urban explorer

About an hours drive from Barcelona in a new industrial area on the outskirts of Igualada nestles the Igualada Cemetery. Designed by Enric Miralles + Carme Pinos, before their split, the cemetery displays a beautiful rapport between architecture and landscape. The spatial configurations, constructions methods and material choices create a serene ambience that leaves you slightly unsure whether the building is finished or has been abandoned. Walls seem determined to hold back the earth, in places details are left rough and unfinished, light scoops protrude from the ground overgrown with native grasses and plants, reinforcement projects from concrete panels and is rusted and weathered. The cemetery’s isolated location and its almost apparent abondonment creates a confronting atmosphere that enforces a certain level of introspection. Thanks to Drew + Jasmin for getting us out there, the journey was half the experience!

I know this is terribly lazy of me, but i have lumped four of gaudi’s masterpieces into one posting. Firstly the Sagrada Familia: a remarkable temple that has been under construction for well over 100 years. I have attached two images, one showing the nativity facade, completed whilst gaudi was still alive and an internal view showing some of the recent works.

Probably my favourite Gaudi building visited was Casa Battlo, having not made it to the Guell Crypt. The tiling in the internal courtyard is exquisite and the attic spaces are incredibly beautiful.

Casa Mila, also known affectionately as La Pedrera (the stone quarry) was Gaudi’s last major work before commiting the rest of his life to the Sagrada Familia. As well as being able to go inside the building, apartments and roof terrace, there is also an exhibition space in the building. Whilst i was there a very comprehensive exhibition on the work of Kasimir Malevich was showing. Unfortunately i couldn’t take photographs, but there was a fantastic series of models “Architectons” by Malevich with which he was exploring the architectural development of Suprematism.

Parc Guell nestles into the hills northwest of the city overlooking Barcelona. This park was commissioned by Eusebi Güell and was originally to be divided into a housing estate, however only two houses were built and the council bought the land and converted it into a municipal park. There is a small Gaudi museum at the entrance gate within which the window in the photo below was taken.

The Barcelona Pavilion has served as inspiration for generations of architects. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 as the German Pavilion for the International Exhibition, held on Montjuic, it remains one of the most accomplished examples of Modern architecture. I need say little more than this is a must see for anyone. Reflection, transparency, light, proportion, material perfection, geometrical purity, and if there is a god…. it is in those details.

Montserrat is situated about an hours drive outside of Barcelona and features a Benedictine monastery which was founded in order to safeguard the Black Madonna of Montserrat which was supposedly bought to Montserrat in AD 50 by St Peter. The mountain also contains the Holy Grotto, where visitations by the Virgin Mary are believed to have occured. The mountian itself offers 360 degree panoramic views over much of Catalonia. There is also a gallery next to the monestary which contains an ecclectic assemblage of works to say the least.

The Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel is Barcelona’s newest skyscraper. The form is inspired by the shape of a geyser and the natural rock formations of Montserrat. The colours are also inspired by the rocks of Montserrat and reflections of the blue waters of the Mediterranean. The tower is made up of two non-concentric concrete domes, one for the core and one the facade which is clad with a skin of polished coloured aluminium and an external skin of glass louvres. The link above has lots of informative info. The building is one of the few tall buildings in Barcelona, yet it sits harmoniuosly within its subjacent cityscape. At different times of the day the building takes on many shades and tones, tall and proud, soft and inconspicuous.

The Barcelona Forum in 2004 was an international forum of cultures. The site was in a former industrial area on the foreshore between Barcelona and Sant Andria de Basos. A 30 acre purpose built facility was constructed to house the forum. The centrepiece was the Forum Building designed by Herzog and de Meuron, containing an auditorium to house 3200 people and exhibition spaces. When i visited most of the internals of the upstairs area that is above ground, the auditorium is sunken, had been removed and was undergoing some sort of re-fit? An interesting exhibition of Barcelona’s current and future architecture and urban strategies is currently showing there along with models and panels form all the past winners of the Mies Van Der Rohe award, including, Zumthor, Siza and Hadid. There is also a 1:2000 model of Barcelona in its entirety, very impressive. The building itself was quite impressive, but the notion of the whole area is quite confusing, i think the term ‘white elephant’ is appropriate. I am uncertian how there are ever going to be enough people there at any one time to make any of the public spaces feel comfortable.

The Joan Miro Fundacion on the side of Montjuic designed by Josep Lluis Sert, opened in 1975. It houses a magnificent collection of Miro’s work. The building was built specifically for Miro and the proportion scale and ambience of the spaces relate magnificently to the works. Light scoops for natural lighting and a courtyard typology with gallery spaces circulating around are the basic elements of the deisgn. Expressed concrete vaulted ceilings reminisce traditional Catalonian building techniques. Aside from the permanent collection there are spaces for temporary exhibitions, i was lucky enough to see a fabulous Douglas Gordon exhibition. Click on the link to see a very interesting insight into his work, from a previous exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London.

Views from Montjuic (hill of the jews): Home to the 1929 world fair, the 1992 Olympics, the Castell de Montjuic where Franco made his home in Barcelona, the Joan Miro Fundacion, a park by Carlos Ferrater, the Montjuic Cemetery and much more.

Dear friends,

I humbly apologise for my lack of posts of late……..i am nearly ready to unleash a barrage of stories and images!  hopefully in a week or two so watch this space