Cerdo or Cerdon't?

             Our knowledge of the Eixample was given through a history lesson highlighting the key list of “rules” Cerda established for his city plan suggestion: 50% lot occupancy, center courtyard and most desirable, a center garden walkthrough.  This quote struck me for a number of reasons while thinking back to our walk around the Eixample.

“What was old was condemned to disappear; if an old building escaped demolition, it was only because there was no money to replace it; there could be no other reason for its continued existence. “ p 74 Sola-Morales

The quote is in reference to the “building strategy” set in place while the Gothic quarter was undergoing expansion and density issues.  Essentially the quote highlights the building strategy to be primarily driven by budget: creating the most effective way to safe money while setting up most opportunity to make money.  In the end this led to a, in my opinion, watered down and misguided use of architecture to solve the city design problems at the time.

Today the Eixample has shown to keep the overall mood Cerda had put into place by keeping a central courtyard within each block, but the size of the public space seems to be getting smaller as the increased effort to profit takes priority.  This is slowly leading to a missed opportunity originally established by Cerda.  The tour of the Example took us through the public spaces within the city blocks.  The one that was revered as being the most sought after by the public was Pasaje Permanyer.  This block was the only one we viewed that honored Cerda’s wish to have a full pass through the center of the courtyard.

            Continued construction of the Eixample should take Pasaje Permanyer into consideration along with the consequences of historical Gothic quarter expansion in an effort to preserve the Cerda method.