Independent Research Thesis Spreads

8/6/2019 Independent Research Thesis Spreads

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transparency of

ecological processin urban parks

Jeffrey TunkeyBarcelona 2008


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Parc de Diagona

I would like thank my parents Susan and Jeff for their support,I would not have been able to complete this semester withouttheir help. Katelyn Koury for providing me with valuable inputand being there for advice when I needed her. Tony Miller forhis guidance on this project, and Paul Brogna for his help inorienting me to the city of Barcelona.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

abstractThis study is the result of 14 weeks ofresearch, observation and documenta-tion on three recently constructed parksin Barcelona, Spain. This study examinesthe ways in which the parks reveal and in-terpret ecological phenomena, processes,and relationships and how people use thespace. This study seeks to understand thenew paradigm of a conscious commitmentto sustainability in urban design. Each ofthe three parks being studied has its ownunique contribution to the subject, and thesynthesis of all furthers knowledge in a way

where one could not. The performanceof aesthetics, stormwater and ecology isexamined through diagrams and photo-graphs, and the habits and patterns of useare recorded and compared to the physicalcharacteristics of the parks.


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Parc Central del Poblenou: Top RightParc TMB: Center Botto

01Introduction

ontents03 Site Selection

Process

07Main andSupportingSites

08 Methods andStudy Process

21Parc de Diagonal Mar

29Parc TMB

33Comparisons

35De ning Types

36Looking Towthe Future09

ParcCentraldelPoblenou


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December 22, 2008

Figure1. Designandecologyare complementaryproblemsolvingtechniques. FromEcological Design or Environmental ProblemSolv-ing. BySusan Galatoitsch1Priciples or sustainable landscapes laidout inGray World, GreenHeart byRober Thayer.

people on the earth as of 12.16.2008 at 4:20PM-source: census.gov

6,747,543,069

available land necessary to sustain the consumption of eachperson on the planet-Ralea and Prat (1999): 25 and Wackernagel et al. (2000)

1.7 hectares

ecological footprint of a person in the U.S. -Ralea and Prat (1999): 25 and Wackernagel et al. (2000)

10.3 hectares

ecological footprint of a person in Barcelona-Ralea and Prat (1999): 25 and Wackernagel et al. (2000)

3.25 hectares

ecological footprint of a person in India -Ralea and Prat (1999): 25 and Wackernagel et al. (2000)

.8 hectares

Figure 2. Availableland too set humanenvironpopulation2Brown elds areabandonedor under-usedindustrcial acilities available or re-use.

U rban parks are a precious oasis in alandscape of hardness. An opportu-for living matter to grow and thrive.

se spaces are vital for the life of a As Frederick Law Olmsted identi ede than a hundred years ago, the urban

eller must have access to space whereme form of contact can occur with na-

, and the mind can be replenishedwett 1998). Olmsted understood thatan parks were necessary for maintain-public health and the health of the citywhole. In our current environmental

ation these ideas have reached a criticall of importance. We must change ourudes and then our actions to begin re-ing the damage we have already doneatural systems. It is of great importancein our future designs we create urban

dscapes which contain stormwater l -ng systems, plentiful vegetation to lter air, and respect wildlife habitat while

ating functional recreational spaces.s is a great challenge for landscape ar-ects, and as metropolitan areas becomeer and more dense the demand for suchces will increase rapidly. We must pushthe old notions of relegating stormwa-o underground pipes, and paving overn areas to reduce maintenance. The no-of sustainability is only just beginningntering the mainstream culture in theted States, and landscape architects areed to take a lead on projects that deal

h complex social, cultural and environ-ntal issues. This study strives to collect

w ideas for urban park design from threeks in Barcelona that demonstrate a com-ment to the environment, and an under-ding of ecological processes in relationuman perceptions and everyday life.

The city of Barcelona places greatortance on public open space and as alt many highly innovative urban parkse been built during the cities long andultuous history. This study focuses onmore recently constructed parks and

w they respect the systems of nature. Bydying these parks I hope to bring to thee new ideas that can help drive urbank design in North America, where freshs and approaches are sorely needed. Ie laid out my approach to this study in

the form of a question which has framedmy methods study approach; the questionis as follows: How are urban parks inBarcelona designed to reveal and inter-pret ecological phenomena, processes,and relationships, and how do peoplerespond to this transparency? The ques-tion gave structure to my understandingof the physical space of each park and theobservation of people in relation to natu-ral systems within the park. The questionwas developed in my proposal along withthe methods to ful ll it. Previously in myproposal I engaged in a literature review tobetter inform my direction and understand-ing of the city of Barcelona, and the plan-ning and design decisions that have beenmade in the recent history of the city. Thatinformation has been built upon in thisstudy and helps to support my ideas andde ne more speci c areas of inquiry.

The difference between a park likeCentral Park in New York City or the Em-erald Necklace in Boston, and a contem-porary urban park such as those I studiedin Barcelona is vital to this project. Thedifference lies in the realm of the design-ers intent and the physical manifestation of that intent into the built form of the park.The design of Central Park drew peoplesattention to plants, stomwater and habi-tat, but that was not what Olmsted createdtheir aesthetic for. He sought to carry onan ideal to which recreational landscapeswere held in those times. This ideal wasrooted in the tradition of the pastoral land-

scape. Which resulted in the ecologicalvalue of the plants being concealed. Forthe Emerald Necklace he was so success-ful in hiding the actual ecological func-tionality inherent in his designs, that usershad no idea they were witnessing an eco-logical restoration. He hid the ecologicalprocesses because if he did not the spacewould not be considered a park, it wouldhave been seen as uncared for and danger-ous. The casual observer did not know thatstormwater was being ltered, and that theplants had been chosen for other reasonsthan purely for beauty. His approach wasvery ecologically conscious but he hid histrue agenda from the users because at thattime people would be very turned off by acreek or wetland if they knew it was storm-water or runoff.

According to Robert Thayer a sus-tainable landscape is congruent and trans-parent 1 so can we assume that Central Park and the Emerald Necklace in Boston arenot sustainable landscapes? Because theylack transparency of ecological process? Iwould argue that they are inherently sus-tainable landscapes but they lack a didacticquality which is vital to the education of our current culture. My secondary studysite, Parc de Diagonal Mar is an excellentexample of the form of the landscape beingindicative of its actual function. The de-signed landscape of Parc Diagonal Mar isin keeping with actual ecological functionswhile at the same time allowing people toobserve, interact and be a part of the sys-

tem.Figure 1 illustrates that ecology and

design are complementary problem solv-ing techniques and therefore all well con-ceived designs can contain the principlesof ecology as well as design. New parksneed to be dense with natural systems andthick with ltration opportunities. Any park within a city is in some form an insertioninto the urban fabric, into the built form. Itcan be seen as an oasis, but rarely does thepark sit on ground that was always beau-tiful. Parks are normally only created outof necessity or with good reason. Take forexample Central Park, which was built onformer dumping grounds that had a dif culttopography of swamps and bluffs that dis-couraged development (Beveridge 2005).A Park might be created because the landis unusable, maybe it is too steep or there isa water feature that is unsuitable for build-ing upon. A park might also be on the siteof some natural feature that is an attractionand has been deemed valuable enough tosave the space from development. A morerecently common theme, one which I willfocus on, is turning an old industrial siteinto a park, reclaiming the land as publicspace and using plants to remediate the soiland surrounding environment. All three of my study sites fall into the category be-ing built on former brown elds 2. Turning

brown elds into parks is a growing trendin the eld of landscape architecture. Suchtransformations are mutually bene cialfor the environment and the surroundingneighborhoods. It makes sense in terms of compatibility to create hybrid recreationalspaces, combined with natural systems,and even food systems.

This past summer I tested various

methods of observation and acts of dia-gramming in Yorkville park in Toronto,Ontario. The park was speci cally designedto provide unique, inner-city ecologicalopportunities for the display of native plantspecies and communities, and to provide avariety of spatial and sensory experiences,landscape qualities and park functions.From these experiments I learned ways inwhich I might apply similar techniques formy study in Barcelona.

This study is directed to discover the

Transparency of Ecological Process in Urban Parks

way that landscape architects treat the aes-thetics, the experience and the built formof a design that is sustainable and ecologi-cally sound. Is a deliberate decision madeto expose unwanted processes into umesand runnels? Is the design transparent tothe sites history? Are environmental issueslike a reduction in runoff, the urban heatisland effect treated in an intelligent andconscious manner. Do maintenance prac-tices consist of recycling and composting?All urban parks regardless of how sustain-able they are, need intense amounts of in-put to keep them clean and suitable for use.To what degree are horticultural practicesemployed for the maintenance of trees andshrubs? Or are plants left to grow to theirown accord.

The idea I am postulating is not to imi-tate the visual and aesthetic parts of naturebut to imitate the functional ones, being inkeeping with the ecological process. To de-sign something from natures forms but dis-tinctly different in appearance through ab-straction, reduction and distillation, or anydesign technique that is form giving. Parksbuilt in the era before the environmentalmovement, and the awakening of publicconsciousness to the idea of sustainability,tend to give the appearance of being natu-ral, but really are not and actually requirelarge amounts of energy inputted into themto maintain a perfect pastoral aesthetic. Anew park should not need to imitate someideal of nature that people think is pleasingsuch as a neatly mowed lawn.

