voids/lights/people

antje adriaens + alba alsina + bozhidar gerginov + alizon marin-lafleche + linda siranova + edyta swiatek RAVAL, Barcelona 27.01 - 7.02 / 2014

a project by:

voidscape ravalories

approach In a two week workshop the Barcelona district of El Raval was researched from an anthropological and architectural perspective.

As architectural students do not only provide an analysis of the district but also show an approach towards the future of Raval.

The research was started of by an open approach of going around, living daily habits, speaking with people on the streets and in shops without a direct goal.

introduction

Based on individual interests and experiences, a selection was made of these initial research results.

In combining the diverging layers a common ground for further research was found: The focus was set to boundaries, voids, light, narrow spaces and the specific materiality of different architectural elements.

The research continued in the various layers: the experience of inhabitants, the presence of voids, the influence of the sky and light, flows and the structure of the ground.

void catalogue Already during the first experience of Raval the many empty plots, bricked up buildings and remainders of existing structures became apparent.

There is a richness in the visibility of the preexisting. The tiling, remainders of floors and construction give a peek into spaces that where private before.

A systematic documentation and categorization of the voids give an insight into the current function in public space as well as a future diverse potential of these spaces for the area.

Opened up plots in the dense structure of Raval provide a gradient through the historical morphology. If what has been, is still readable, it tells a narrative about the city.

Voids appear in different ways throughout the Raval district, the most important distinction being the accessibility towards the public.

The ambiguity leaves space for interpretation. That was has happened changes the space, although you can not see it as such anymore.

accordion 1

The appearance of embraced and integrated (former) voids are analyzed to formulate an approach towards the current closed spaces.

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15 2 16

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21

20 6

22

8

11

23

7

4 19

3

24 12 17

9

25

10 14

the integrated

5 27

26

28

the embraced the appropriated the fenced

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the bricked

1

Carrer de l’Hospital

2

UB University Passatge

3

Carrer de Santa Pacia

4

Carrer de l’Aurora–––

5

13

Carrer de l’Arc del Teatre

Carrer Mina

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Carrer de l’Arc del Teatre

7

14

Carrer de l’Arc del Teatre

15

Placa de la Gardunya

Carrer de Joaquim Costa

Placa de la Gardunya

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16

Passatge de la Virreina

9

Carrer de les Penedides

17

Carrer de l’Arc de Sant Agusti

10

Carrer de l’Hospital

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Carrer de les Ramalleres

11

Carrer de l’Aurora

19

Placeta de Miquel Palles

12

Carrer de Sant Pacia

20

Carrer d’en Xucla

Carrer de la Riereta

22

Placa de Joan Coromines

23

Carrer de l’Hospital 130

24

Carrer de l’Hospital

25

Rambla del Raval

26

Placeta d’Anna Muria

27

Carrer de Lancaster

28

Carrer de l’Arc del Teatre

sky, walls, pavement Our approach to Raval developed to reading the skymap instead of the ground-floor map, changing the top-down view by a bottom-up view. This enriched our perception by giving us additional information on the morphology of the area: Raval has this particularity which has to do with a crack of the buildings on the top, as if the sky would be a fissure within the built mass. The labyrinthic structure of streets is mainly shaped by narrow strokes of sky penetrating the very deep, vertical streets; sometimes it comes to different shapes: in the intersection of streets, in the deviations, in irregular alineation of the facades...

The street has a thickness!

accordion 2

In addition to that, we find a particular case: voids. They are a stress mark in the sky-map irregularity and emphasize the labyrinthic structure of Raval. They have the quality of opening up and can be understood as small breaks which give a certain rythm to the linear and strict condition of the district.

fotogramas ::: sky fissure

This accordion contains a collection of images taken in the district; some of them have been intentionally processed and combined as to reflect our understanding of the streetscape.

1st set of photogramas: composition of different situations of the sky-fissure: sky vs. building 2nd set of photogramas: composition of the light penetrating the voids: light gradient between sky, blind wall and built mass 3rd set of photogramas: the sky on the ground floor: every day scenario after the cleansing of streets. The streets get even more verticallity; a fine line beginning in the floor and growing up to the sky

fotogramas ::: light gradient

fotogramas ::: the sky on the ground floor

street and ground analysis The appearance and functioning of the streets in Raval is analyzed from the human experience as well as in a measurable matter.

