Previous state
"In La Guineueta there are no streets or squares; but there are some remains, some spaces left over, obtained -not planned- as a result of the separation between blocks". This was the opinion expressed by the review Cuadernos de Arquitectura y Urbanismo in 1965, shortly after the residential development was built in a suburban area of the city, on the side of Collserola, on land which had previously belonged to the old farm of La Guineueta. As stated at the time, the blocks, which were among the most depressing to have been built in Barcelona at the time, punctured the space, they did not link up or interrelate. Their isolated layout gave rise to amorphous, characterless spaces. The most vital public amenities were not envisaged, and the immediate environs were formed by the Plaça Llucmajor -the gateway into the development, which was an area of waste ground converted into a tram terminus- and the road known as Passeig Valldaura.Over the years, building work in La Guineueta was completed. It was also equipped with the necessary public services and was more efficiently connected with the rest of the city (arrival of the metro, buses, etc.). The last step was the improvement of public spaces in the development.
Aim of the intervention
The intervention in La Guineueta began at the end of the eighties as a result of the large-scale deterioration of its open spaces. The aim was to reorganise and improve the public spaces inside the different blocks which made up the development. This included the removal of existing architectural barriers which, in some cases, filled the spaces; the renewal of street furniture; and the correction of defects in terms of drains, surfacing, lighting and landscaping.One of the most interesting aspects of the site was the abundance and variety of trees which featured some magnificent specimens.
Description
Building work was carried out according to different projects and in different phases, without this being detrimental to the unitary nature of the intervention, which was based on the use of elements of diverse characteristics. Continuous red surfacing, (coloured slurry on a layer of asphalt agglomerate) was used in all the interior spaces and is combined with the landscaping which comprises areas of lawn which undulate in comparison with the level of the ground.These lawns are often located at the base of the buildings and provide gardens adjacent to the flats which afford the ground-floor residents a certain degree of privacy. The entrances to the blocks have been surfaced with prefabricated cement slabs. The street furniture consists of new lighting, romantic-style benches and bollards to prevent vehicles entering the site and the children's play areas located in the zones surfaced with aggregate.
The housing development features different species of trees (planes, pines, elms) placed in different types of tree pits. The existing drainage system has been completed wherever necessary.
Assessment
La Guineueta has seen a clear improvement in the spaces between its blocks. They have, at last, become public spaces for the residents, where they can walk, spend time and meet up. The intervention has turned to its advantage the good conditions of the site -the extensive vacant spaces available at ground level between the blocks, and the abundance of existing plants and trees- and has created unified spaces which are now the element which best distinguishes the development and endows La Guineueta district with its own character. The counterpoint to this intervention will be seen when work on the Passeig Valldaura converts it into a thoroughfare which will restore the balance between the different uses and mobilities that share it.[Last update: 02/05/2018]
