Diagonal Mar Park | Arch//Land

Location : Barcelona, Spain

Architect : EMBT (Enric Miralles i Benedetta Tagliabue)

Landscape Architect : AECOM (formerly EDAW)

Project Team : Elena Rocchi, Lluis Cantallops, Fabian Asuncion

Area : 34.6 acres

In the lead-up to the Olympic Games in 1992, massive investment and development served to reconnect Barcelona to the coast — previously used almost entirely for heavy industry. Following the Olympics, the Mediterranean coast continued to be rehabilitated, and by 1996 Diagonal Mar was one of the last brownfield sites to be developed. Including housing, a convention centre, offices, and retail, the development is organized around this park. The brief stated that the park was to recapture the site’s natural attributes, transforming it into an area of great scenic, recreational and cultural value.

The park is designed as a gateway between the city and the sea. In plan it symbolizes a tree that was born from the sea, branching out into and open hand. Rather than using trees for shade, vast networks of winding steel pipes criss-crossed by wire cables and huge tiled flowerpots, many of which are suspended in mid-air, support a growing fabric of vines. Emphasizing water, the park includes lakes, a waterfall and fountains. Wetland plantings filter the water, and carp help reduce algae. Three areas are specifically designed with children in mind. The play area closest to the sea is for children under six years old. A second area, known as Magic Mountain, includes slides built into the side of a hill. The third, for older children, includes basketball courts and an amphitheater for neighborhood events.

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