This study seeks to understand thenew paradigm of a conscious commitmentto sustainability in urban design. Each of

the three parks being studied has its ownunique contribution to the subject, and thesynthesis of all furthers knowledge in thisarea when one could not. The study breaksapart key areas of each park, identifyingthe design language and success or failureof the park as living up to a new concep-tion of a sustainable park. The three parksare compared and contrasted identifyingthe areas of innovation and the areas inneed of improvement. From this new ty-pologies are born, ones that help describethe modern urban condition a park is inter-twined in. New conceptions of what con-stitutes a park are realized, ones that re-spond more appropriately to a postmoderncondition by prescribing speci c activitiesfor space less, creating more opportunityand chance for different roles and sce-narios to be played out. Each design in itsown way acknowledges the complexity of urban systems, the inter-connectedness of life systems and respects diversity.

Figure 2 displays the disturbing infor-mation that we are indeed living beyondthe earths capacity and as our popula-tion growth accelerates towards it peak of 10 billion, one can only image what liesahead. We must take small steps such asintegrating vegetation and green areas intothe urban environment to help offset thestrain on the environment. The opportu-nity is there to begin creating high perfor-mance environmental machines within ourrecreational spaces. Natural processes cancreate amenity, therefore the aims of recre-ation and leisure are compatible with thoseof ecology.


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nsparency of Ecological Process in Urban Parks December 22, 2008

Fontsanta Parc

Figure3. Sites visited

O n my rst few excursions into the cityit became apparent that I had not fullyized how dry of a climate Barcelonain, compounded by the fact that thewas in the worst drought ever record-

Since a large portion of my study topiculd include the exposure and manage-nt of stormwater Before arriving in Bar-ona I had two parks in mind that I knewpotential to be my study sites. Parc degonal Mar is a well known and highlyaimed design with attention to sus-ability, education, ecology and habitatection. Diagonal Mar is one of the few

ks in the usually dry city of Barcelonahas extensive stormwater managementems. I discovered Parc TMB in a book lished by a Barcelona based publishing

mpany which focused on cutting edge

landscapes. I had very high hopes for ParcTMB because of its innovative stormwatersystem, and its apparent commitment todidactiscism. However on my rst visit tothe park I was extremely disappointed bythe lack of users and the prevalent vandal-ism. I realized that it would not be possibleto use as a primary study site because of its remote location and lack of a user base.My assessment was con rmed upon myinstructor visit where we determined itwas not a viable site because my methodswould require at least some people to beusing the park, which even on a Saturdaywas empty.

I scoured many sources of media in-cluding periodicals, maps and architec-ture guides to nd every possible park that might be relevant to my study topic.

I spent a week and a half visiting otherparks around the city and analyzing theircompatibility regarding my study topic. Ivisited the following parks: Parc DiagonalMar, Parc dels Auditoris, Parc Clot, Park Gell, Parc de St. Marti, Parc Central deNou Barris, Parc del Poblenou, FontsantaParc, Parc del Litoral, Parc Fluvial delBesos, Parc Metropolit de Can Zam andFinally Park Central del Poblenou. I chosethe parks based on either an article I hadread about them or their proximity to apotential natural area such as the Besosriver or the Mediterranean Sea. Visitingeach one helped me understand better ex-actly what sort of park I really wanted tostudy. The wetlands of Diagonal Mar hadbarely any water in them and I knew thatother than Diagonal Mar I was unlikely to

nd any park that had a wetland or marshyarea. After visiting older parks like Parcdel Clot and Parc de St. Marti I realized Ineeded something more recent which, ini-tially I thought might be Parc Central deNou Berris, until I stumbled across ParcCentral del Poblenou. The park because of its recent opening the spring of 2008 didnot exist on any city maps, and unless onenew the exact name it did not appear in anymagazines or internet searches. On my rstsighting I knew right away that Parc Cen-tral del Poblenou should be my study site.It t all my criteria such as being built on aformer brown eld, it was a recent design, itdisplayed a deliberate commitment to sus-tainability and it was located in a formerindustrial neighborhood. My site selectioncriteria is as follows.

+ The space must be well used atmy discretion

+ At least two out of three sites mustbe on former brown elds.

+ Ecological processes must play asigni cant visible role

+ Stormwater systems must be vis-ible

+ There must be naturalizedareas where succession is occur-ring.

+ Wildlife habitat must be present.

+ There must be potential for a di-dactic user relationship.

Upon the selection of my sites I deter-mined Parc Central to be my primary siteon which I was to carry out my methodsand observations. Parc Diagonal del Marand Parc TMB acted as supporting sitesthat contained qualities relevant to mystudy. After making my selection of sites Idetermined that Parc Central would be myprimary study site because it bests suitesmy criteria. I assessed that there was notenough time in the semester to performmy methods fully at each site, thereforeParc TMB and Parc Diagonal Mar shouldbe supporting sites. Each selected for itsunique contribution to my study topic. The

features that made Parc Central del Poble-nou the most suitable site are; user behav-ior can be easily observed, there are variedlandscapes including naturalistic, grass,herb garden, lunar, wet and sand/gravel.Thought has clearly been given to sus-tainability, water is collected and stored,organic waster is collected compacted andcomposted. The sculptures present in thepark could be considered environmentalart, do to the way the plants are designed togrow up the structures, and what they willlook like when they are all covered withplants. There are many varied microcli-mates. The site is a former brown eld andfactory complex. One building is being re-used, and references are made to the sitesindustrial past via interpretive signs. Thefollowing images are snapshots character-izing each park I visited. The site selectionprocess was very important to me becauseI new that Barcelona would have a specialpark, I just had to seek it out, and I did notwant to discover that park later in my studyand miss out on such an opportunity. Theimages are arranged in chronological orderas I visited each park.

Parc TMB was the rst potential study siteI visited, I had high expectations, but wasvery disappointed by the lack of users. Ivisited the site multiple times, only to ndit empty each time, save for a few teen-agers. Vandalism was found throughoutthe park. In theory the park is unique andsigni cant, as an exercise in architecturaltheory, which is the reason I choose it asmy tertiary study site.

I next visited Parc de Diagonal Mar whichI had also been considering as a study site.I had seen many photos of Diagonal Marbefore my visit and read numerous articleson the wetlands and planning of the neigh-borhood. I did not want to use Parc Diago-nal Mar as a primary study site because thefountains were turned off and the wetlandshad little water in them. The park had beenstudied by a previous student in Barcelonaand was being studied again in 2008 by amember of my group, so I felt my effortscould be concentrated elsewhere.

I brie y considered Parc del Clot as a studysite because of its reuse of pieces of oldbuildings, and its allusions to an industrialpast, accompanied by thick vegetation anda small area of stormwater being exposed.After spending time in the neighborhoodI decided I needed a more contemporarydesign.


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Figure4. Siteevaluation matrix

POTENTIAL SITE STORMWATERSYSTEMS

VISIBLE WILDLIFEHABITAT

SUCCESSION OFNATURAL AREAS

INTERPRETIVESIGNS ANDELEMENTS

NUMBER OF US-ERS AND LEVELOF ENGAGE-MENT

BROWNFIELD

PARC DIAGONALMAR h h m h h h

PARC TMBh m m l l m

PARC DEL CLOT m m h l h h

PARC GELLh h h l h l

PARC CENTRALDEL NOU BERRIS h l l l h m

PARC DEL POBLE-NOU m m h l h m

PARC CENTRALDEL POBLENOU h m h h h h

PARC FLUVIALDEL BESOS h h m l h m

PARC DELLITORAL m l l l h h

hough Parc Gell was built a long timeI was considering Parc Gell and ParcB as complementary study sites, tolyze the stormwater system present inh of them. The stormwater system inc Gell collects water all the way downslope, channeling it into runnels andugh the architecture of the site into the

umns and nally out the bottom fromfamous dragons mouth.

c St. Marti is similar to Parc del Clot inny ways, however it was just to old toviable study site. The design language

ozen in the time period it was built inmid 1980s and much of the park wasdown. It is located in what I consider to

one of the poorest neighborhoods I vis-in Barcelona, it is bordered by a largeth of railway tracks and the whole areas very post industrial, but unlike thelenou nothing is being done to rejuve-the neighborhood.

Parc Metropolit de Can Zam is locatednear the Besos River and connected to theParc Fluvial del Besos. It contains largebasins for water and activities related towater, but like everywhere else in the citythe areas were dry. The forms found in thepark were innovative and created wonder-ful public spaces. There were many wellprogrammed spaces, and even when Ivisited on a weekday the park was beingheavily used. I might have consideredthis park as a study site if it were not sodif cult get to and if the edge condition of the wet areas had plantings.

Fontsanta park is located in a dried up riv-erbed far to the southeast of the city. I haddiscovered the park in an article publishedin the Architectural Review , and was veryhopeful for its potential. It had been builton a garbage dump, and the design of thelandform and the choice of plant materi-

als was meant to allude to its history as ariver. Unfortunately when I arrived at thesite I discovered much of the park was inthe process of being lled in and pavedover to make room for new development.What parts were left were not well usedand left to neglect.