By an analysis of borders and ongoing streets the flows through the district are detected.

A distinction can be made between main flows to public facilities and local flows.

accordion 3

A categorization of different street types gave insight into the influence of detail on the experience and atmosphere of the street.

A comparison can be made with the ongoing skycape.

The ground is a reflection of the sky.

As well as when looking up at the sky through the narrow streets, different patterns appear when looking at the ground. In this way the ground bears an irregularity that is typical for the district.

interviews, social layer In different casual conversations, home visits, directed interviews and a incidental coffee we spoke to the inhabitants of Raval.

These interviews provided us with a range of varying perspectives on Raval, from very positive to negative: A need for more pleasant and usable public space was detected.

On the topic of multiculturality there is a general appreciation, although all indicated the existing segregation.

accordion 4

The different kinds of interviews all consisted of informal and improvised questions, determined questions and where possible a drawing of the neighborhood by the interviewees.

The conversations were mainly focused on the use of public space, living conditions in Raval, safety, multiculturality of the area and the interviewees relation to the district.

PEDRO from Poble Sec, Barcelona “ The Pakistanis open bussinesses everywhere, they know how to do it”

MIKE from Philippines “ I really miss thebig tree that used to be in front of my restaurant”

. freelance artist . lives alone in his apartment in Poble Sec

. waiter in his own restaurant . lives with his wife and 3 children above his restaurant

. uses la Rambla del Raval to rest and enjoy the sun - uses all the public spaces especially in Raval and Gothic city . not afraid of being in the streets in Raval during the night, he thinks that it is more safe than La Rambla

. lives in Raval and spends his free time outside the area . does not feel insecure here, regardless day or night . believes that Raval is not a good area to raise children

. likes the enviroment of Raval, the mixture of nations

. he appreciates the high number of policeman patroling the area . disappointed by the renovation of the square which included removing the big tree . misses the greenery . likes the multiplicity of Raval because he feels connected to the Philippinian community.

MARS from Raval, Barcelona “ I love how the facades look, I love these narrow streets but what I miss is a skatepark”

. part-time waiter in a bar . lives with her alternately with her boyfriend and father in Raval near Parallel . likes to go outside, spend time with friends, going to parties or walking with her small dog . uses all the public spaces in Raval as well as outside of the area . takes part in the activities hosted in Macba . common user of libraries and Filmoteca . does not feel insecure during the night when with friends . admires the ambience of the narrow streets . wishes for a new skate park and more green space with plenty of benches . does not mind the multiculturalism of the area “we’re the same, if the immigrants are good, it’s OK”

JAVIER from Raval, Barcelona “ 3 murders in 2 months, that doesn’t mean that it is different outside of Raval”

UTOPHA from Senegal “I consider multiculturality as very positive, but there’s still a lot of work to do to ensure good living conditions”

LUIS from Barcelona “I come to this square to remember old times, when violence wasn’t taking place as frequent as it does nowadays”

. student of English language and part-time waiter in fast-food restaurant . lives near Sagrada Familia, used to live in Raval with his parents

. lives right next to the Rambla del Raval and does his groceries in shops located 50m from his house. . pays 250 euros for the rent and shares a flat with a woman who has two children.

“It has been 40 years since I left the district and I’m very nostalgic about it. I don’t recognise the people here, inmigrants are not peaceful anymore, those times (post-war period) were more safe”

. likes to go out in Raval because it is cheap to have a beer . uses all the facilities that Raval offers - Macba, CCCB, language school, Filmoteca . feels safe in Raval, does not have problems with any streets here

. likes the location of Raval and enjoys being able to walk everywhere . does not like the night life of Raval because of conflicts taking place and feeling insecure . would like more policemen controlling the streets

. talks about neighbours complaining about the noise at night

. admires to meet all kinds of nations in Raval . does not like the dirtiness of the area

“I don’t like the fact that conflicts can easily and rapidily develop from a small missunderstanding”

“You see this square? Before, there used to be benches all around. And now? They had to take them out because drug-addicts and alcoholics were using them all day long”

ALEX from Buenos Aires (Argentina) “you just need to set what your territory is; they know that if they attack me I’ll come out with my baseball bat”

MARIA from Perú “when I walk streets full of prostitutes they think that I am one of them and I feel insecure”

“I live in Raval and I think it’s the best district to live in.

