Eixample | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the Eixample | |
 Location of the Eixample within Barcelona | |
| Coordinates:41°23′27″N2°09′47″E / 41.39083°N 2.16306°E /41.39083; 2.16306 | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous Community |  Catalonia |
| Province | Barcelona |
| Comarca | Barcelonès |
| Municipality | Barcelona |
| Neighborhoods | Fort Pienc,Sagrada Família,Dreta de l'Eixample,L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample,La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample,Sant Antoni |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.48 km2 (2.89 sq mi) |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 266,874 |
| • Density | 36,000/km2 (92,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | eixamplenc, -enca |
| Website | bcn.cat/eixample |
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TheEixample (Catalan:[əˈʃamplə],'Expansion') is a district ofBarcelona between the old city (Ciutat Vella) and what were once surrounding small towns (Sants,Gràcia,Sant Andreu, etc.), constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its population was 262,000 at the last census (2005).[1]
The Eixample is characterized by long straight streets, a strictgrid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and square blocks withchamfered corners (namedilles in Catalan,manzanas in Spanish).
This was a visionary, pioneering design byIldefons Cerdà, who considered traffic and transport along with sunlight and ventilation in coming up with his characteristicoctagonal blocks, where the streets broaden at every intersection making for greater visibility, better ventilation and (today) some short-term parking areas.
It also provided an area for horse-drawn wagons and carriages to easily turn around. The grid pattern remains as a hallmark of Barcelona, but many of his other provisions were ignored: the four sides of the blocks and the inner space were built instead of the planned two or three sides around a garden; the streets were narrower; only one of the two diagonal avenues was carried out; the inhabitants were of a higher class than the mixed composition dreamed of by Cerdà.
The important needs of the inhabitants were incorporated into his plan, which called for markets, schools, hospitals every so many blocks. Today, most of the markets remain open in the spots they have been from the beginning.[2]
Some parts of the Eixample were influenced byModernista architects, chief among whom wasAntoni Gaudí. His work in the Eixample includes theCasa Milà (nicknamedLa Pedrera) and theCasa Batlló, both of which are on the widePasseig de Gràcia, as well as theSagrada Família. Other architects who made highly significant, and certainly more numerous, contributions to giving the Eixample its characteristic appearance includeJosep Puig i Cadafalch,Josep Domènech i Estapà,Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas and perhaps above allEnric Sagnier i Villavecchia, responsible for a total of over 500 buildings in the city (not all of them in the Eixample).[3]
The Casa Terrades, better known asCasa de les Punxes and replete with medieval allusions, stands at the junction of Av. Diagonal with Carrer Rosselló. It was built in 1903–1905 by theModernista architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who used Nordic Gothic and SpanishPlateresque resources side by side, along with traditional Catalan motifs.[4]
TheCasa Batlló is part of a block called theIlla de la Discòrdia, along with two other notableModernista works,Lluís Domènech i Montaner'sCasa Lleó Morera and Josep Puig i Cadafalch'sCasa Amatller. The block is so named due to the visual clash between the buildings; its Spanish name,Manzana de la Discordia, is also a pun onEris'sApple of Discord –manzana means both "apple" and "city block".
The square architecture of Eixample was the main inspiration for the controversialjersey checkerboard design introduced byFC Barcelona in 2019 instead of the traditional stripes, and used until the following year.[5][6]
There are six administrative neighborhoods:
The district is often divided for practical purposes in two: Esquerra de l'Eixample andDreta de l'Eixample (left and right sides of Eixample, respectively). Traditionally and officially, it is divided into five neighborhoods.
These are, in addition to the areas already mentioned,Sant Antoni,Sagrada Família andFort Pienc, also known asFort Pius.
The latter has recently become notable for the number ofAsian, chieflyChinese residents and the proliferation of Asian shops.[citation needed]
Some parts of Eixample are rather wealthy neighborhoods, especially around the central areas such asPasseig de Gràcia,Rambla de Catalunya, pedestrian streets such as Carrer de Girona and the Avinguda Gaudi and vicinity of theSagrada Familia.
Passeig de Gràcia connects the centralPlaça Catalunya to the old town ofGràcia, whileAvinguda Diagonal cuts across the grid diagonally andGran Via de les Corts Catalanes runs across the entire city from southwest to northeast.
Other wide avenues in the area includeCarrer d'Aragó,Carrer de Balmes andPasseig de Sant Joan.
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There is a Japanese library in Eixample that opened in 1992. Most of the patrons are Japanese, though locals may also use the facilities. The library is located inside a flat.[7]
Eixample travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
