Vila Olímpica
Articles also under The Seafront Neighbourhoods:
This isone of the newest neighbourhoods in the city. It was constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games and served as accommodation for most of the participating athletes. Later on the apartments were put on sale. The neighbourhood was designed by the architectural team Martorell, Bohigas, Mackay and Puigdomènech, who set out to create a residential area the likes of which didn't exist in the city before.
Two buildings in particular have become representative of the area. One is the Hotel Arts, designed by the architects Bruce Gram and Frank O. Gehry, which has 456 luxurious rooms facing the sea. The second is the Mapfre Tower, designed by Iñigo Ortiz and Enrique de León. The tower serves as an office building, and the bottom floor is taken up by a shopping centre. Their importance isn't just architectural; both measure 153.50 metres in height and are therefore the tallest buildings in Spain.
Next to the towers lies the Plaça dels Voluntaris, which has a gigantic fountain in its centre. Further down towards the sea, you will find one of the area's most characteristic sculptures: the Gold Fish. The sculpture is, like the hotel itself, a piece by Frank O. Gehry, built out of metal plates that change colour depending on the sunlight.
The neighbourhood is equally divided into housing and green areas. A short walk takes you to the Atlanta gardens, which share the site with one of Barcelona's oldest chimneys known Can Folch. The fountain on Carrer Salvador Espriu is an excellent example of contemporary architecture. The fountain is the result of a collaboration between the Canarian sculptor Juan Bordas and the architect Oscar Tusquets. The latter, one of Catalonia's most internationally recognised individuals, has collaborated on designs with highly renowned artists, such as Salvador Dalí.
The Ronda del Litoral (a major thoroughfare), usually marked by intense traffic, runs alongside the Vila Olímpica parks. However, crossing it turns out to be easier than you would imagine. Several bridges, such as the wooden ones that form part of the Parc dels Ponts, arch across the street. The aforementioned park also has a pleasant lake that is an ideal spot to take a breather and relax. One of the possible final destinations of the route through the neighbourhood is the Plaça de los Campions (the champions' square). The 257 medals won during the 1992 Olympic Games are displayed on the ground, and many atheletes mimicked Hollywood stars and embedded their handprints into the concrete.
The Vila Olímpica wouldn't be the same without the Port Olímpic. Several sporting yachts dock here throughout the year, but the area is a lot more than that to both tourists and locals. Lining the promenade along the port are many bars and restaurants that reinvent themselves as cocktail bars and dance clubs at night. Within a short time span, the area has become one of the city's liveliest and most popular; some find that the area gets too crowded at the weekend and prefer to frequent other, quieter places.
Those with a less nocturnal predeliction prefer to visit the Port Olímpic in the mornings, especially on Sundays. One of the most popular activities is to go cycling around the area and catch up on some physical exercise. If you decide to simply stroll along the seaside at the weekend, you will find many stalls set up along the port, selling handicrafts of all sorts.
Two buildings in particular have become representative of the area. One is the Hotel Arts, designed by the architects Bruce Gram and Frank O. Gehry, which has 456 luxurious rooms facing the sea. The second is the Mapfre Tower, designed by Iñigo Ortiz and Enrique de León. The tower serves as an office building, and the bottom floor is taken up by a shopping centre. Their importance isn't just architectural; both measure 153.50 metres in height and are therefore the tallest buildings in Spain.
Next to the towers lies the Plaça dels Voluntaris, which has a gigantic fountain in its centre. Further down towards the sea, you will find one of the area's most characteristic sculptures: the Gold Fish. The sculpture is, like the hotel itself, a piece by Frank O. Gehry, built out of metal plates that change colour depending on the sunlight.
The neighbourhood is equally divided into housing and green areas. A short walk takes you to the Atlanta gardens, which share the site with one of Barcelona's oldest chimneys known Can Folch. The fountain on Carrer Salvador Espriu is an excellent example of contemporary architecture. The fountain is the result of a collaboration between the Canarian sculptor Juan Bordas and the architect Oscar Tusquets. The latter, one of Catalonia's most internationally recognised individuals, has collaborated on designs with highly renowned artists, such as Salvador Dalí.
The Ronda del Litoral (a major thoroughfare), usually marked by intense traffic, runs alongside the Vila Olímpica parks. However, crossing it turns out to be easier than you would imagine. Several bridges, such as the wooden ones that form part of the Parc dels Ponts, arch across the street. The aforementioned park also has a pleasant lake that is an ideal spot to take a breather and relax. One of the possible final destinations of the route through the neighbourhood is the Plaça de los Campions (the champions' square). The 257 medals won during the 1992 Olympic Games are displayed on the ground, and many atheletes mimicked Hollywood stars and embedded their handprints into the concrete.
The Vila Olímpica wouldn't be the same without the Port Olímpic. Several sporting yachts dock here throughout the year, but the area is a lot more than that to both tourists and locals. Lining the promenade along the port are many bars and restaurants that reinvent themselves as cocktail bars and dance clubs at night. Within a short time span, the area has become one of the city's liveliest and most popular; some find that the area gets too crowded at the weekend and prefer to frequent other, quieter places.
Those with a less nocturnal predeliction prefer to visit the Port Olímpic in the mornings, especially on Sundays. One of the most popular activities is to go cycling around the area and catch up on some physical exercise. If you decide to simply stroll along the seaside at the weekend, you will find many stalls set up along the port, selling handicrafts of all sorts.
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