Framed by plantings chosen for the Mediterranean climate, an assemblage of simple wood platforms provides vantage points for gazing out to the boats bobbing in Barcelona’s historic Port Vell. Called Climate Islands, these structures—in combination with greenery, misters, and remediated hardscape—by Barcelona-based Scob Architecture and Landscape, sensitively update the oldest part of the Port of Barcelona, now a designated tourist district. While creating areas of respite in this dense environment, the new intervention, commissioned by the city’s Port Authority, respects the region’s history and cultural identity and addresses rising temperatures by providing numerous cooling strategies for visitors.
Part of the city’s larger urban-renewal initiative, Scob’s proposal sought to improve, update, and link urban spaces while preserving historic areas and considering the future of a warming planet. The design team’s Climate Islands, which occupy a mile-long parcel of land that wraps around the waterfront, consists of seven zones (each a five-minute walk from the next) and intersects with the bustling, tree-lined La Rambla boulevard, facilitating a connection between the seaport and the adjacent Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta neighborhood. The designers aspired to align with initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and C40 Cities’ Inclusive Climate Action program.
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