View from above

Something which personally fascinates me is high rise buildings. The world is now predominantly constructed of urban dwellers. These numbers are only expected to rise throughout the twenty first century. Thus today, the development and improvement of high rise living is fundamental to ensure quality of life and a sustainable future for urban areas.

I have therefore been looking at the high rise developments across Poblenou as part of my project research. Alongside the Jean Nouvel Torre Agbar which in itself is a monument to capitalist economy, the highest buildings of the area are monotonous in their use, whole blocks dedicated to offices, to residential, to hotel space. This is not a new thing. The remaining brick chimneys from the industrial era which are now disappearing behind newer, taller blocks are not different. Joseph Cambell once said ‘If you want to see what a society really believes in, look at what the biggest buildings on the horizon are dedicated to’. I couldn’t agree more.

So, Jake Becky and I ventured up one of these towers this weekend. On the 25th floor of the Melia Hotel is a rooftop bar and restaurant and the view is incredible. From this vantage point you could see and understand the topography of the urban development of the area, the lower buildings of earlier development, the higher rise of Forum and Diagonal.

I wish to explore high rise as mixed use. An extension of the horizontal interaction of places and spaces you get from exploring the city streets at ground level may be achievable in a vertical plane. I have tasked myself with finding out the possibility of such a development.

#wsa #emuve #exploring #highrise #architecture #students #Barcelona