General information
11-15th December, 2017
Monday to Friday 15.30h to 20.30
Topic
Between Levels: a vertical garden in the center of the city
History context
The place is located in the neighborhood of Turó de la Peira, inside the District of Nou Barris, Barcelona, specifically on the southern slope. The neighborhood was developed with the Partial Planning Plan for the Sector of the “Turó de la Peira” approved on January 23, 1959.
The buildings of open residential typology are arranged around the hill in parallel lines acording to it orography. It is for this reason that the image that reaches us today reflects a practically total construction of the mountain, showing how the development of the city ascends almost to the top.
It is a typical neighborhood of the urban development of the 60s with services and green infraestrcutures very deficients, built at high speed by the demands of the population and housing of poor quality.
The most important value of the neighborhood is Turó de la Peira urban park, which is consolidated as a resistant fragment at the intense urbanization procces of the 60s being the oldest and most natural park in the area.
The Turó de la Peira until the end of the 20th century was known as the Montadell. It was an agricultural area with masías, the most important was the masía of Can Peguera. This masía was the owner of the hill and the area where the “Cheap houses of La Huerta” were built in the 20s at the foot of the mountain in the north. Next to the project area were the masías Can Garibaldi, Can Bonet and Can Playa.
Project ambit
The project is located concretely on the southern slope of Cerro de la Peira. The study that the students will carry out will be the one that currently corresponds to the Stairway of Matagalls. (This perimeter may be modified if the students considers that there are other neighboring study areas that they wish to explore).
The intervention zone corresponds to the area between Fabra i Puig and Travau streets and the private plots of the housing blocks.
– ZONE 1: corresponds to the space between Fabra i Puig and Ordesa streets and their private yards. Level difference between streets: 12 meters (from level +77.00 to level + 89.00)
– ZONE 2: which corresponds to the space between the streets of Ordesa and Travau and their private yards. Level difference between streets: 9 meters (from level +89.00 to level + 98.00)
Total level difference between Fabra and Puig and Travau: 21 meters, that is why we are talking about a project between levels, where students will work in the vertical landscape and its relationship with the natural environment (Turó) and built (blocks of flats).
State of the play
Today the picture that this place emits is totally built:
– The buildings of the Turó de la Peira neighborhood have surrounded the Turó like a wall, erasing all indications of the “nature” that we could associate with a mountain.
– The Turó Park is discovered, after constructions, through some cracks such as the Scales of Matagalls.
– The stairs of Matagalls are perceived as a long, narrow, strangled and shady space due to the buildings that surround it.
In this framework where the relationship with the structure of the territory seems completely lost. How should we proceed?
– Is it possible to recover the essence of the place? Is it possible to re-establish the presence of the Turó?
– Can the neighborhood’s relationship with Turó be improved? Is it possible to recover the continuity of the territory?
– Is it possible within a highly constructed area to open space to nature?
– Is it possible to leave the scope given to extend the project within the neighborhood?
– Is it possible to make a place of passage a place to be?
Work strategies
A. Briefing: It is the orderly, strategic and creative choice of data that will quickly define the objectives. This type of work on space will take place on the first day (individual work).
B. Teamwork: Reflect and point out in common the value elements and the lacks of the place, project strategies on the place (collective work).
C. Imagine and project new linear, transverse, fixed or temporal relationships that enhance or value the relationship between the city and the Mountain (individual and collective work).
In this context, the Intensive Workshop I wants to be the link between the public space and the Green systems workshop. The practice of the project in a highly urbanized space will be combined with the recovery of the green structure. The debate on the relationship between the city and the nearby natural space is a current topic. Just walking towards a joint project of building-nature, we can achieve resilient cities for the future.
Calendar
CONTACT WITH THE PLACE Day 1
Visit to the place, briefing and conference. -> Work groups
ANALYSIS Day 2
Extraction of the values and deficiencies of the place.
DIAGNOSIS Day 3
Synthesis and conclusions of the analysis.
Weaknesses and potentialities of the intervention area -> Project strategy
PROJECT Day 4
Definition of the proposal by students and professors
EXHIBITION Day 5
Presentation, it will reflect the ideas of strength developed in the development phase and the solution adopted in relation and continuity with its environment. -> Final proposal
At the Biennale 
Open call to submit projects to Rosa Barba Casanovas International 