19th Century Eixample (Field Trip)

            The Eixample represents a large geographic portion of the city of Barcelona.  In Catalan, “l’eixample” literally means  “the extension.”  And that is exactly what it is, an extension onto the old city.  In the 19^th century, Barcelona was a booming city due to the Industrial Revolution and the city’s location right on the water.  To respond to the growing city’s population demands the government had to act quickly and formulate a plan to satisfy their city’s needs. With the old city walls demolished, the door for expansion was wide open.  After a contest to see who could come up with the best plan for the city, the government chose Ildefonso Cerda to be the chief engineer that would expand Barcelona.  His vision involved a grid pattern with square blocks that would have cut off corners, thus allowing more natural sunlight onto the street.  He envisioned wide and long streets to increase ventilation and a lot of gardens to serve as public space.  Overall, Cerda wanted to improve the quality of life for residents of Barcelona.

            L’Eixample became a blank canvas for Catalan modernism architects.  Catalan modernism antecedents and key characteristics include romanticism, nationalism and eclecticism.  Romanticism, which spanned from 1750 to 1850, was an international movement based on individualism, nationalism, and the admiration of wild nature, which turned into interest torwards eclecticism.[1]  The nationalism and eclecticism aspects of Catalan modernism coincide.  Eclecticism can be seen as tool to reinforce nationalism.  Through new architecture, Catalan modernism attempted to give Catalonia its own individual unique style.  Catalan modernism wanted to leave the Victorian architecture of the bourgeois world associated with classicism.  This type of architecture was visible in many of the works at Barcelona’s 1888 Great Exhibition.[2]  Not coincidently, Catalan modernism is considered to start in 1888.  Spearheaded by Antoni Gaudí, Catalan modernism architecture developed into its own nature inspired style.  L’Eixample includes two of Gaudi’s most famous modernisme works, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo.

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[1] Enrich, Llorach. Gaudi summary notes. Barcelona: Architecture & Painting in Barcelona, 2011.

[2] Catalan modernism. Parc Guell. Barcelona, 2011. http://www.parkguell.es/en/hist_3.php