There’s life in it, it’s full of diversity.”

. lives in the flat of the old man she takes care of, so she does not spend money on the rent . normally goes for a walk through Rambla del Raval and Las Ramblas in order to catch fresh air and get to see some green spots and the flower stands

. thinks that policemen are not prepared for this district at all: they don’t know how to handle problems and have an arrogant behaviour . states that all the telephonia shops are a front for Al-Qaida to launder money and control the city “the government needs Raval: it creates black money, it’s a part of the system” “of course old women are more vulnerable, if you don’t show power you’ll get stolen. As long as you have a strong attitude everything is fine”

. really likes the diversity of cultures and shops which are characteristic for the district “I’d rather move to upper districts in Barcelona, where flats are bigger and streets more calmed” . does not like the district being so dirty, people urinating and spitting on the street. Especially at night she feels insecure . appreciates the presence of policemen

BHUMI from Pankhbari, Nepal “ Here some people are very, very nice. Very nice.

They will help you. They will show you the way”

GEORGE from Ghana “ I come to Raval everyday. Here I meet my it friends”

RAMESH BARHILI from Nepal “ This area is not safe! Watch out! You can be robbed!”

. has been living in Barcelona for 6 years . used to work in a hotel as a chief assistent . had a stroke one year ago, so he is incapicitated . lives in social housing, shares a flat with a drug addict

. 20 year old immigrant from Ghana . lives in Lesseps . does not work but attends the fee-free languag courses at the library in Raval

. rents an apartment in Raval . works as a waiter in a cafetaria in the same area . is not allowed to vote in Spain but he would love to . very interested in politics

. is annoyed by the constant noise, especially during the night . fthinks there are enough green areas . claimes that places change when the night comes . specificly pointed out the courtyard of the university which becomes overcrowded after the sunset

- only uses squares to meet with friends . plays football at the open public spaces which are outside of Raval

. spends a lot of time in public spaces . usually does not go out during the evenings, sometimes he goes to the theatre

. for him the multicultural context of the area is an asset of Raval . feels familiar with people living here

. likes narrow streets, considers them cosy . can not stand the noise during the night . in his opinion there is enough green space . thinks that there are too many police checks

. would love to move out of Raval, in his eyes that would symoblise an ultimate rise of his social status

. appreciates the heterogeneous social context of his neighborhood

JULE AND MICHAEL from Copenhagen, Denmark “Here it is nice and sunny, a lot of people walking along la Rambla del Raval”

. Michael has just moved to Barcelona . future Ryanair airline employee . will live alone and pay 400 - 500 euros per month . spends a lot of time in Barcelona . favourite places are the beach, the old part of the town and the mountains . in Raval they feel insecure even during the day . they can notice a lot of police officers . they think that area is very well located

visual conclusion The different layers of impression are combined in this visual conclusion. The characteristics of Raval we work with in the development of a strategy are shown.

Furthermore we were Inspired by different artists, installations and theatre and cinema sets to formulate the architectural interventions.

The erasing of the voids is prevented, in order to keep the qualities they add to the experience of the streets; additional light, a place to breath, a look into the interior.

The voids are preserved by making an architectural intervention. As architects we determine the material qualities rather than a program. The voids are opened up for the public and made accessible.

accordion 5

The void is seen as a volume. The public space is not only extended into the void but also to the vertical. The existing spaces behind the walls are opened up. In this way a connection with the interior is made to improve housing conditions as well providing visual control.

The former interior becomes a public space, a public interior. .

the colonized void A selection of existing voids with differing characteristics is made.

We look at these precise cases to formulate a vocabulary on how to deal with these spaces.