Parc Fluvial del Besos was built for theFrum Universal de les Cultures. Theentire urbanized stretch of the river wasaltered into a more ecological relation-ship with its banks. The river is allowed to

ood unlike many urban waterways, andthe riparian edge is irregular and plantedwith native wetland species.

Parc Central de Nou Barris deals withextreme grade change and therefore withstormwater and erosion. I deemed it nota viable study site because of the lack of dense natural plantings.

Parc del Litoral is located at the mouthof the Besos river, adjacent to the Forumand many factories. The park innovativelyused space to deal with the riparian edgeand sensitive delta areas but it did not per-form these functions well. It was poorlyused and sparsely vegetated. The mouth of the Besos is channeled with riprap.

Parc dels Auditories is on the Sea near theForum area and was designed by the worldrenowned architecture rm FOA or For -eign Of ce Architects for the Frum Uni -versal de les Cultures it was designed tocreate habitat for vegetation while meetingthe requirements for performance spaces.The form creates diverse plant habitat.

Parc Central del Poblenou was discoveredlast while on my park search. It was ideallysuited for my study, and ideally located inthe Poblenou neighborhood which I wasinterested in for its urban renewal strate-gies. Parc Central acted like a catalyst forthe up and coming neighborhood, which iscurrently experiencing much construction.

December 22, 2008nsparency of Ecological Process in Urban Parks


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Parc TMB

Parc Central delPoblenou

Parc de Diagonal Mar

6, Calle de Jupi

Torre Agbar

Sagrada Familia

Parc Gell

M y three study sites, Parc Central delPoblenou, Parc de Diagonal MarParc TMB have been carefully chosenepresent a cross section of new urbanks being built in Barcelona. They are

the most recently built parks in thewith Parc Diagonal Mar opening in

tember of 2002, Parc TMB in t he sum-of 2006, and Parc Central del Poblenou

April 2008. Each park sits in a uniquehborhood in the city, and each park designed with a very different conceptintent. Each park was designed by well

pected and world renewed architectural

ms, and each rm approached the ideassustainability and the interdependenceuman and nonhuman communities in aety of ways. Figure 4 shows the parkselation to each other and their locationstive to important landmarks within the

A synthesis of ideas from all threek designs has the potential to create awerful combination of theoretical ideas,lied knowledge of wetland systems andediation techniques for old industrials.

Parc de Diagonal Mar offers uniqueopportunities for humans to be immersedin naturalized landscapes that are full of life and perform vital processes such asstormwater ltration and wildlife habitat.Out of all three parks it ful lls the arenasof didacticism and ecological sensitivitythe best, utilizing interpretive signs and se-quential experiences.

Parc TMB contains the most radi-cal design ideas of all three parks. It is aperformance based landscape that is con-

cerned with the channeling of large quanti-ties of water from the roof of the buildingand down from the surrounding hillsidewatershed. It is rich with theoretical ideasand the designer attempts to manifest theminto a built form. Parc TMB is an eco-roof,located on top of the Transports Metropol-itans de Barcelona Horta Bus Depot.

Parc Central del Poblenou is the most

cutting edge of the three parks in terms of achieving a new aesthetic eld in land -scape architecture. It lays out new ideasfor the use of plants architecturally andthe play of color. The approach to light isvery unique with a similar feeling capturedin the designed lighting scheme as is castby the trees during the day. Nature is dealtwith in a re ned and cultivated manner butit is far from being horticultural.

Ibegan my initial study with visits every-day to Parc Central del Poblenou. I hadpreviously established that I would carryout my methods there, and treat the othertwo parks as secondary and tertiary sites.I began my studies by sketching, diagram-ming, recording my ideas and observa-tions. I then performed extensive researchonline and through the Parcs i Jardins of Barcelona about the designers intent andthe physical characteristics of the park such as maintenance, budget, plant materi-als, treatment of stormwater and wateringof the plants. I obtained a basemap fromthe Parcs i Jardins department in Barcelonawhich enabled me to begin recording peo-ples movements and locations. I then pro-ceed to a three dimensional inquiry whereI sought to understand how the vegetationrelated to the structures, circulation andspaces. For the presentation of my ndingsI have laid out and discussed for each park under the framework of my study topic:

+ location/context

+ designers intent

+ physical characteristics

+ ecology and sustainability

+ patterns of use

+ diagrams, images and results

+ discussion

Only in Parc Central del Poblenou are allthese sections complete with diagrams andanalysis. For Diagonal Mar I have removedsome of the detail and speci city, and for

Parc TMB I have removed anything re-garding use patterns.Because each park is relatively new,

Diagonal Mar being the oldest opening in2002, it is important to hypothesize aboutwhat impact they might have in the futureon the surrounding neighborhood and cityin general, because urban city parks gener-ally have a long life span. The spatial rela-tionship of the users to plants or naturewithin the park is important because itshapes user experience and can express dif-

ferent values to the viewer. I w as primarilyconcerned with areas that appear naturaland do not possess evidence of pruning orother maintenance practices. These areascan be thought of as messy.

These viewer/nature relationshipsoccurred in all three study sites in differ-ent ways. I broke down the categories of relationships into the view being abovelooking down upon a natural planting area,in surrounded by vegetation, down look-ing up at, and viewing from a distance oracross.

I also focused my methods on spaceswithin the parks that contained thick veg-etation and if that vegetation gave thefeeling of taking over the space. To betterre ne my methods I realized that a tradi -tional empirical approach would not be aseffective when dealing with complicatedfactors such as human behavior, and envi-ronmental factors such as microclimates. Itried to accomplish more of a systems ap-proach rather than a traditional enlighten-ment approach. This manifested itself assketching phenomenological qualities of spaces, mapping human tendencies andexploring each park as a set of experiencesin a nonlinear way.

As I had learned over the summerfrom testing my methods on YorkvillePark in Toronto, I did not need to knowevery persons exact location every tenminuets, rather it was more useful to un-derstand general movements and clusters,and combine that information into a sum-mary. What I also began to realize once Ibegan observations, was that people arevery predictable and habitual. As soon as aperson, family or group of people walkedinto the park I could tell exactly where they

were going go and what they were goingto engage in. While it is important to al-low for deviations to the norm, I was mostconcerned with the majority.

The area of the most deliberation onin my methods, was deciding how and inwhich ways to observe peoples use of thepark. I felt it was important to have reasonswhy I recorded what I did and how. Like-wise for diagramming space, because I cansit there and create diagrams all day longbut they have no meaning unless they are

carefully thought out. From the previoustesting of my methods for observing peo-ple I knew that I was concerned with loca-tion relative to physical form in the park. Iwas concerned with clusters of people andI was also interested in primary movement

patterns. I re ned these ideas further to include active or passive recreation, adult orchild (under the age of 13 approximately).I created the following notation system forthe recording of people on a base plan of the park.

My diagramming exercises dealt withthe use of framing elements in naturalisticlandscapes, circulation and spatial rela-tionships of trees, architectural elementsand plantings. The cultural impact andsigni cance of the park, was researchedthrough newspaper articles and other pub-lished forms of media. This was importantfor understanding peoples reactions andopinions on the landscape, when the park is representing a radical new commentaryon the eld of landscape architecture.

Due to a the language barrier, meth-ods involving surveys or interaction wouldnot be possible. My methods are designed

to focus on the facts I could observe rsthand; like user movement and activity.My methods deal with the observation of people, diagramming of spaces and circu-lation. Understanding the neighborhood isalso a part of this process, as the relation-ship of the park to the neighborhood is vi-tal in determining its success. It also allowsfor understanding where the park will be inthe years to come, and the possibility foran increase in users and neighborhood im-provement.

Figure5. Sitelocations incontext.


Active Adult

Passive Adult

Active Child

Passive Child


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OCATION AND CONTEXT

ocated on Avinguda Diagonal betweenthe streets Bac de Roda and Bilbao

c Central is in the heart of the Poble-neighborhood. The park is bordered

he former Can Ricart factory complexch used to house many craftsmen andently has thirty small companies em-

ying 250 people in the carpentry andal working industries. The fate of the

mplex is the subject of a large preserva-ist debate on how to treat the remain-structures. Directly across from the

k is a recently opened ve star hotel,next to that a new of ce building is be -constructed. Occupying the rest of theounding space are housing units rang-from seven to twelve stories tall. Thehborhood is alive with activity due toressive renewal strategies. The imageow is the Can Ricart factory complex asn through a window from Parc CentralPoblenou.

e Poblenou is home to the 22@ Bar-ona project which plans on transform-two hundred hectares of industrial landhe Poblenou into an innovation districtbarcelona.com). The initiative is a proj-of urban refurbishment and a new mod-f how to structure a postmodern cityno longer relies on industry, but rather

wledge based businesses. The plans to recover the social and economicamism of the Poblenou that it once hadhe industrial center of the city. It is the

most important project of urban transfor-mation Barcelona has seen since the Olym-pics, and Parc Central del Poblenou is partof this plan.

