Príncep de Girona Gardens

Cerdà's design for the Eixample included a series of green areas as facilities for the area. However, the new city gradually became more and more built up. Nowadays, no parks can be created in this area without first demolishing large buildings on sites which are turned to other uses and transformed into public spaces. This is the case of the Jardins del Príncep de Girona, on the site of a former military barracks. With a surface area of just over two hectares, the project for the new gardens was based around the tree-lined space that was the central courtyard of the barracks. The original square court has been enlarged appreciably, maintaining the existing plane of trees and creating a large central esplanade for all kinds of future activities. The esplanade contains a 1900 m2 stretch of water which, with its changing interplay of light and reflections, becomes the focus of attention for both the gardens and the neighbourhood.