Barceloneta is the product of the marine tradition of Barcelona and the new projects of a city on the Mediterranean. New buildings and fisherman’s houses, a luxurious port and beaches for which Barcelona is famous around the world.
When you think about the relationship of Barcelona and the Mediterranean, the Barceloneta district will no doubt come to mind. It’s a leisurely area which has been popular since about halfway through the eighteenth century, when fishermen decided to settle here due to its proximity to the sea.
The district does preserve some of the original charm, with its small streets and low houses which give off a calm and welcoming seaside atmosphere. These details make Barceloneta one of the areas with so much charm that even large-scale tourism can’t hide it.
This fishing village within the city also stands out for its magnificent beaches. All of them are easy to get to, well known and surrounded by places where you can get something to eat or drink, or even enjoy a whole dinner by the sea.
The Barceloneta, Somorrostro, Sant Sebastià and Sant Miquel beaches attract visitors from Barcelona and beyond to this city on the seashore.
For its notable past, excellent present and promising future, Barcelona brings in the numbers. And people who already know it just keep going back!
Symbols of the past in Barceloneta
Along with the narrow streets and properties with nearly 200 years of history which characterise the area, Barceloneta also has buildings which are representative of its past.
The Torre del Reloj (Moll Pescadors), or the Clock Tower, is one of the oldest, dating back to 1772. Although it was initially a lighthouse and the headquarters of the marine command, it ended up losing that function when the port was expanded. Today, it retains all of its symbolic value with the clock which commemorates Pierre F. Mechain, after whom it is named, who founded the metric system. This is just one aspect of the history of the Puerto.
The Palau de Mar (Pl. Pau Vila, 1), or Sea Palace, is another important building on the shores of the port. Finished in 1900 and characterised by its noucentisme industrial architecture, it has evolved to the point of containing within it the famous Museum of the History of Catalunya.
Another of the area’s great towers is the Torre Sant Sebastià (Moll Nou, s/n), which dates back to 1931. This 78m tower is the final station of the cable car which crosses the port, connecting the Torre Jaime I with the mountain of Monjuïc. These are two unmissable destinations for tourists and locals alike.
New architecture in Barceloneta
Among the modern buildings in Barceloneta, the Hotel W (Pl. Rosa dels Vents, 1) stands out. Commonly referred to as the Hotel Vela, it was designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, whose plan was to create a tower reaching 170m into the sky. In the end, to respect the prevalence of the two towers of the Vila Olímpica, the dimensions of the project were scaled down to 99m in height and a capacity of 473 rooms.
Another stand-out building is the Torre Marenostrum (C/ Pinzón, s/n) which holds the Gas Natural company. Its design corresponds to the genius Catalan architect Enric Miralles who, together with Benedetta Tagliabue, restored one of the company’s old buildings. His renovation works transformed and enlarged the old structure, making it into an icon of modern architecture in Barcelona.
The Mercado de la Barceloneta (Pl. de la Font, s/n), or the Barceloneta Market, moves away from tall, glass structures and focuses on preserving an impressive iron construction. Its original creator was Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1884. Its restoration was conducted by Josep Miàs Gifre, who essentially restored it in 2007 to make it more functional.
Future goals and challenges
The latest project in Barceloneta is to create a real luxury marina, which will turn the Port Vell into an authentic five star port. The emblematic new marina will aim to compete with the best ports in the world.
This project is similar to the one carried out on West Palm Beach in Florida, except this time in the very heart of the Mediterranean. With this new plan, the port would be able to hold 150 luxury vessels. These are ships which can reach 168m in length.
This is the future project which aims to make the Port Vell an economic hub and which will bring the Port of Barcelona into the 21st century.