DESIGNERS INTENT

World renowned and Pritzker prizewinning architect Jean Nouvel designedParc Central. He is also the designer of theAgbar Tower in Barcelona. Jean Nouvel isknown for his innovative color schemesand unique approach to light and shadow.These specialties manifest themselves tothe fullest in Parc Central del Poblenou,with unique plant color combinations anddynamic lighting schemes. In the words of Jean Nouvel; Parc Central del Poblenouis a gigantic sustainable garden of 5,5hectares designed as a meeting point, andacoustic microclimate, playing with lightand shadows (bcn.es). This statement,

made at the inauguration of the park accu-rately describes the character of the space.The primary highlights of the park are itstreatment of sound and the patterns of lightand shadow cast by the vegetation andlighting features. Nouvel goes on to saythat the park is an architecture that recallscalm and quiet, to respond to the customsand habits of visitors of all ages: dancingthe Sardana 1, petanque 2, childrens games,relaxation, long walks and family gather-ings (www.elpais.com). He envisions asort of contemporary strolling garden, witha sort of picture perfect family atmosphere.He speaks of sitllness and non-violentgames. The space is programed ideally forthis by locating programming elementssuch as play structures, basketball courtsand ping pong tables at distances from eachother creating a more private atmosphere.He pictures the impenetrability of the gar-den giving an air of mystery and surprise

Figure6. Birdseyeo thePoblenouandParc Central del Poblenou.(22barcelona.com)3TheSardanais thenational danceo Catalonia.

4Petanqueis similar tobocceand is playedonahardpackeddirt sur ace.

Figure7. ParcCentral del Poblenouin context. (go

to passerbys, causing them to enter andwander around. The wall surrounding thesite blocks many views but offers tantaliz-ing glimpses into the garden sanctuary.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICSThe rst thing one notices upon ap -

proaching the park is the large wall sur-rounding the space. The wall is a soresubject with the neighbors as well as a fewarchitecture critics in the city. Architecturecritic Josep Maria Montaner says ....thewalls of Jean Nouvel contempt towards theculture of public space. He wrote an edi-torial in the Barcelona newspaper el Paiswhich criticized the park heavily calling ita prison and a waste of money. Jean Nou-vel speaks of the wall as necessary to avoidfragmentation in the neighborhood and to

achieve the desired microclimate withinthe park. He says we nd that the closureof the park is the defense against fragmen-tation (www.elpais.com). The pedestrianexperience changes dramatically from thenoise of the road to the quiet of the park.Nouvel terms the park an urban jungle.The wall is most certainty necessary to

keep the noise out and the vegetation thatis taking over the poured concrete wallswill soften the sharp verticality of the wall.Many negative statements were made be-fore and right after the park was opened,when the vegetation was very sparse andthe city was experiencing a severe drought.The month of October was the fullest I wit-nessed the vegetation become. And at thatpoint the wall was completely covered, andthe interior was quite dense with growth.Without the wall the noise from the three

surrounding streets would make any timespent in the park almost unbearable. Mostnewer parks in Barcelona have a fencearound them, and it could be argued thata wall is not much different than a fence,except it does provide a necessary functionunder these circumstances. The wall haswindows of varying shapes evenly spaced

every meter or less, which offers views intothe park, and serves to draw people inside.A fence performs the same function, but thewall has windows which give little glimps-es inside and are part of the garden idea.Gardens often have walls, creating a moreprivate and secretive atmosphere. Once thevegetation has completely taken over thewall then it will have a much different feelwithin the neighborhood. The park wouldbe extremely noisy if the wall were notthere, because it is fragmented into three



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Technical Specifications for ParcCentral del Poblenou Area 50,000 m 2

Paving gravel (permeablepavement that al-lows infiltration of rainwater)

Trees Salix babylonian, SalixYolk, Tiliatomentosa, Schinusmolle, Tipuana tipu.

Grass 2,500 m2

Water Reservoir 50,000 liters

s by busy traf c corridors.The park is organized into thematic

s, each area having a slightly differ-feel to it, and containing different veg-ion and structural elements. Figure 10ws the thematic elements in each areahe park. For the sake of clarity each

a formed by streets is numbered one,and three based upon size. Area one

tains the majority of the programmedces like childrens play areas, ping pong

basketball. The Placa Sardana is thel and gathering point for area one. Theed Island Under the Dome is a quieterrnative to the Placa Sardana, and offersaration and privacy from the rest of thek. It achieves this by raising the seatinga above the ground plane and screeningws inward with Laurus nobilis. Crossingrer dEspronceda, which cuts throughpark and through the tunnel of owers;rea two. Area two contains the build-that is to be refurbished and used as thedquarters for the Collegi dArquitectesCatalunya (COAC). The herb gardena small dog run are tucked away nearbythe recreation of the old tram tracks isain the main thematic element. Cross-yet another street, Carrer de Cristbal

Landscapeouquets of Flowers

Maple VaultsWicker Domes

Placa SardanaIsland Under the Dome

Trace of Pere IV Aromatic Herb Gardens

Tunnels of FlowersSpiral to Guayaquil

Wells of Heaven

Nests of Heaven

de Moura, leads to area three, which is themost densely lled area. It contains sculp -tures seating and basketball. In this areaone will nd the nests and wells of heavenand the spiral to Guayaquil. The idea forthe spiral was proposed by the community,and is meant to connect Barcelonians withpeople from their sister city of Guayaquil,Ecuador. Ecuadorians make up the largestpercentage of the population of immigrantsliving in Barcelona (wikipedia.org). Thewell in the center of the spiral is supposedto have a video connection with the othercity. However that had not been installedwhen I was there. The third area also con-tains a basketball court.

The company who constructed ParcCentral del Poblenou is also responsiblefor the parks maintenance for the nexttwo years. This was met with resentmentfrom the parks and gardens department of Barcelona. From what I witnessed duringmy time at Parc Central there is a generallack of care on the part of the constructioncompany. Many maintenance issues werenot resolved, and shrubs and trees not wellcared for.

The custom designed lighting ele-ments give a similar effect of light and

Le t: Figure8. Oldbuildingto bere urbishedonsite.Top: Figure9. Technical Speci cations or ParcCentralddel Poblenou.Bottom: Figure 10. Main thematic elements o Parc Central delPoblenou.

1 2

3

shadow (small uttery patches of light andshadow) as the willow trees give in thedaytime. The seating, lighting and detailelements are consistent throughout the en-tire park with circular holes machined intoshiny aluminum structures. The sunkensitting areas (nests of heaven) have astrong phenomenological quality when one

is sitting down in them. The prevalence of shiny materials on the chairs, the lightsand the sculptures, ampli es the effectsof a light airy feeling in the park. It alsolends a space age feel, which is reinforcedby the lunar landscape. Figure 9 shows themain physical characteristics of the park inoverall quantities. There are 21,000 shrubsplanted and 10,987 climbing vines. Thevegetation and built elements are basicallyset on the at surface of the park exceptin area three, which has the depth of thespiral and the sunken nests. This atnessthroughout the park allows users to seegreater distances, creating a greater senseof security.

ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

The design was committed to beingsustainable from the beginning. The ma-

jor areas of importance in this realm arethe watering system, stormwater manage-ment and maintenance practices. The wa-tering system only uses groundwater andrecycled water. There is a 50,000 liter un-derground cistern that collects the runoff resulting from the paved areas and it alsocollects groundwater. The park does notdeal with any runoff from the surroundingneighborhood, but at the same time it doesnot need any water from the city supply.The park requires on average 11,000m 3 per year, about 100 to 200m 3 per week ac-cording to the speci cation sheet from theParks and Gardens Department of Barce-lona. An important part of the site designwas the inclusion of a pneumatic organicwaste collection system. The system ishoused underneath the lunar landscape.The system collects all the products of themaintenance of the park such as trimmingsand leaves. It also serves the surroundingneighborhood; collecting the organic wastefrom each household. In many parts of thecity there is an underground pneumaticcollection system for garbage, recyclablesand organic waste. The one drawback as aresult of the composting area to be locatedwithin the park is, when the wind is blow-ing in a certain direction there is a constantunpleasant smell emitting from the area.

According to the architect the plant

choices were made using as many nativespecies as possible and all species werewell adapted to the Mediterranean climate.The park is dense with vegetation andtree canopy which contributes immenselyto reducing the urban heat island effect. 3 However, it is important to note that whilethere are areas of thick plant growth, mostof the circumstances result in a monocul-ture. This reduces the appeal for wildlife

habitat, and also the potential for symbiot-ic relationships to occur with other plants.Also much of the plant growth occurs onwalls and other architectural elements. Theinclusion of the herb garden is a small butnotable effort at raising awareness of foodsystems and the potential that they havefor an urban setting. It helps people real-ize that they can grow those plants easilythemselves in a front yard or even in a win-

December 22, 2008nsparency of Ecological Process in Urban Parks

Top: Figure11. Salix babylonianBottom: Figure12 . Herbgarden5Theurbanheat islande ect is theconditioncreareaby thelack o photosynthesizingmaterials,muchwarmer thanthe surroundingcountryside.


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w sill.

