South-East Coastal Park, Barcelona

The South-East Coastal Park and Auditoriums was part of the infrastructure built by the City of Barcelona as Host City for the International Forum of Cultures in 2004 and was required to provide two open-air auditoriums and abundant vegetation in a coastal location exposed to salty breeze. The site for the park was located in an area of reclaimed land and one of its other requirements was to bridge an 11m drop in level between the city and the waterfront beach.

The park is designed to achieve these requirements through a topography that descends the 11m drop in level through a series of ramps for circulation throughout the park, interconnected by sloped surfaces. The sloped surfaces that face the sea are stepped to be used as auditorium seating. The sloped surfaces that face away from the contaminated south-westerly wind are planted with vegetation. stepped surfaces for the auditoria, sloped surfaces for vegetation and flat surfaces for events.

The resultant topography of the park presents an alternative to the traditional dichotomy between the rational geometries of French landscapes and the organic, picturesque qualities of English landscapes. It is at once complex and rational:  generated by precise constraints rather than through mimicking nature.