The Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona is known for its structure of narrow streets, small squares and its intense activity. Inside the neighborhood there are no large green areas and although all the squares have trees, most of them are completely paved without any type of landscaping.
The larger public spaces are located on its perimeter, such as Gala Placidia Square, located between Travesera de Gracia and Vía Augusta, which after an extensive renovation was inaugurated in June of last year and now offers neighbors a total of almost 8,000 square meters.
The renovation of this square, resolved jointly between residents, merchants and the City Council's technical service, attempts to address the needs of the neighborhood's public spaces, adapting its program of uses, mainly, for the little ones. In this sense, the children's play area is recovered and on the other hand, various traditional games such as hopscotch or tic-tac-toe are drawn on the pavement, made of recycled rubber.
The project also promotes the square as a place of stay and meeting for everyone, as it has flower-shaped benches with an incorporated chess set, several ping-pong tables and concrete spheres that are used as a play area or for sitting.
The topography of the site has been a determining factor in the final result of the project that seeks to provide the maximum free space to the neighborhood, conceiving the square as a widening of the streets that converge in it. These slopes are resolved with a continuous green slope, crossed at two points by ramps and stairs that give continuity to pedestrian circulation.
Here we find a planting based on grasses and perennials, among other native plants, of which we highlight some such as _[Tulbaghia violacea](http://www.salagraupera.com/es/cataleg/general/item/tulbaghia-violacea-3)_, _[Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink'](http://www.salagraupera.com/es/cataleg/general/item/gaura-lindheimeri-siskiyou-pink-2)_, _[Pennisetum alopecuroides](http://www.salagraupera.com/es/cataleg/graminies/item/pennisetum-alopecuroides-2)_, and _[Stipa tenuissima](http://www.salagraupera.com/es/cataleg/graminies/item/stipa-tenuissima-2)_, which you can find in the Sala Graupera catalog.
This green strip, in addition to resolving the topography and marking the boundary of the square, integrates the presence of some of the underground FGC services, such as ventilation grilles, emergency exits, a transformer station and a weather station.
As for the trees, new lines are proposed that emphasize the alignment of Vía Augusta and new specimens are implemented with the existing species in the alignment and some new ones in the planters.
With this rehabilitation, a new aspect and new uses are offered to the square, which is transformed into a new green space in the city of Barcelona with plantings conceived under the criteria of sustainable gardening.
Images: eldigital.bcn.cat / Anna Pericas