TTERNS OF USE

Immediately upon my discovery of c Central del Poblenou I began visit-the site each day at different times to

ermine when the most use occurred.patterns I discovered were predict-according to the organization of the

nish work week. After visiting Parctral del Poblenou in the early morning0-10:00) midday (12:00-1:00), midrnoon (2:00-4:00), and evening (3:30-0). I concluded that the evening wasar the most popular time to be at the

k. The morning usually brings in a fewple going for a walk or walking theirs. Occasionally a mother pushing aller and a few children. Midday therea few people walking through, a fewple on lunch break, and sometimes once day there are people napping underwillows. The afternoon brings much of same until around 3:30 people start l -ng in and spending more time commit-to recreation. The largest user demo-

phic by far is families. Even though theount of play equipment is limited, fami-dominate the main areas of the park.The park has a thick vegetated pe-

eter condition with the main circula-regulated to the fringes and along theeated tram tracks. Attention is focusedard on the main thematic elements likePlaca Sardana and the Island Under theme. The trees in the park are planted ins and spaced evenly, but the user ex-ences them in a much less formal way.ce they are planted in rows radiatingfrom the Placa Sardana, one is rarelyposition where the trees all line upappear organized. The unevenness of

trees size and canopy also lend to theing of randomness and disorganiza-. The park employs visual techniquesspacemaking unlike anything that canfound in any other urban park in Bar-na. The space feels selectively over-

wn due to the cascading effect of thets especially the Salix babylonian. The

olute atness of the park allows smaller dren to see much further than adults,

who are faced with the weeping branchesof the willows in their face. The vegetationhinders a grown persons sightlines but in apleasant way that breaks up the view andcreates a feeling of mystery and curios-ity. The steepness of the lunar landscapeand the descent down into the spiral offera sharp contrast to the atness of the restof the park. It is a great strolling park andgood for weekend picnics or walks. It feels

like a garden where the upper classes mightgather on a Sunday afternoon to partakein calm sophisticated activities. The park feels very open, with not a single enclosedspace, yet it does not feel at all barren orempty.

IMAGES AND DIAGRAMS

The following images and diagrams

are meant to represent my work in un-derstanding Parc Central del Poblenouthroughout the semester, and how I re-duced, isolated, and abstracted the spaceto reconstruct the physical characteristicsof the park in relation to my study topic.The two above images of have been cre-ated using photographs from the site andfound online to display the planting pal-let for the shrubs, vines and herbs. The


Top: Figure13. Traceo PereIV.Bottom: Figure14. Nests o heaven.

Le t Figure15. Plant pallet part one.Right: Figure16. Plant pallet part two.


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ction of plants for their unique andant colors is one of the most innova-aspects of the park. The adjacency of

que color combinations is what makespark so unique. Blues and purples aren grouped together, while reds are lefttand alone or in contrast to a weakerr. The plants are also selected for their

diness and tolerance of drought. I wit-ed one of the worst droughts in Bar-

celonas history. The entire park was verydry and the plants showed it. I did noticea few vines that looked dead and the nestsof heaven were just dirt, when they weresupposed to be lled with plants, but over -all it seemed that the plants could toleratethe extreme condition. The above render-ings were done by Ateliers Jean Nouvelto show the main thematic elements of thepark such as the Placa Sardana, the nests

and wells of heaven, and the maple vaults.The renderings are also located on the de-scriptive signs that are placed throughoutthe park at the respective location of eachthematic element. I found the renderingsto evocative at communicating the intentfor the space, but when placed next to thephysical manifestation of the space, thereality is quite disappointing. The nests of heaven are a brilliant and forward thinking

design idea, creating new possibilities forseating within parks, but the lack of veg-etation detracted from the desired effect.The maple vaults consist of a maple treebent in the shape of a vault, and pruned togrow outward instead of upward. By midOctober they had grown signi cantly andone could begin to experience the feelingrepresented in the rendering. Figure 19is a sketch done by Ateliers Jean Nouvelportraying the Agbar Allusion sculpture.

This particular sculpture is an allusion tothe Torre Agbar, which was designed byNouvel and can be seen from Parc Centraldel Poblenou. There are a series of similarsculptures that employ wire and steel tocreate surfaces for the plants to grow on.Eventually the plants will become the sur-face, which I believe is the metaphor beingconveyed throughout much of the park. Itis the commentary of the architect workingwith plant materials to create surfaces andshapes, instead of steel and concrete. Oneremaining piece from the sites industrialpast has been left along with the buildingto be refurbished, a chimney from one of the furnaces. Accompanying the relic is asign with a rendering that shows the intentof the chimney to become incorporatedinto the canopy of trees. The sign reads:

As a vestige Poblenous industrialpast, has been retained in the origi-nal replace, so that is part of theregular distribution of the trees thatonce bound the branches, you mustcreate a plant roof.

Figure 21 is an example of the sharpcontrasts and use of color found through-


Le t: Figure1 7. Renderings o thematic elements inParcCentral delPoblenou. (Ateliers JeanNouvel)Right: Figure18. Plant pallet part three.

TopLe t: Figure19. Sketch o the Agbar Allusion. (Ateliers JeanNouvel)BottomLe t: Figure20. Interpretivesign or thechimney.

TopCenter: Figure21. Contrast o colors (PartheliaandHederahelix)BottomCenter: Figure22. Chimneyrelic.Right: Figure23 . Nests o heaven sketch. (Atelie


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Usually a small group of adults or children playing

basketballFamilies gather here, let their

children play while they socialize

Usually couples or smallgroups of people walking

around the perimeterOften younger people sit

and socialize under the SalixBabylonian

Children often kick a soccerball around Placa Sardana The ping pong area is

always packed regardless of weather or time of day

Occasionally people willwalk through or sit for a

brief timeOften there is a family or

group of teenagers playingbasketball

Every area is intensified onthe weekend

The Placa Sardana oftendevelops into a soccer game

Occasionally people willsit on the Island Under the

DomeElderly people like this area

and usually sit in pairs

During busier times peoplewill gather at the bottom of the spiral

the park. The Par-nocissus quinque-a shown here canbe found growingabandoned indus-

l sites and takingr crumbling buildings.use in Parc Central del Poble-

re-links the site to its past and letsviewer understand that nature doeseed take over when humans have left.ure 23 is another sketch showing thea behind the nests of heaven. Three outhe four nests have a sculptural elementr them, with plants growing upward tontually form a canopy. Light is sup-ed to be channeled though the openinghe center, bathing people sitting on thenge chairs among the owering plantsgrasses. Figure 24 shows the massing

of people on an average weekday eveningand Figure 25 shows the same on an aver-age weekend evening. The evening (3:30-6:00) is be far the most popular time to beat the park. I performed most of my peopleobservations during this time period. Asthe days grew shorter and colder so did the

number of people in the park. On an aver-age weekday at any given time during theevening for the months of September andOctober there are approximately 70 to 80people in all three areas of the park. Someof these people are merely walking though,and some pushing strollers or walking

dogs. As the evening wears on more peopleshow up, and right around dusk peak usageoccurs. On an average weekend afternoonthere will be a little less than twice as manypeople somewhere between 150 and 170.Many of the areas that are under used dur-ing the week ll up during the weekend.These areas are namely the dome under thesky, the spiral and all of area two. One canalways count on the childrens play areaand the ping pong area having the heavi-est use regardless of the time of day. Since


Top: Figure24. Typical weekdayuse patternBottom: Figure25. Typical weekenduse pattern.

TopLe t: Figure26. Uniquecolor combinations quil).TopLe t: Figure27. Walkwayat night.Middle: Figure28. Aerial shot taken romadjaceBottom: Figure29. Seatingarrangements.

the park is so new, I noticed many peoplevisiting for the rst time. It is easy to spotthose people because they stop and readthe signs, gawk at the sculptures and ex-amine the plantings. The park appears tosuite children very well. They love to runthrough the willow trees and through thewicker domes. There are usually manychildren riding bicycles, which the canopyof the trees just allows for.

One of the most powerful times tobe in the park is at dusk when the sky isbright blue, and the lights are beginning tocome on and cast small patches of white.The red of the Parthenocissus hanging overthe walkways contrasts sharply with thesky and the small patches of light. Againin Figure 26 the unusual use of color isshown. The colors of the spiral are greenand purple with the occasional splotchesof red. The pavement of the spiral hashad purple and green plant splattered andthrown over it, adding to the strength of thecolor scheme. The dense massing of thecolored plants and the strong visual linescreated by the spiral brings peoples atten-tion to there beauty.

Figure 30 shows the vehicular circula-tion around and through the site. It is plainto see that without a wall surrounding thepark it would be a very noisy environmentindeed. The neighbors had petitioned heav-ily to not have any streets cut through andfragment the park, but the urban plannersof Barcelona identi ed a great need for


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DISCUSSION

The intent in the design of the park isthat within ve years it will have the feeling of being overgrown. This is a newrealm of thinking for urban park design astypically growth is kept in check. Often inrelation to a building architects minimizethe denseness and power of vegetation tobetter highlight the structure, but in thiscircumstance quite the opposite is occur-ring. The residents of the Poblenou willwitness over the years the growth of theparks vegetation, which is in itself a re-vealing process, ampli ed by the directiongiven to the vegetation by walls, and otherstructural elements. The beauty is not in-stant, one has to be patient.

The CAD drawn sections illustratethe relationships of the structures to theclimbing vegetation, and in the case of thespiral the change in grade that is very rarewithin the park. In Figure 32 one can seethe subtle swale surrounding the Placa Sar-dana to collect runoff and channel it intothe main cistern. In Figure 34 people areon the sidewalk outside of the park. Onecan see the thickness of the wall and itsheight in relation to human scale. In Figure35 the separateness of the dome under thesky from the rest of the park can be seenby the isolating condition of the moat, andthe change in grade. There are only fourways across the moat and the sitting area isscreened by shrubbery.

