The external reference designed an architectural and urban planning project on the Barcelona waterfront, creating a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that serves as an observation deck over the city and the sea. Architect Carmelo Zappola leads Escaleras y Mirador Vela. It connects Passeig del Mare Nostrum and Placa de la Rosa dels Vents. This walkable architectural façade consists of a raised staircase and walkway that rises 9.3 meters above the beach, and ‘residents’ step forward.
According to the same source, the external reference urban planning intervention aims to improve public accessibility around Hotel W. The platform brings together the tides of the sea with people visiting the area for leisure, creating a space where people can comfortably view the city and the sea at high tide.
The design of the platform was inspired by the shape of salt crystals that grow in small reservoirs of Mediterranean water. Escaleras y Mirador Vela has been developed as a sculptural form between the existing sea wall and the new façade that opens onto a promenade, inviting the public to experience the space in a new way.
The sidewalk is made of precast concrete. The façade facing the waterfront is clad in triangular concrete slabs that receive biomes which include low-maintenance plants and a lighting system. Meanwhile, the panels have been improved with border strategies, designed to encourage surface growth of native plants, including sweet ally, and two types of purple flower called snow plant. The fiber optic lighting system makes the rooftop appear to vibrate at sunset.
“We have created a unique setting for the city, a space where you can not only enjoy looking at the sea horizon, but also discover new perspectives of Barcelona, the great hero of the project,” said Carmelo Zappola. . We believe that the path will act as a catalyst transforming the dynamic between the square and the park which, despite the adjoining spaces, have hitherto been separate activities. They are now conversational parts of a series of discoveries and experiences that run through Escaleras and Mirador Vela.”
The walkway contains 48 steps that cut a difference of 8.5 meters in height from the length of the walkway, which extends 48.45 meters. It creates a beautiful walkway with plenty of space for the public to enjoy a seaside picnic day or night.
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