With the model others can try out different ways to handle the empty spaces. Moreover is serves as a tool for reflection on how different interventions change the space.

accordion 6

On the selected spaces a proposal is made.

From this an approach to other voids can be deducted.

We used a toolbox to handle the different spaces.

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VOID 1 the small An existing, small plot colonised by a spot of grass on one corner.

Very expressive blind walls where people have already intervented.

We decide to extend the street pavement and reinforce the original green spot In addition, extension of the existing graphism on the wall by adding new tiling on the upper part.

Small intervention based on the appreciation of the existing by stressing its character.

VOID 2 the square Corner position, intersection made of 4 edges.

Open up the roofscape by creating a square. Emphasis of the 4th former built edge by placing a sloped green volume. This directs the flow of 2 streets merging into the square.

Wood of trees and benches, new pavement.

New windows to the existing flats beyond the blind walls as to improve the housing condition and to guarantee visual contact to ensure certain security.

VOID 3 the structure

VOID 4 the tree

Colonisation of the 3 blind walls by a light, steel structure which grows up in a theatrelike scenario (inspiration by West Side Story and Street Scene of Kurt Weill where urban life develop on the wall, understood as a skin between the public and the private).

The secluded character of this void is partially preserved by making it into a private space.

Platforms, stairs and swings.

New windows to the existing flats beyond the blind walls as to improve the housing condition and to guarantee visual contact to ensure certain security.

At the same time a visual connection towards the street is created.

In this way pedestrians can admire the garden and the light coming from the gap.

The space for the inhabitants is arranged by different ground structures.

A connection with the interior is made by opening up the blind walls with balconies and windows.

INTRODUCTION ::: APPROACH In a two week workshop the Barcelona district of El Raval was researched from an anthropological and architectural perspective. As architectural students do not only provide an analysis of the district but also show an approach towards the future of Raval. The research was started of by an open approach of going around, living daily habits, speaking with people on the streets and in shops without a direct goal. Based on individual interests and experiences, a selection was made of these initial research results. In combining the diverging layers a common ground for further research was found. The focus was set to boundaries, voids, light, narrow spaces and the specific materiality of different architectural elements. The research continued in the various layers; the experience of inhabitants, the presence of voids, the influence of the sky and light, flows and the structure of the ground.

ACCORDION 1: VOID CATALOGUE Already during the first experience of Raval the many empty plots, bricked up buildings and remainders of existing structures became apparent. A systematic documentation and categorization of the voids give an insight into the current function in public space as well as a future diverse potential of these spaces for the area. Voids appear in different ways throughout the Raval district, the most important distinction being the accessibility towards the public.

There is a richness in the visibility of the preexisting. The tiling, remainders of floors and construction give a peek into spaces that where private before. Opened up plots in the dense structure of Raval provide a gradient through the historical morphology. If what has been, is still readable, it tells a narrative about the city. The ambiguity leaves space for interpretation. That was has happened changes the space, although you can not see it as such anymore.

The appearance of embraced and integrated (former) voids are analyzed to formulate an approach towards the current closed spaces.

ACCORDION 2: SKY, WALLS, PAVEMENT Our approach to Raval developed to reading the sky-map instead of the ground-floor map, replacing the top-down view by a bottom-up view. This enriched our perception by giving us additional information on the morphology of the area.

Raval has this particularity which has to do with a crack of the buildings on the top, as if the sky would be a fissure within the built mass. The labyrinthic structure of streets is mainly shaped by narrow strokes of sky penetrating the very deep, vertical streets; sometimes it comes to different shapes: in the intersection of streets, in the deviations, in irregular alineation of the facades.

The street has a thickness!

In addition to that, we find a particular case: voids. They are a stress mark in the sky-map irregularity and emphasize the labyrinthic structure of Raval. They have the quality of opening up and can be understood as small breaks which give a certain rythm to the linear and strict condition of the district.

This accordion contains a collection of images taken in the district; some of them have been intentionally processed and combined as to reflect our understanding of the streetscape.