Tunnel of FlowersCan Ricart Factory Complex

A v i g u d a D i a g o n a l

Carrer Bac De Roda

Trace of Pere IV A common circulationroute, however thedoor at the and is closedso people have to walkaround the corner

No paved walkwaysexist anywhere but theperimeter

A commonly used shortcut, whereno path exists

rer Bac de Roda,claimed that in-

asing traf c de -nded that the streetleft open. Bac de

da is a direct con-tion down from then Via Cortes Catalansch is a major highway runningugh the city. The tunnel of owers

dging areas one and two, is no doubt is

attempt at unifying the two areas of thek and creating a pleasant environment.street narrows as it enters the park, is

ommon traf c calming technique, andpedestrian crossing is highly visible.Tram runs along Avinguda Diagonalcreates an easy connection between

c Central del Poblenou and the Diago-Mar area. Parc Central is positionedctly in the center between two majorpping areas, Pl. Glories Catalanes andgonal Mar. Figure 31 shows the com-

mon pedestrian routes through the park. Ingeneral people walking keep to the edgesand on the paved surfaces. The park seesmany people strolling through, those peo-ple walk slowly, and stop frequently to talk or take in the sights. The Trace of Pere IV isdesigned to be a primary circulation routediagonally through the park, and for themost part is used like one. However, thedoor at one end is perpetually closed, mak-ing for an annoying detour. I recently readan article on the website of the neighbor-

hood association of the Poblenou that theyare demanding the door be opened. For themost part people stay out of area two, butI hypothesize that once the building is re-furbished, and opened for the COAC thespace will see an sharp increase in use asa transition space for the building and as agathering space for COAC functions.


Top: Figure30. Vehicular circulationa ecting ParcCentral del Poble-nou.Bottom: Figure31. Pedestriancirculation.

Top: Figure32. Sectiono PlacaSardana. (Ateliers JeanNouvel)TopRight: Figure33. Sectiono thespiral toGuayaquil. (Ateliers JeanNouvel)

Middle: Figure34. Section o the exterior wall. (A

Bottom: Figure35. Section o the domeunder theNouvel)


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CATION AND CONTEXT

arc Diagonal Mar is the focal point fora new mixed use development on the

diterranean Sea near the Forum area.entire development is 84 acres with 34s being dedicated to the park. Follow-the Olympic games, the city focusedttention on the Diagonal Mar area andveloping the waterfront for the rstversal Forum of Cultures held in 2004,

olving debates, themed exhibitions andWorld Festival of the Arts. By hostinginternational event, it gave Barcelona

hance to revitalize decaying parts of theinfrastructure, which resulted in the

d largest park in the city being built onld railway yard. (EMBT Arquitectes).area also has the Centre Internacional

de Convencions (International ConventionCenter), which combined with the hostingcapabilities of the Forum area makes for ahuge in ux of temporary visitors. The areawas re-zoned to allow for taller buildings,and commercial development. There isa large American style shopping mall di-rectly across the street from the park, andan assortment of of ce towers, high risecondominiums and hotels. The develop-ment extends to Avinguda Diagonal andprovides direct access from the surround-ing neighborhoods through the park to theMediterranean Sea (EMBT Arquitectes).The pedestrian and bicycle traf c comingoff of the Ronda del Litoral Promenadecan connect to Avinguda Diagonal throughParc Diagonal Mar, which allows for safeand convenient passage between the two

major transportation corridors.

DESIGNERS INTENT

Enric Miralles conceived Parc Diago-nal Mar using design elements commonlyfound in a Chinese water garden. The park symbolizes a tree that was born from thesea and that branches out into an open hand,representing the different paths that we ashumans walk throughout our lives. (EnricMiralles). The rst sketches for Parc deDiagonal Mar are lines that above all se-lect paths of energy, ows that only later become paths, mountains, water, places forchildren. Those lines principally indicatea desire, a desire for a natural world in thecity, re ection of something at the back of our minds, a garden, paradise. Diagonal

Mar contains very architectonic forms, butthey are abstracted forms that can be foundin nature. Enric Miralles was a master atdevising unique architectural forms thatcould be replicated over and over againserving different practical functions, suchas chairs benches, surfaces, sculptures andedges. He like many great designers turnedto nature to seek the inspiration for theforms 6 of Parc Diagonal Mar.

The design concept connects the sur-rounding working class neighborhoods of hundreds of thousands of residents to theMediterranean Sea, using Parc DiagonalMar as the greenway (EMBT Arquitectes).Conceived as an abstract tapestry in planview, the park is enjoyed from above byhigh-rise residents and those staying inhotels. The plan of Parc Diagonal Mar isa playful and exuberant mixture of pave-ments, water and plantings meant to evokea canvas of modern art (EMBT Arqui-tectes). At the Avinguda Diagonal entranceand throughout the park are precast con-crete planters that appear to be graspedby steel tubular forms, accompanied bytrellises with plants growing outward fromthe containers. The planters are coveredin a tile mosaic that alludes to the work of Antoni Gaud. Looking closely at the tilesone can see that they are found objects,

graf ti and pop art.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The park is organized into six mainareas. The spray fountains, an area forsports such as soccer and basketball, a pas-

sive recreation area, a childrens play area,the mound, and a dog run. The sports areaof the park is distinctly different from theother areas. It resembles an older incarna-tion of a typical Barcelona park. There is asunken concrete playing eld, designatedareas for petanque, ground chess boards


Figure 36. Parc de Diagonal Mar in context. (google earth) Top: Figure 37. Birdseye o Parc deBottom: Figure 38. Caddrawingo Parcde Diaroundingneighborhood. (EMBTArquitectes)6This ideataken romLaurieOlinontheorigins o


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ping pong tables. The rest of the park much more lush and planted in a moretemporary way compared to the recre-n area. The childrens play areas con-the most unique and clever play equip-

nt I have ever seen. There are large,e slides on the magic mountain, ropengs of all sorts, musical jumping boxesvarious tightropes. The area designed

passive recreation has custom designed

ach loungers that are meant to createtiple sitting and lounging positions.re are hidden benches and heavilyted areas that offer privacy and the op-tunity for re ection. The dog run hasy one entrance/exit and is surroundedhigh thick vegetation. The space is dan-ous and rarely used, although comparedther dog runs in other city parks it ise large.

The materials used throughout the park concrete and brick pavements, wood

benches and play equipment, and steelarbors and fountain supports. Large areasof the park consist of hard impervious sur-faces. The surfaces are hard near the malland Avinguda Diagonal, but gradually getsofter as they reach the ocean. There aremany acute angles which generate dyna-mism but also create awkward spaces thatare dif cult to circulate through, and of -ten discourage people from even entering.

There are a few instances where one willenter a space only to nd that they must goout the way they came in such as the dogrun. The circulation routes are confusingand not visually self explanatory.


Ecology played a meaningful role inthe parks design, which resulted in the

rst-ever public/private sustainabilityagreement in Spain, a pact between Hines

and the city government which governedthe park design, construction, and, now, itsoperation (EMBT Arquitectes). The reportcalled for sustainable development prin-ciples, such as balancing human and natu-ral resources; respecting interdependenceof natural systems; respecting biologicaland cultural diversity, promoting social eq-uity and economic development; balancing

short-term and long-term needs and objec-tives; and conserving natural resources tobe incorporated in the design of the park (EMBT Arquitectes). The following prin-ciples are emphasized in the report.

+ Porous pavements that minimizestorm water runoff.

+ Native plants speci ed to curtail ir -rigation and pesticide applications.

+ Time-controlled fountains and

+

+

+

smaller fountains spray a mist atlow pressure irrigation system waterprovided from the parks lake.

+ Wetland areas around parts of thelake for stormwater ltration.

+ Lake bottoms at two meters belowwaters surface, allowing ground-water to be the lakes primarysource of water.

+ Lake liner protected with a soil cap.

+ Recycled soil from excavated ma-terials from the adjoining DiagonalMar retail development.

+ Grass clippings and other harvestedvegetation will be composted.

When Parc de Diagonal Mar won an ASLAhonour award, the jury made the comment;the best constructed wetlands I have ever

seen. The wetlands have constructedecotones that transition from always sub-merged to seasonally submerged and thento an arid habitat. The plants selected areextremely hardy. The rst time I visited thepark, the water level in the main pond wasvery low and in the other wetland areas itwas completely dry. The plants were stillsurviving and when the areas lled back up

in October the plants were all very alive.The wetlands collect and lter the water from the nearby developments, and wa-ter that is pumped out of the Metro tunnelnearby. In this sense Parc Diagonal Mar ishighly innovative and is a precedent forfuture developments of similar nature. Theact of bringing stormwater to the surfaceis an important step for the future of urbandesign.


