Terrassa Routes In the next pages we are going to walk through Terrassa following three different routes connected between them. This routes show special and interesting places in the city. This routes not only mention those places but its evolution through design or other actions. We will start in a Public Park called Vallparadis to see how an old river can become a very crowded public space, after this we would cross through one of the multiple bridges to reach the city downtown, where comercial and cultural activty take place, this district is the meeting point of the city. Finally we would arrive to one of the most important city streets. La rambla was an old river too and it became a Boulevard with comercial activity as well as old building reconverted to diferent uses. We hope you enjoy this route.
03 01 02
01 Public Space - VallparadĂs
DESIGNING CITIES Three Special Places
University of Pennsylvania - PennDesign - Coursera Patricia CalviĂąo
02 District - Downtown 03 Street - La Rambla
Vallparadís Park
A great area Route 01
Old St Pere Churches
Vallparadís is a lineal urban park that crosses the city North-South. It is placed on an old river and after many years of abandonment it has become the “lung of the city” not only because its vegetation variety but also because its everyday increasing activies.
Who had a hand?
To Route 02
Public Swimmingpool
On top pictures of different activities in the park, Jazz Festival and sport, as well as on of the bridges that crosses the park. Under this lines pistures of how it looked like and how it has changed.
This green area has suffered several changes, after being an area destinated to agriculture it became a public park which in fact was not very safe due to its topografy and the lack of programed activity. After several intervention it has become what is today, The most visible architecture in the park is the bridges that cross it and let the city be connected. Also a new swimmingpool and a public orchyard make it a multiactivity public space. The last project was designed by Bacardit Arquitectes.
Uses and feelings
Science child park
This public area has a lot of everyday activity, It is known as a great place to run, bike, rollerblade and several more sports. Apart from that it has become the place where many public events take place, like the Jazz Festival or the city festival. It is for many people a meeting point in the city.
Stability
Bridges
Through its history it has been proved that this park worked better when planned than when not but as vegetation and public activity is the main program it is considered a chaging public space.
Terrassa Downtown
A great area Route 02
Pedestrian area
Local Market
This district is the main comercial area, it is a set of streets and public plazas with shops, bars, restaurants, theaters and cinemas. Here there is the Cathedral and the City hall as well as the Local Market.
From Route 01
Who had a hand?
City Hall
Cathedral Plaça Vella
Thanks to the Local Goverment it has become a Pedestrian area, some years ago vehicles were permited and as it is an old district streets are very narrow and it was difficult to walk. In order to benefit the local commerce and public activity it is now a pedestrian area.
Uses and feelings
To Route 03
On the left a picture of the City Hall and under this lines a picture from the city Hall showing the Modernist Festival. Right picture two girls dressed up pict by:Paco Calvino The top picture is how Plaça Vella looked like in 1890 and how During the rehabilitation of the cathedral, In the right picture we can see a tipical Catalan actuation called Castellers durin the local festival.
As a hole district it has activity every hour a day every day a week. From people shopping to children going out school in the afternoon. But the most active moment for this area are weekends where everybody in the city meets in the center to just walk or have a coffe or go to the cinema. Apart from those activities is also the place where the very famous Modernist Festival takes place, a festival where all the city dresses like the time hasn’t passed even people dresses up like it was 1900.
Stability It looks like a very stable are but the influence of commerce makes it change every now and then. Every days there are new shops and new public activites as markets, outside exposition ecc.
La Rambla
A great area This street was an old river reconverted into a street to connect the city North-South. Designed as a boulevard it is also a great place to go shopping. Apart from the commercial activity it is the street that takes to one of the most famous old factories in the city (aymerich), as well as passes next to the Public Market.
Route 03
Who had a hand? FĂ brica Aymerich
General image of La Rambla. On the top images of the old factory Aymerich, actual science museum. Under this lines la Masia Freixa example of Modernist Architecture and The Local Market also en example of this movement in Terrassa.
Local Market Masia Freixa Old pictures
From route 02
Train Station
The goverment funneled the old river in order to end with the natural boundary and convert it into a main street. After some years this street full of traffic became a boulevard with wide pedestrian areas and a lot of vegetation, finally some years ago cars where absolutely forbiden and it became a street where only pedestrian and public transport could pass. This last mesure wasn’t very well accepted by commerce owners.
Uses and feelings It used to be a road to connect NorthSouth but with lately changes it has become a boulevard only for pedestrian with big shopping areas. The old factory became a museum of science which is one of Terrassa more attractive activities. Because it is an evidence of the city industrial past.
Old Pictures, The street when it was a river, in the second layout the Local market.
Stability Even the very big changes in design this street has suffered it is a very stable area. The main activity is shopping and visit the museum, not many changes happens.