The emblematic Joan Miró Park, in Esquerra de l'Eixample, will undergo a profound transformation. The preliminary diagnosis reveals that its soils are inert and the trees are growing stunted, so the reform will begin with the subsoil.
Joan Miró Park is preparing for a radical metamorphosis. The residents of Esquerra de l'Eixample already know firsthand, thanks to the team of architects AR47, how this giant green space will be reborn when the Generalitat removes the machines from the Ferrocarrils tunnel. The project, still in the preliminary phase, plans to rebuild the park from its depths, starting with a soil that is almost a desert for roots today.
A soil that does not retain even rainwater
The main problem of the park is the extreme compaction of the ground, a legacy of the old municipal slaughterhouse that occupied those four blocks until 1979. The soils are so inert that they cannot retain rainwater, which goes straight to the sewer. The trees, mostly pines and palm trees, grow stunted and the park has aged poorly, turning into a monoculture that barely changes with the seasons.
According to AR47's diagnosis, the soils will need to be revitalised or replaced several metres deep so that the park can host more diverse and lush vegetation. Every downpour should remain in the subsoil for the plants' benefit, something that does not happen today.
Goodbye to inherited absurdities
The sculpture 'Dona i Ocell' by Joan Miró, located at the corner of Aragó and Tarragona, rests on a hard surface with no blade of green, despite the fact that there is no parking underneath. The project plans to surround it with fertile soil and vegetation. On the other hand, the cover of the underground parking at Tarragona with Diputació, a space impossible for trees, was covered with a high-water-consumption grass bed. It is now proposed to move the asphalt multi-purpose court that occupies the centre of the park there, thus freeing up the central area for greenery.
The park has also suffered occupations such as that of the fire station, which is expected to be relocated in the future. Everything points to the new design betting on permeability and connection: the park must be a place without barriers or complicated ramps to transit from Vilamarí to Tarragona and from Aragó to Diputació.
A garden that looks towards the green axis of Consell de Cent
The reform comes at a time when Barcelona is betting on green axes. Joan Miró Park is the zero kilometre of the green axis of Consell de Cent, an initiative that has been well received and sets the line of action. The project will increase the number and variety of species planted, breaking with the current monoculture of pines and palm trees that makes the seasons invisible.
Starting in September, the drafting of the executive project is expected to begin, which will specify the number of trees and the budget. The works could start in phases from the next municipal mandate. The residents, who already participated in an idea session in May, have now received the diagnosis that confirms their worst fears: the park needs a rebuilding from the subsoil.
The park's soil is so compacted that it is unable to retain even rainwater to provide for the trees, according to AR47's diagnosis.
For the average citizen, the transformation will mean a lusher park, with shade and colour throughout the year, and with more logical access. No more convoluted ramps and paths that lead nowhere. The new Joan Miró will be a space for walking, playing, and breathing, adapted to the climatic and urban reality of the 21st century.
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