Barcelona Photoblog: bullring
Showing posts with label bullring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bullring. Show all posts

August 29, 2011

Las Arenas in Barcelona, From Bullring to Shopping Center

Las Arenas Shopping Mall by Richard Rogers

Inaugurated back in March, 2011 Las Arenas de Barcelona shopping center that arose from the "ashes" of an old bullring is clearly one the best examples of modern architecture in Barcelona.

I took some more pictures of the surroundings and from above that I will post someday but not too many of the building as such. Maybe this link to a gallery published in the Guardian portraying Las Arenas before and after helps.

A long time ago, when this project was starting I published a couple of images where you could see the whole building held above the ground by a steel framework: Las Arenas bullring in Plaça Espanya and Las Arenas: A Historic Barcelona Bullring to Become a Leisure Center. The posts are so old that some links are not working.

Learn more about this project's architect, Richard Rogers.

Las Arenas has 105.000 sq meters of retail and leisure. 12 movie theaters. A fully equipped gym, including a jogging track. A wonderful 360 degree platform around the dome to enjoy one of the best panoramic views of Barcelona city, especially Plaza España and the fountains of Montjuic.

I suppose the place will be crammed packed for La Merce celebrations in September.

Find here the Las Arenas shopping centre's main site, unfortunately just in Spanish.

August 20, 2010

La Monumental Bullring in Barcelona, Opera House or Roman Amphitheater?

Monumental Bullring in Barcelona

This is Plaza de Toros La Monumental, a building that after 2012 will not witness anymore bull fights by decree. I have to admit I always found odd that such beautiful architecture gave shelter to so wild an activity. As I said here in the past, I have nothing against traditions but animals don't deserve human cruelty no matter how justifiable it seems. Of course killing bulls is associated to Spanish spirit, it has become a sort of symbol and it is deeply rooted in the history of part of this country, a lot of families make a living thanks to this business, many others admire bullfighters' courage and enjoy their braveness, their art and approach the whole performance as a play or an opera divided into different acts leading to a climax and a grand finale. It is that final act that I find useless, sad and allow me to say, savage. At that point, the theater becomes a Roman amphitheater and the stage turns into a bloody sand pit. And you may say, we kill cows everyday to feed on them, don't we? If you come to think of it, we are no different than beasts, although they do not hunt just for the sake of hunting I'm afraid. Again another case of absurdity in this world of ours. Whenever I come across La Monumental I will always prefer to contemplate the architecture and forget about human follies.

March 02, 2010

Stop Bullfighting Sign at Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Barcelona, Spain

Stop Bullfighting Sign at Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Barcelona, Spain  [enlarge]

This is a detail of the box office window at La Monumental bullring in Barcelona, a place that is becoming rather obsolete these days in this part of the peninsula. The slogan is a whole declaration of principles: Neither Art Nor Culture, This is Torture, a polemic topic that as usual has defenders and detractors. I don't have nothing against traditions but all living things are to be respected and we don't have the right to kill them just for fun. It is too high a price to pay.
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