The public-private collaboration will lead to a new intervention in a green area of ??Barcelona. The owners of L’Illa Diagonal will cover most of the cost of updating the gardens of Sant Joan de Déu, attached to the shopping centre, whose works are expected to start at the beginning of next year with an estimated duration of nine months . For this they will make a donation of 3.8 million euros to Barcelona City Council. The formula is the same agreed upon to remodel other gardens, those of Clara Campoamor, located in the same district of Les Corts, which will be paid for by the owners of the adjoining office buildings. The municipal government wants to promote, wherever possible, projects to improve public space with this co-financing system.
The gardens of Sant Joan de Déu extend over an area of ??more than 8,000 square meters. Its reform, devised by Batlleiroig, maintains the structure of the original project by the architects Manuel de Solà Morales and Rafael Moneo, also creators of the shopping center -the entire complex was opened in 1993-, recovering the lower layer of shrubby and upholstery vegetation, which over the years it was lost, and now it will be replanted with new species. Together with the trees, which have grown considerably in these 30 years, the green will increase, which will be the predominant element in the enclosure. The intervention is inspired by the concept of biophilia, which promotes the naturalization of urban spaces and the strengthening of the link between people and plant species.
The planned updating, in addition to rehabilitating the entire space, which has suffered a clear deterioration, aims to respond to the new needs of citizens by promoting the use of this green area as a meeting place, rest and recreation, especially for the More smalls. In this sense, the project is related to the renovation that is being carried out in the shopping center and, above all, in the face that faces the gardens (see box at the end), which Batlleiroig has also designed, and which encourages the connection of the building with the green exterior. Both actions, highlights Gerard Cutal, manager of L’Illa Diagonal, “will contribute to enriching the community life that can be developed in the environment, which will result in an inclusive and accessible meeting space for all”.
One of the most outstanding contents of the project are the new children’s play areas, which will be divided into different sections to give each one a special and differentiated character. Thus, a giant dome, a trampoline, swings and a climbing area will be incorporated. A recreational refreshment area is also striking, where various elements and structures will be installed that will expel water, so that both children and adults can enjoy the area in the hottest months of the year. This facility will be removed during the winter months, leaving a large esplanade that can be used for different activities.
Also notable in the project is the construction of an open-air amphitheater, located next to the 200-meter-long outdoor shade that the shopping center is building outside. It will be made up of a twelve-level grandstand and an 85-square-meter lower space that will allow all kinds of activities to be held.
