Parc de l'Estació del Nord

A small, delightful park, sunny but with shady areas, simple yet complex, is located in Barcelona's Eixample. An artistic gem which combines the contours of the land with art, creating a park of extreme delicacy, where decorative forms make a walk through the large grassy areas a pleasure for the senses.

The architects Andreu Arriola, Carme Fiol and Enric Pericas used the land freed up around the former railway station, the Estació del Nord, which closed in 1972, as the site for a 5-hectare park, where there would be enough room for large grassy areas and trees. The North-American sculptor, Beverly Pepper, gave decorative form and personality to a green area which eventually opened in 1988 and was expanded in 1999.

Art with its sculptures and street lamps follow and blend in naturally with the natural lines of the park. On the shady side of the park, a series of graduated sloping rings runs parallel to a descending spiral of trees; on the sunny side, the grassy area features volumetric earth mounds which follow the contours of the land, representing a fallen sky covered with small shards of sky-blue ceramic tiles. This sculptural ensemble by Beverly Pepper is indeed entitled "Cel Caigut" (Fallen Sky), and is clearly inspired by the style of Gaudí. It consists of a succession of open, transparent lines where the green of the grass contrasts with the blue of the mosaic, inviting us to engage in full and active contemplation. The park is also a connecting space amongst Barcelona's buildings such as L'Auditori, the TNC and the Arxiu de la Corona d'Aragó, the historic archive containing documents about the Aragonese monarchs.