1st set of photogramas: composition of different situations of the sky-fissure: sky vs. building

2nd set of photogramas: composition of the light penetrating the voids: light gradient between sky, blind wall and built mass 3rd set of photogramas: the sky on the ground floor: every day scenario after the cleansing of streets. The streets get even more verticallity; a fine line beginning in the floor and growing up to the sky

ACCORDION 3: STREET AND GROUND ANALYSIS The appearance and functioning of the streets in Raval is analyzed from the human experience as well as in a measurable matter. By an analysis of borders and ongoing streets the flows through the district are detected. A distinction can be made between main flows to public facilities and local flows. A categorization of different street types gave insight into the influence of detail on the experience and atmosphere of the street.

A comparison can be made with the ongoing skycape. The ground is a reflection of the sky. As well as when looking up at the sky through the narrow streets, different patterns appear when looking at the ground. In this way the ground bears an irregularity that is typical for the district.

ACCODRION 4: INTERVIEWS, SOCIAL LAYER In different casual conversations, home visits, directed interviews and a incidental coffee we spoke to the inhabitants of Raval. The different kinds of interviews all consisted of informal and improvised questions, determined questions and where possible a drawing of the neighborhood by the interviewees.

The conversations were mainly focused on the use of public space, living conditions in Raval, safety, multiculturality of the area and the interviewees relation to the district. These interviews provided us with a range of varying perspectives on Raval, from very positive to negative. A need for more pleasant and usable public space was detected. On the topic of multiculturality there is a general appreciation, although all indicated the existing segregation.

ACCODRION 5: VISUAL CONCLUSION AND INSPIRATION, CONCEPT The different layers of impression are combined in this visual conclusion. The characteristics of Raval we work with in the development of a strategy are shown. Furthermore we were Inspired by different artists, installations and theatre and cinema sets to formulate the architectural interventions.

The erasing of the voids is prevented, in order to keep the qualities they add to the experience of the streets; additional light, a place to breath, a look into the interior.

The voids are preserved by making an architectural intervention. As architects we determine the material qualities rather than a program. The voids are opened up for the public and made accessible.

The void is seen as a volume. The public space is not only extended into the void but also to the vertical. The existing spaces behind the walls are opened up. In this way a connection with the interior is made to improve housing conditions as well providing visual control. The former interior becomes a public space, a public interior.

ACCORDION 6: THE COLONIZED VOID A selection of existing voids with differing characteristics is made. We look at these precise cases to formulate a vocabulary on how to deal with these spaces. On the selected spaces a proposal is made. From this an approach to other voids can be deducted. We used a toolbox to handle the different spaces. With the model others can try out different ways to handle the empty spaces.

Moreover is serves as a tool for reflection on how different interventions change the space.

VOIDS: VOID 1 THE SMALL An existing, small plot colonised by a spot of grass on one corner. Very expressive blind walls where people have already intervented.

We decide to extend the street pavement and reinforce the original green spot In addition, extension of the existing graphism on the wall by adding new tiling on the upper part.

Small intervention based on the appreciation of the existing by stressing its character.

VOID 2 THE SQUARE Corner position, intersection made of 4 edges.

Open up the roofscape by creating a square. Emphasis of the 4th former built edge by placing a sloped green volume. This directs the flow of 2 streets merging into the square.

Wood of trees and benches, new pavement.

New windows to the existing flats beyond the blind walls as to improve the housing condition and to guarantee visual contact to ensure certain security.

VOID 3 THE STRUCTURE Colonisation of the 3 blind walls by a light, steel structure which grows up in a theatre-like scenario (inspiration by West Side Story and Street Scene of Kurt Weill where urban life develop on the wall, understood as a skin between the public and the private).

Platforms, stairs and swings.

New windows to the existing flats beyond the blind walls as to improve the housing condition and to guarantee visual contact to ensure certain security.

VOID 4 THE TREE

The secluded character of this void is partially preserved by making it into a private space. At the same time a visual connection towards the street is created. In this way pedestrians can admire the garden and the light coming from the gap. The space for the inhabitants is arranged by different ground structures. A connection with the interior is made by opening up the blind walls with balconies and windows.