There are several ways to understand the area around the Bunkers. For some people it might be a meeting point, an investment, a home or a place to rest. Especially the fast changing city and demographic structures versus the average age of visitors bringdiversity and potential for conflicts.
The running competition of the new green lung of Barcelona tells something about the political interest behind this great investment. It is about one of the areas that were left behind by the city for several decades. The condition of Marià Lavèrnia Street before its renovation and the conditions of the rest of the cityaround 2010 were very different. At the same time, thenew style and tidiness of Marià Lavèrnia Square Streetis hardly comparable to other investments for public spaces in residential areas nowadays. Indeed it is very comparable to the newer renovated zones of Barcelona which serve the general tourist offer.
Mühlberg Street and Marià Lavèrnia Square Streetboth got a very modern look, including public terraces which were made for the neighbours but would serve perfectly for restaurants or cafés. It might look like the city council is at the point to turn the Bunkers into the next Parque Güell and Marià Lavèrnia Square Streetto an alternative la Rambla (as the original one is overcrowded).
The neighbours of the Bunkers have nice new streets, less parking spots but an access barrier to control the exclusive usage. The terraces of Marià Lavèrnia Square Street were created to “preserve and emphasize the domestic character that is and has always been an intrinsic part of the history of the place.” There is very little neighbourhood action taking place on the terraces (one community party per year), they are very exposed to the sun and there are tourists passing every day. Many of them prefer their own garden to have more domestic privacy. So the new design serves basically to get up goods or people by car and to park the motorcycles. Some windows are decorated with plastic plants like a visual fence to keep away curious eyes. In our opinion, the locals have very little impact to the public space of their streets.
The population of el Carmel, compared to the cities average, is older, less educated and has a higher unemployment rate. This might come from the former disinterest of the city towards this neighbourhood. On the site we were told that the city council does not give permissions for retail or gastronomy to the locals but since about 10 years from today the neighbors receive high offers to sell their houses even though these are allillegal. Also, many houses wear high antennas on their roofs, getting paid by companies. The neighbours do not make use of their streets a lot but it seems that theirlife quality is under potent influence by others.
The unique exposure and localisation of the Bunkersmakes it possible to understand very well the differentparts of the city and the connection between the most important sight seeing spots. It is also one of the most recommended spots to take a full body picture without barriers in front of the city of Barcelona. The subtle viability within the topography with the historical ruins provokes a natural selection of the visitors. There is no formal seating to rest and even if one arrives by bus it ́s still 24 to 75 meters of hight to climb to thetop. This creates a demographic difference betweenthe neighbours and the tourists and therefore a highdifference of interest, education and kind of stay. Manytourists come by bus to avoid the strong rise and the bad condition and signalisation of the lower accesses. This has an impact on the public transport systemwhich affects the neighbours life on daily basis.
The Bunkers and the whole area of the Turons is a very appreciated recreation area for all districts. It ́s city- nature, one can perfectly do sports or bring friends from other places to show them the city. Many people come in the afternoon to see the sunset (on motorcycle for example, to come through the cars barrier and parked on the new terraces of Marià Lavèrnia Square Street). The informal design and the - supposed - distance to the city creates a very special atmosphere and kind of behaviour. It seems like a space without rules. People feel like they could drink alcohol in public, listen to loud music, do drugs and make a lot of noise - all (summer) night long. Even if there is one public toilet and about eight garbage bins, many people feel free to leave their things wherever they want to. This sense of freedom is very appreciated by many people living in Barcelona because there are no comparable places that close to the centre. The creation of this very special mood does not seem provoked, even though it is so important for the everyday life of many people. The intentionsto define this law-scape seem very dis-organized nowadays but one can find many happy young peopleusing the area and enjoying their freetime on the site, leaving a lot of rubbish and beer cans.
Foto by Maria de Lluch Salas
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