http://collections.ecu.edu/files/original/20/564/Eixample_aire_OR.jpg 9e2e64c5bcc76834ba60c3b9d820e4df http://collections.ecu.edu/files/original/20/564/Rachel_Harris_-_Ildefons_Cerda_the_Eixample.pdf e73df340496650bc01faa55b36506674 PDF Text Text Ildefons Cerdà & the Eixample Due to the growth of the city, something had to be done to handle the larger population. The rational response was the development of more buildings for housing, shopping, and other things that are needed for city-life. Therefore, the Eixample was constructed. Built after the city had already been constructed, in essence, it is an addition or an annex. Even though the plan was formulated in the year 1855, it took a few years for the plans to be pushed into action. It was officially approved in 1859 but revised again in the year 1863. Eventually, the area would serve as a “solution to the problems of developing a new city on a grand scale” (Kent 2002: 224). The urban planner and architect behind this massive project was a Catalan named Ildefons Cerdà. Originally trained as a civil engineer, he devoted himself to politics and urban planning after the death of his brothers. When they did, it resulted with him inheriting a fortune. Once he discovered that the government decided to listen to the people’s pleading to tear down the city walls, he realized that the new extension was in peril of being designed just like the old town. He knew that if it was designed to model the Barcelona at the time, the area would be too uninhabitable and unattractive—not to mention unhealthy and unclean. Despite all his hard work, he passed away before he could receive all his wages from the Eixample. The walls were in place by Barcelona since they were historically used for protection from invading enemies. When cannons were the primary weapon, it was in the city’s best interest to have a large vast area; therefore, they could not be easily wiped out by a single cannonball. The tearing down of the wall and building of the Eixample held “extraordinary significance for Catalans: it was an epochal event marking [...] the aggregation of urban space” (Resina 2008: 7). 1 �By undertaking work to ensure the new addition would meet the needs of the community, Cerdà designed a plan that was ahead of its time. He focused on making the streets wider to accommodate the traveling of carriages and horses. In addition, Cerdà noticed that there was a need for natural beauty in the city, namely sunlight, greenery, and a clean way to dispose of waste. Taking these facts into account, Cerdà designed what he termed “interways.” Interways were similar to squares, but instead of being closed off on all four sides, the fourth side was open. In some cases, more than one side was left opened. This further allowed for more gardens, which were an essential aspect of the Eixample. The interway composed a grid or interweaving of several street blocks. Each measuring 113 x 113 meters, the street blocks were uniformed and added to the structured and orderly atmosphere of the addition. In Cerdà’s perception, gardens were more than just a distraction from buildings—they were essential to a city. While it was undeniable that gardens can be a spectacle, they are also a hygienic necessity. Cerdà even states that “gardens act as air tanks.” He felt that gardens were so important that he wanted to incorporate green spaces throughout Barcelona. This plan included developing two parks: one on Montjuïc and one alongside the Besòs River. While his plans involving these two parks were never actualized, his ideas sparked the government in Barcelona to consider its need for a large substantial park or green space. Instead of an interlocking network, which was traditional for many city planners at the time, Cerdà’s plan included a rectilinear grid for the Eixample that was vastly complex and disciplined. In Peter J. Taylor’s book World City Network: A Global Urban Analysis, the idea of an interlocking network was explained as, “a general conceptualization of city network formation involving a range of city networkers” (2003: 94). An example of an interlocking network would be Gaudí’s Parc Güell. 2 �In conclusion, another accomplishment that can be attributed to Ildefonso Cerdà is the creation of many words in the Spanish language. One of these words is “urbanizaciόn,” which he coined in 1867. He meant it “to define a new field of activity, as yet ‘intact, virgin’, for which the Spanish language had no appropriate term” (Choay 1969: 7). Up until the Industrial Revolution, little thought was given to the creation of a plan. Even though the idea of town planning is common to modern-day urban dwellers, during the nineteenth century this concept was unprecedented. 3 � http://collections.ecu.edu/files/original/20/564/Andrew_Lee_-_The_Eixample.pdf 9cf28394aa5fd211d71cbd66b46fec38 PDF Text Text The Eixample The Eixample district of Barcelona is one which has been enhanced by a vast incorporation of plant life and medical advances throughout history. From its inception, Ildefons Cerdà developed the plans for district, which were revised twice. Cerdà’s district planning revolved around a 113 by 113 meter block system, though these were not standard city blocks. The blocks designed by Cerdà had “remained open on at least one side, thus allowing gardens to be an essential part of the Eixample” (Kent 2002: 224). Another incorporation of greenery that can be seen in the Eixample district is the Rambla de Mar, a wooden walkway that extends into the Mediterranean sea. Plant life is an essential aspect of the district, as it acts as a comforting agent from the surrounding city. The Eixample also saw many advances in medicine. The Hospital de Sant Pau was designed with the patients in mind. Its goal was to “banish some of the association of hospitals with death and suffering” (Hughes 2004: 118). Dr. Cardenal and Dr. Botey’s healing houses further demonstrated the new concept of approaching medicine on a patient-first basis. These healing houses made patient comfort a priority. Cardenal’s is even described as “abundantly airy and sunny” (Zarzoso and Martínez-Vidal 2016: 79). This relates to modern-day amenities in hospitals, such as televisions and internet in waiting rooms as well as toys with which children can play. The Eixample is separated from other districts by its modern take on plant life within the city along with its early adoption of modern medicine, putting the patient’s comfort first. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital Barcelona Subject The topic of the resource Sights around Barcelona Description An account of the resource The items (text documents, audio, video) used in the collection were created by the students from Fall 2016 HONS 2011.003: Barcelona: An Urban Cultural history class taught by Dr. Benjamin Fraser. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin Fraser Irina Swain Camille Kresz Language A language of the resource English, Spanish Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Digital Barcelona Date Created Date of creation of the resource. January 2017 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Irina Swain Camille Kresz Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eixample Subject The topic of the resource Eixample Description An account of the resource The Eixample is a district located in Barcelona, Spain Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Andrew Lee, Rachel Harris, Benjamin Fraser Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Camille Kresz Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 02/16/2017 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Language A language of the resource English, Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Document, Still Image, Sound Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 02/16/2017 Andrew Lee Barcelona Eixample Rachel Harris Spain