Barcelona Inspiration

¡Feliz Navidad, I have a wonderful break in Barcelona and would like to share my little journey with all of you!

It is such an inspiring place that will definitely remain footprint in my memory.  My very first impression of Barcelona is the movie Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008), to speak frankly, I was too focused on the bizarre attractive relationship of the protagonists and overlooked how the street atmosphere helps to attain the charming force. 

Stepping in the living city, I excitedly find that EVERYWHERE IS AMAZING DESIGN.  It was incomprehensible to describe those design styles: it is traditional but stylish, eccentric but not distant, casual but refine, and special but consistent. (Okay, tell me that adjective now!)

 From Gaudi ‘s great design of Sagranda Familia, Casa Batlló or Casa Mila

To every quarter and street scenes

After I said goodbye to holiday and  read Charles Landry’s  ’The Art of City Making’(2006) today, I coincidently read the case of Barcelona and realize that it is built under thorough design thinking, which could somehow explain its mysterious city charisma.  There is no master plan for the whole city design in advance; however, the small planning for each quarter design contributes to the final master plan.  This explains me the memorable scenes before my eyes are not effortless nature, it is just of seamless cultural management that fill the air with ‘an element of randomness, find something without searching for it.’ (Charles Landry, 2006)

Since I was raised up in a small heritage city as well, the creative atmosphere that Barcelona gave me is more impressive than London’s.  Of course, I came to study here partly because of my admiration to London’s culture. Nonetheless, Barcelona’s city plan is much fitter and applicable in my place.  Gifting with abundant traditional heritages, it has not been trapped to become a ‘dead city’.  Forgive my poor expression, I feel like she is so fashionable with her vintage outfit and mix & match. More impressively, Barcelona does not survive under the ghost of Gaudi (his architecture is really the spirit of the city!!!), nor Picasso or Dali, but its creative labors are able to spread thus precede  their spirit in the contemporary environment.  Overall, Barcelona possesses a strongly distinctive identity through its excellent ride on creation, rearrangement and interpretation in old and new ideas. 

A worthwhile case of creative economy for me to reference and reflect. 

 

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