Avinguda Nova Icària

Enric Miralles and Carme Pinós' intervention on Avinguda d'Icària was completed in 1992 and is part of the urban development project for the Olympic Village, or Vila Olímpica, which was built to house the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games. The avenue runs parallel to the coast and was destined to become one of the main arteries in the new residential area. Trees could not be planted due to the service infrastructures that had been built below ground, but these limitations were utilised to reinforce the innovative look of the new neighbourhood: a series of sculptural pergolas were built on the central strip between Carrer de l'Arquitecte Sert and Carrer Joan Miró. The metal pergolas resemble trees, but their shape also suggests an animal metaphor or even dilapidated buildings. Each pergola is made up of four elements. The first consists of two or three steel supports that emerge from the ground like giant branches and twist off in different directions. The second elements are tubular metal girders, grouped in irregular patterns, which act as braces around the supports. Thirdly, a system of wooden slats, resembling shutters, have been placed over the steel tubes and provide shade for the pedestrians. The fourth series of elements consists of irregular horizontal platforms that look like inaccessible terraces. Although the materials and finishes are the same, each pergola has a unique design that distinguishes it from the rest.