Top: Figure39. Conceptual plan, treebranching rom theSea. (EMBTArquitectes)Bottom: Figure40. Conceptual diagram, thewater owingdownhill.(EMBTArquitectes)

Le t: Figure41. Conceptual plan, mapo desiresRight: Figure 42. Conceptual diagram, Parc de DChinesewater garden. (EMBTArquitectes)


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Latin Name English Name

Shrubs Abelia floribunda Mexican AbeliaBuddleia davidii hoensis Orange-eye Butterfly BushCistus salvefolius Rock RoseHypericum calycinum Rose-of-SharonLavandula officinalis LavenderNerium nana Common OleanderPinus pumilo Dwarf Siberian PinePittosporum tobira nana Japanese PittosporumRosmarinus prostata Rosemary Santolina chamaecyparissus Lavender CottonSantolina sempervirens

Aquatic PlantingButomus umbellatus Flowering RushCaltha palustris Marsh MarigoldIris pseudacorus Yellow Iris Juncus effusus Soft RushPontederia cordata Pickerel WeedSagittaria latifolia WapatoTypha minima Cattail

Vines Actinida chinensis Chinese Gooseberry Akebia quinata Five-Leaf AkebiaCa mp si s gr an di fl or a Ch ine se Tru mp et Cr ee pe rClematis c.v. Clematis Jasminum nudiflorum JasmineLonicera c.v. HoneysuckleLonicera henryi HoneysuckleParthenocissus tricuspidata Boston Ivy Polygonum aubertii China Fleece VineWisteria floribunda alba Japanese WisteriaWisteria sinensis Chinese Wisteria

GrassKikuyu

Ornamental Grasses Acanthus sp. Bears-Breech Agave americana Century Plant Anthemis frutescens Marguerite

Centaurea sp. KnapweedConv olvulus cneorum SilverbushGazania sp. GazaniaG rev il le a r osm ar in if ol ia Sp id er F lo we rHemerocallis sp. Daylilly Lavandula dentata French LavenderM es em br ian th em um sp . Ic ic le Pl an tPhlomis fruticosa Jerusalem SagePhormium sp. Flax Lily Yucca aloifolia Spanish-Bayonet

TTERNS OF USEThe lack of fountains really detracted

m the number of people in Parc Diago-Mar on hot days. The rst time I visitedpark on a beautiful warm Saturday af-oon there were hardly any people usingspace, but the adjacent air-conditionedl was packed. Like many of Barcelo-parks the most well used part is the

drens play area. Parents gather and so-ze while their children play. Childrenattention to the water and wetlands

there is nowhere to easily access it orctly engage it. The abundance of wild-is a great contribution to the park asdactic landscape. I witnessed a childday exclaiming to his mother, Tor-

...Tortuga. I leaned over the edge ande was a large turtle on the surface of water. Most active recreation occurs indesignated area, which is quite sepa-from the rest of the park that contains

wetlands and misting fountains. In then areas the most common activities arelling, reading and socializing.

People seem to relate well to the natu-ralness of the wetlands and their messyappearance. I have often seen people point-ing and discussing various areas. There area number of instances where users can beimmersed in the areas of heavy natural-ized planting, there are a few benches andseating arrangements that are within thewetland boarders and draw people into thewetland. There are situations where one isencouraged to venture into relative thick naturalized areas, but there is always a rec-ognizable human element for reassurance,most often the de ning gabion edge. Week days have an equally high amount of useas the weekends. In some circumstances Ihave witnessed a greater number of peoplein the park on a weekday between 5:00 and6:00 than on an average Sunday afternoon.It would appear the Parc Diagonal Mar ismore of a weekday park and that people goelsewhere on the weekends. I would ven-ture that it is because the dominant demo-graphic of the neighborhood has the meansto leave the city on the weekends. Highrise condominiums attract middle and highincome couples, individuals and occasion-ally a family. These people are more likely


Le t: Figure43. Master plan. (EMBTArquitectes)Right: Figure44. Plant schedule. (EMBTArquitectes)

TopLe t: Figure45. Wetland.MiddleLe t: Figure46. Childinteractingwiththewater.BottomLe t: Figure47. Typical interpretivesign.

BottomRight: Figure48. Sketcho theabstractiocollagedwiththegabion.TopRight: Figure49. MosaicPlanter.BottomRight: Figure50. Sketcho thegabions as


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pend weekends outside of the city, ormore exciting or exotic locations within

city.

AGES AND DIAGRAMS

Figure 52 is a plan of the tubular mist-fountains. Some are located on a con-e paver surface that is shaped slightlya puddle. The fountains are designed

urn on and off intermittently. Figureshows their design in elevation. Theyially very complicated ideas, as theysition all possibilities in three dimen-

ns. They create an identity for the park,which now is iconic of the area. All

er used in the fountains and for water-purposes comes from the stormwaterntion ponds. On the previous page Fig-50 shows the use of gabions as framing

ments to separate the hard and architec-l from the soft and messy. Gabions are

erfect transition element because theyesent both realms. The natural stone isg constrained by the metal rebar anded into a performance oriented struc- Figure 47 shows an interpretive signussing the origin, characteristics and

potential areas of use for a certain plant.The sign is typical of those found through-out the park. Figure 47 is a representationof the typical architectural form that canbe found throughout the park in the seat-ing elements as well as the landscape. Fig-ure 54 shows the different viewer/naturerelationships existing in Parc DiagonalMar. Above looking down upon, next to oracross and immersed in. Figure 55 showsa similar sequence, where the height andconstruction of a boardwalk can determine

NEXT TO ABOVE IMMERSED IN

the user experience.

DISCUSSION

I question whether the form of theurban fabric surrounding Diagonal Mar isthe right thing for Barcelona, it strikes memore as a North American way of build-ing. Never the less the park has created awonderful greenspace that lters stormwa -ter and respects the natural environment.New ideas as to what constitutes an urbanpark are laid out at Diagonal Mar. The park is not only a space for recreation and cul-ture, but it performs important functionsin minimizing the impact of the surround-ing development on the environment. Thisis done by using natural systems to lter

stormwater. It can be seen in Parc DiagonalMar that Recreational areas, stormwaterponds and wetlands are compatible witheach other. Exposing stormwater like isdone at Parc Diagonal Mar creates a pub-lic amenity that is visually pleasing and

contains educational opportunities. ParcDigaonal Mar has entered a new realm of design language. Until recently the use of gabions would only be considered for en-gineering purposes, such as stabilizing thebanks of a highway. Now it is becominga new design aesthetic, used frequently inconjunction with wetlands and naturalizedareas. The use of gabions in Parc Diago-nal Mar creates a unique and recognizableframing element consistent throughout thepark.


TopLe t: Figure51. Cad drawing, planand elevations o themistingountains. (EMBTArquitectes)

TopRight: Figure52. Caddrawing, layout plan or the misting oun-tains. (EMBTArquitectes)Bottom: Figure53. Misting ountains inac tion. (ASLA.org)

Top: Figure54. Viewer basedexperiences.Le t: Figure55. Sketch, e ects o height and pexperience.Right: Figure56. Wetlandviewed romthe bridge


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CATION AND CONTEXT

There are unique conditions surround-the location of Parc TMB. The park ist on the roof of the Horta Bus Depot,ch houses most of the buses for theB (Transports Metropolitans de Bar-

ona). The park is literally at the verye of the city. All development behindpark has ended because the hills aresteep to build on. The park also actsort of a gateway for the large natural

a behind the city called Parc Collserola.dif cult locate Parc TMB because it isnamed on any map, and its location isrevealed on any website. It is not vis-from any road because it sits at a high

nt in the landscape and on top of a roof.park is isolated from nearby develop-

ments by the Ronda de Dalt which is a major highway. Parc del Laberint is about 500meters from Parc TMB, but it is separatedby a deep heavily vegetated valley with noeasy connection between the two. The areain which Parc TMB is located has almostno housing or commercial development,while Parc Laberint sits within a vibrantneighborhood.

DESIGNERS INTENT

Parc TMB is conceived as a waterchanneling machine where the physicalform is dependent on a number of per-formance based factors. Every 40 metersthere is a drainage inlet, and the thicknessof the park changes in each area to meetthe requirements for the volume of water

expected. It is a performance system intowhich cultural and human needs are insert-ed in the form walking paths, skateboard-ing areas, and picnicking areas. The designcan be viewed as a series of watersheds,with smooth at walking paths along theridgelines and uneven stepping stonesleading down into the valleys.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The deck has a thick hollow construc-tion, and the architects have likened it tothe roof deck of Parc Gell. The featuresthat make up the surface of the landscapesuch as trees, shrubs, benches and smallbuildings sit upon a thin concrete layer.Beneath that is a layer of storage tankswhich run throughout the entire area of the

park. Towards the middle of the site is adeeper water collection system with basinsand holding chambers. There is a gradientfrom shallow to deep towards the center of the park, and the surface materials changeas well becoming harder and the collec-tion basins larger. The water is separated

into different shallow channels and deeperdrains. The surface contains two types of landscapes a cold landscape of sand, water,and concrete, and a warm landscape usinggrass, groundcovers and colored rubber.Figure 60 shows the rst level of holdingchambers.


Parc TMB is basically an ecologicalroof deck. It takes the idea of an intensivegreen roof to a whole new level. It createsa unique environment with the building,where the building is virtually undergroundexcept there is only a thin layer of earth incertain areas, and the rest is a thick eco-roof. The plantings are mostly native spe-cies that can withstand drought. The water-ing system draws water from the storagefacilities and is transferred through a seriesof soaker hoses and sprinkler heads. Thetrees on site are Che rry, Tamarind, China-berry, Pine, Acacia, Olive and Holm oak.

