can use. The café’s are oftenof the fountains set up in Barcelona near thisthe one public is set in a depressionshowers 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess that the beach provides. water runs, it also offers the fountain its own space in the park. Beneath the typical spigot is a catch basin that is detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small • There are also some rental shops on the beach. You can rent chairs andstool. umbrellasThe fountain is small for in stature,four andeuros its base directly looks like on the beach. There is a bike rental shop on the beach called Bicilot, where youan can American rent fire a hydrant. bike byThe thefountain hour, is toped the with day a or even by the week. Like many places in Barcelona, their hours of access will changelarge cap that based has a smallon knobthe onseason. top, which Fromis sort of May shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of through October, the rental shop is open from 1000 to 2000 hours, and fromfour October semicircles throughthe details within May the it halfonly circles stays are open until 1800 hours. There are shops on and beneath the boardwalk that identicalsell towels, and symmetrical. sunscreen, In the center tanning of each half oils,circle and children’s swimming tubes, beach balls and blow-up rafts. There is also a clean,is the private, Adjuntament bathroom shield of Barcelona, shower wrapped and with in locker curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which area that charges for the use of all of its facilities. Its called Maritim poliesportiurepresent municipal industry, like the center red brick deof the talassotera arch. . pia. There is a .50 Euros charge to use the bathrooms, a two Euro charge to use the shower, and a two Euro charge to use the lockers. It opens at 0900 and closes at 1930 hours. This facility also sells water toys and swim suits. The beach provides an information center dedicated to the environmental care of the beach, but it also provides maps and brochures for tourists.

There are a number of commercial shops on the beach. Near Sant Sabastia in the direction of Barceloneta is a two story surf shop called Wind 220 Surf-shop Bon the shop sells surf boards and clothes by popular surf designers. There is an official Barcelona Football shop by Port Olympica, which is right next door to a gift shop. There is even a Casino on the boardwalk, right across from these two shops.

Prohibitions Although the beach is public there are some rules of conduct on the beach, and illegal activity. One is prohibited from: • Bringing dogs onto the beach • Camping on the beach • Driving cars or motorcycles/mopeds on the beach or pedestrian board walk • playing loud personal radios on the beach Shelley Wapniak Barcelona 2006 Appendix X

Beachscape Field Study

It is illegal to conduct personal unlicensed sales such as: • Personal sales of beverages • Massages on the beach • Fake tattoos • Sale of scarves, sunglasses, hand bags and other merchandise on blankets.

Dress code All of the beaches are topless, and there are even some nude beaches. As for the overall dress on the beach it really depends on the particular person, and why they are at the beach. There are many people who come to the beach with no intention of going swimming. These people can often be seen in casual cloths appropriate to the weather. Many women have bathing suit straps that are visible under their clothes and men walk around in their bathing trunks and board shorts, wearing a t-shirt or tank-top. Foot wear varies from sneakers to sandals as well as dressy or casual shoes. There are many people that come to the beach to run, jog, skate, or ride their bikes. Their cloths match the extent of their activity. Runners and joggers are usually in shorts unless it is late at night. Men will wear sport tanks or nothing above the waist, while women are more likely to be seen in a sports tank-top or sports bra. Biking and rollerblading is a far less strenuous activity and people can often be seen in sports cloths or fully dressed in every-day casual wear while engaging in these activities. At night it is very common to see people dressed both in casual and fancier clothing. There are some expensive restaurants and some nightclubs on the beach late at night 5. Arch de Triumph drawing a diverse crowd of people. This fountain is located in Passiege Arch de Triumph Liuis Company. Instead of being Placed on a platform like most People of the fountains in Barcelona this one is set in a depression 3mm deep. Although this is likely to control where excess The beach attracts all walks of life from the locals to the tourists and from thewater old runs, to it alsothe offers young. the fountain The its own beach space in in the Barcelona is a public area that offers a diverse assortment of activities and accommodationspark. Beneath the typical spigot for peopleis a catch basin of anythat is age detached from the fountain. The basin looks like a small and need. stool. The fountain is small in stature, and its base looks like an American fire hydrant. The fountain is toped with a Parking and commuting. large cap that has a small knob on top, which is sort of shaped like a flower. The cap of the fountain is formed of Getting to the beach is really simple in Barcelona. There are several metro stopsfour semicircles that run the detailsalong within the the beach half circles letting are you off at any beach of your choice. The yellow line is the metro line that runsidentical the and closest symmetrical. to Inthe the center beach. of each However half circle the stops can be a little bit confusing at first. The stop Barceloneta will bringis you the Adjuntament close to shield section of Barcelona, Sant wrapped Sabastia, with in the curling leaves. Above the crest are five clovers, which stop Ciutadella vila olimpica will bring you close to section Barceloneta. Therepresent stop industry,Bogatell like the will red brick bring of the you arch. . close to section Nova Icaria, and the metro stop Llacuna will get you to the section of Bogatell. The stop Poblenou will get you to Mar Bella and the stop Selva de Mar will bring you close to section Nova Mar Bella. The metro stops won’t bring you directly to the beach so there is still a bit of a walk from the metro to the beach. The beach provides some parking areas especially near the main restaurant and business areas, so if someone is traveling in a car or a moped there are places to park. The bus also runs along the beach, and there are plenty of people who bike and rollerblade or skateboard to the beach.