Arenas de Barcelona Shopping Centre

Memory

Barcelona has always been known for having a special sensitivity and respect towards its past, but at the same time for its forceful commitment to the future and the avant-garde. Las Arenas is a clear example of this, and it reveals the confluence of both concepts: historicist architectural respect and technological commitment.

The old bullring, in disuse since 1989, had become a symbol after more than a century; not so much for its architectural value as for being part of the city’s landscape.

Hence, the architectural project was oriented towards its maintenance, like a second exterior skin of the new building. However, such preservation entailed great technical complexity: firstly, due to its evident physical deterioration; and secondly, due to its strange level, which is 4m high above the perimeter streets. The technical effort was aimed at presenting the cylindrical, forceful and atypical shape.

The solution to create a new façade under the existing façade consisted of creating a large perimeter pathway of exposed reinforced concrete to which the upper weight is transmitted. Also temporarily, the entire façade rested on a circular metal crown. Once restored, it would become a kind of double skin exempt from direct contact with the new building.
A circular metal walkway would fulfill a triple function: cable stay, fire evacuation corridor and services, facilities and supply of goods.

The building has a huge central void which works as a reception hall for all the activities of the complex - commercial, recreational and leisure - from which to observe the life and effervescence of movement of the complex.

The roof of the building was another of the great challenges of technical and structural resolution, since it was separated from the rest of the building to emphasise its sense of buoyancy. We stand before one of the largest domes in Europe, with a multitude of uses and possibilities, as well as a perimeter promenade from which to enjoy the magnificent view of Barcelona, at a height of 27m and with a length of more than 300 linear metres.

A special vaulted space in the context of a city that has always lacked them, and that highlights the uniqueness of the project - always in line with the identity of Barcelona. It is also a project developed in partnership with Richard Rogers, contributing and complementing points of view to go beyond the initially set objectives.

Author: Alonso i Balaguer Arquitectes Associats

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Les Arenes Bullring

August Font Carreras

August Font i Carreras va signar els plànols del projecte de la plaça el 30 de setembre de 1899. Se li va posar el nom de “Las Arenas” fent referència a l’arena dels amfiteatres romans, que era el lloc un lluitaven els gladiadors i tenien lloc els espectacles. Es va pagar per subscripció popular d’alguns aficionats, que veien com la plaça antiga, a la Barceloneta, tenia moltes deficiències. En destaca la planta perfectament circular, lleugerament elevada respecte a la plaça d’Espanya. Queda situada entre els carrers Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Tarragona, Diputació i Llançà. Ocupa, per tant, una illa sencera de l’Eixample. L’exterior és d’obra vista d’estil mudèjar, consta de tres pisos i té una entrada principal amb un arc de ferradura. Aquestes influències orientalistes no estaven exemptes d’una forta càrrega de romanticisme. El diàmetre sencer de la plaça és de 97 metres, l’arena sola en fa 52. Hi cabien 15.600 espectadors. Els materials utilitzats van ser pedra, maons, rajoles de València, pedra artificial, cairons de pòrtland, ciment, calç, sorra, guix, ferro (fos i laminat) i fusta. Una construcció de maó vist, material de base molt tradicional en les edificacions populars i històriques catalanes. La decoració ve donada pel mateix material, que fa jocs i sanefes geomètriques. L’estructura de les grades, molt esvelta, era feta de ferro fos i bigues de ferro laminat. L’elecció de maó vermell és la convergència de tres vies d’inspiració, d’actualitat en el tombant de segle: la popular (la tradició constructiva catalana), la històrica (arquitectura pròpia de la Península) i la nacional (Antoni Gaudí i després Lluís Domènech i Montaner en comencen un ús sistemàtic ja 20 anys abans), sense deixar de banda el fet que era molt més econòmic que la pedra, i altres característiques com la resistència i la lleugeresa. A la part superior de l’entrada principal hi ha l’escut de la ciutat i el nom de la plaça: Arenas de Barcelona. L’escut que apareix és del tipus de quatre barres, com era més habitual sobretot al segle XIX. El ratpenat i la corona reial de l’escut de Barcelona apareixen en relleu dins el cupulí arabitzant. Aquesta entrada estava flanquejada per dos pavellons cúbics, avui desapareguts, que contenien les taquilles de venda d’entrades de les localitats de sol i ombra (a dreta i esquerra, respectivament).
General Plan for the 1929 International Exhibition

Josep Puig i Cadafalch
Arenas de Barcelona Shopping Centre

Alonso i Balaguer Arquitectes Associats, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Lluís Alonso Calleja, Sergi Balaguer Barbadillo, Richard Rogers

Barcelona has always been known for having a special sensitivity and respect towards its past, but at the same time for its forceful commitment to the future and the avant-garde. Las Arenas is a clear example of this, and it reveals the confluence of both concepts: historicist architectural respect and technological commitment. The old bullring, in disuse since 1989, had become a symbol after more than a century; not so much for its architectural value as for being part of the city’s landscape. Hence, the architectural project was oriented towards its maintenance, like a second exterior skin of the new building. However, such preservation entailed great technical complexity: firstly, due to its evident physical deterioration; and secondly, due to its strange level, which is 4m high above the perimeter streets. The technical effort was aimed at presenting the cylindrical, forceful and atypical shape. The solution to create a new façade under the existing façade consisted of creating a large perimeter pathway of exposed reinforced concrete to which the upper weight is transmitted. Also temporarily, the entire façade rested on a circular metal crown. Once restored, it would become a kind of double skin exempt from direct contact with the new building. A circular metal walkway would fulfill a triple function: cable stay, fire evacuation corridor and services, facilities and supply of goods. The building has a huge central void which works as a reception hall for all the activities of the complex - commercial, recreational and leisure - from which to observe the life and effervescence of movement of the complex. The roof of the building was another of the great challenges of technical and structural resolution, since it was separated from the rest of the building to emphasise its sense of buoyancy. We stand before one of the largest domes in Europe, with a multitude of uses and possibilities, as well as a perimeter promenade from which to enjoy the magnificent view of Barcelona, at a height of 27m and with a length of more than 300 linear metres. A special vaulted space in the context of a city that has always lacked them, and that highlights the uniqueness of the project - always in line with the identity of Barcelona. It is also a project developed in partnership with Richard Rogers, contributing and complementing points of view to go beyond the initially set objectives.