There are a few inconsistencies inthe parks credibility as a sustainable land-scape. Looking around at the surroundingnatural landscape of the hills, one noticesa sharp contrast between the vegetation of


Figure 57. Parc TMB in Context. (google earth) Top: Figure 58. Birdseye, ParcTMB.Le t: Figure59. Hills behinedParc TMBRight: Figure60. Undergroundstorage systemlev7Anintensivegreenroo has a thicker soil medibearingcapabilitythananextensivegreenroo


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park and the hills. The naturally oc-ing vegetation is scrubby and sparse,le the park has grass, groundcovers andlooking shrubs. Much of the park is inping with the surrounding environment,a few areas have the more energy andntenance intensive plantings.

TTERNS OF USE

Currently very few people use thek. I visited during the morning on akday, during siesta (between 1:00 and0) and in the evening. I also went onaturday during what I would expect topeak usage between 3:00 and 5:00. Itame apparent that no one used the park,ept for a few skateboarders and teenag-hanging out. The location is partly to

me for this lack of use, as well as thecure and hidden nature of the park. Thek opened in 2006 but it appears muchr and worn down due to a lack of ntenance and poor choice of materials.re is also evidence of vandalism on theber surface and some of the benches. It

is possible that in the future more peoplewill use the park, as the city expands andthe area becomes more densely populated.But at the same time it is unlikely becausethe area will never see much developmentdue to the topography. However there area few tunnels being built in the area which

will bring in more traf c and connect thearea more easily with the rest of the city.There are parking spaces adjacent to thepark, intended to make the park a destina-tion. Another reason for a lack of use is theproximity of Parc del Laberint, which is abeautiful lush old park with historic build-

ings, fountains and a labyrinth. I suspectthat if people have a destination in mindit would be Parc del Laberint and not ParcTMB.

IMAGES AND DIAGRAMS On the previous page Figure 61 shows

the stepping pads leading down to a catchbasin. There is a feeling of descent andthen enclosure at the destination. Also onthe previous page Figure 64 shows thethickness and voids of the construction of the roof. Note the funnel shaped columnssimilar to Park Gell. Figure 65 showshow the serpentine movement of the step-ping pads sends the pedestrian on a jour-ney through the site, creating different ex-periences and views. Figure 66 shows thedenseness of the vegetation that one mustpass to continue on their way.

DISCUSSION

Parc TMB is a great example of whatpotential there is for an integration of land-scape and architecture, in this particularsituation where the building was built intoa hill, it made a lot of sense to build a park on the roof. However studies have shownthat in an urban location building a park onthe roof of a building often results in littleuse and an increase in activities that illicit,and require privacy and shelter. The impor-tance placed on the water basins as focalpoints reveals to the user what is happen-ing in the landscape during a rain event,and that it is a signi cant event. The stepping pads often lead down into a collectionbasin, which in some circumstances can beenjoyed as lounging and picnicking areas,creating a compatible duality of space. Thechoice is given to the pedestrian to stay onthe very accessible main paths or to veeronto the stepping pads and explore. Thefour circular holes for the water to entereach catch basin are symbolic of a drain.They denote drainage and a low point. ParcTMB is an example current ideas in land-scape urbanism where the landscape is ca-pable of structuring the urban experienceand even architecture itself.


TopLe t: Figure61. Pathlea dingto catchbasin.Top: Figure62. Plano ParcTMB. (Coll-Leclerc Arquitectes)Middle: Figure63. Shapeo sur ace water channelingsystem. (Coll-LeclercArquitectes)Bottom: Figure64. Constructiono theHorta Bus Depot. (Coll-LeclercArquitectes)

Top: Figure65. Steppingpads experience.Bottom: Figure66 . Denseness o vegetation.


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uality Parc Central delPoblenou

Parc de Diagonal Mar Parc TMB

ommitment to Sustainability inherently sustainable, com-posts all plant material

inherently sustainable, naturalsystems, composts plant mate-rial

potentially sustainable butemploying questionable tech-niques

rban Heat Island Reduction massive amount of plantings lacking in tree canopy cover lacking in density of vegeta-tion

ormwater Management mostly invisible stormwatersystem, but very permeablesurfaces

semi transparent system, alsocollects runoff from surround-ing development

semi transparent system,handles a large volume of water, negates runoff fromTMB building

cology monocultures, climbing plantstaking over, many specimenplants, little diversity

respecting of ecology, diverseplantings, multiple types of habitat

lacking in plant diversity, thickundergrowth good for habitat

dacticism in an experiential, sensory phenomenological way

in a process related way, andinterpretive signage

displays stormwater as a force

ype reaching a new paradigm inurban park design, an urban jungle

under the category of ecologi-cal design

a precedent for an ecologi-cal roof, much more than anintensive greenroof

in which it is positioned I do not think it isthe right thing for the neighborhood or thecity in general. The high cost of the park,balanced with a disregarded for the peopleof the neighborhood, makes it an exampleof trying to leverage political favor usingstar architects and complicated languageresulting in a landscape that is a monu-ment to the architect, and an opportunityfor certain well connected companies andindividuals to make large sums of money.

Parc Diagonal Mar is conceived as aChinese garden but with a new aestheticdesign language. Enric Miralles sketchedthe desire lines from the Sea towardsAviguda Diagonal, which resulted in abranching form emerging from the sea. Thelevel of expression in the mosaic planters,and fantastical misting fountain sculptures,creates a very recognizable identity for theneighborhood

Parc TMB is conceived as an event-space and a controlspace. The sub surfacesystems actually determine the topogra-phy and visible physical landscape. Thepark has been designed by a set of rules orparameters, which informed the physicalmanifestation of the space.

NEIGHBORHOOD

The boarders of each park are treated verydifferently. Parc Central del Poblenou isimpermeable and a very permanent featurein urban fabric. It is a heavily contrivedlandscape bordering on a fantasy realm.Diagonal Mar has the core areas surround-ed by a fence w hile some pockets and pathsare left open. It nds its themes more fromthe sea, it is cool and expansive. Parc TMBis completely open, as well as receiving

from the hills behind the site.Both Parc Diagonal Mar and ParcCentral revitalized their respective neigh-

borhoods. A at overlooking Parc Centralworth 200,000 euros previously, follow-ing the redevelopment of the neighbor-hood now worth double. Parc TMB had noneighborhood to add value to.

SUCCESS

Thinking in terms of which park most

ROUNDPLANE

ach park dealt with the design andshaping of the landscape in a unique

. Designing the ground plane is veryortant in an urban park, because it isof the primary things humans change toer suite our needs. One must acknowl-e that the urban ground plane is incred-arti cial and often in older cities such

Barcelona has been built upon for manyturies. In the case of these three parksating the landscape is building some-g from nothing. They were each a blank e to be molded in anyway the designer

t. Parc Central del Poblenou is a thinground plane with vertical elements

ced on it. Another plane is formed bycanopy of the trees. The denseness iserienced horizontally as climbing vinesweeping branches. Parc Diagonal Martopography to create experiences and

ws. There are mounds typical of whatht be found in a traditional Chinese

den. Diagonal Mar is both thick andse, but broad and sweeping at the samee. Parc TMB is very thick, with actualerently functioning layers, but it lacks

in horizontal density and depth.

FRAMING

Comparing the methods employed byeach park to frame naturalized messylandscapes. Diagonal Mar frames its wet-lands with hard elements like concreteand gabions. A balance exists between thehardscape surrounding the misting foun-tains and the sunken wetland areas. Theshape of the naturalized areas is vital ininforming the viewer that the area has beencarefully designed with a purpose in mind.The forms contrived, contain sharp acuteangles and soft round curves. Park Centraldel Poblenou uses architecture as a formgiving and framing device. The structuresprovide control for the plants to climb onand create a surface of their own. Board-ers are created with the thick concrete wall.Vines climb up rebar, alluding to the sitesindustrial past. Park TMB uses steppingstones to guide users, and paths to framedifferent areas. The paths of Parc TMBslice through the naturalized landscapeand wander toward stunning views of thecity. Each in their own way insures a rec-

ognizable human element is inserted intothe messy landscape.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Parc Central del Poblenou fosters asimilar atmosphere as portrayed in thepainting by Gorges Seurat, Sunday After-noon on the Island of La Grande Jatte ,where the crowd is well behaved and par-ticipates in passive peaceful activities likepicnicking, strolling, and socializing. Theactivities in the park are dare I say very un-like many other parks in the city such asParc Joan Miro, or Parc Ciutadella, werethere are a wide range of people from thehomeless and drug users, to families andbirthday parties all occurring in the samespace at the same time. The dominant de-mographic of Parc Central del Poblenou isfamilies. The park is deliberately designedto discourage any sort of transgressiveactivity. There are only chairs, no placeto lay down other than the ground. Thereare no nooks or hiding places, no placesthat offer shelter. It is not comfortable tobe in the park except for in nice weatherand for short periods of time. It seems to

be the park city of cials dream of. It alsosuccessfully eliminates the age group of 14-21 year olds, by not providing manyspaces that suite their interests. Park Cen-tral d

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