Barcelona

A green space for enjoyment

Parc Joan Miró, also known as “parc de l’escorxador” (abattoir park), is in Esquerra de l’Eixample, very near Plaça Espanya and just behind the Les Arenes shopping centre. It was one of the first recreational areas to be created at the end of the 1970s with a spirit of innovation that sensed the need for green spaces in urban areas, precisely what Ildefons Cerdà had envisaged in creating the Eixample.This wide, open space is a meeting point for all the locals of the area, who can relax, walk their dogs and let their children play.It also houses a library, named after Joan Miró too, which has an extensive children’s section where a range of activities are held.

Tribute to a Catalan artist

Created in 1979 by a group of young architects led by Beth Galí, Parc Joan Miró covers the site of what was formerly the Barcelona Abattoir.Its straight structure surrounds a square where all types of events are held.The woodland areas include black poplars, pines,palm trees and holm oaks. There are also table-tennis tables, pétanque courts and a bar to enjoy a drink outdoors.
One of the highlights is the sculpture standing twenty metres high and created by the artist himself. Called Dona i ocell (Woman and bird), it is by one of the park exits and was unveiled in 1983,just before the artist’s death.
Parc Joan Miró offers a place of recreation and peace which opens up like a green lung in the middle of the city.