The site at L'Hospitalet, a suburb on the western fringe of Barcelona, is on a motorway linking the city centre with the airport. The 50 000 m² scheme for Spanish hotel group Hesperia will introduce a mix of uses into an area where there are already residential blocks, hospitals and sports centres.
The centrepiece of the urban park will be a 24-26 storey hotel tower designed as a striking entry point into Barcelona. The four-star, 400-room hotel will be owned by hotel operator Marfit Molins.
Other buildings proposed for the site include a 4500 m² conference centre, a 1500 m² headquarters building for Hesperia, a 2000 m² sports club, a 12 500 m² retail complex with a 12-screen cinema, restaurants, communal centres and a student and senior citizen residence. There are 600 parking spaces.
The Richard Rogers Partnership, working with Barcelona-based architect Alonso I Balaguer will begin scheme design for the masterplan in July 1999, with detailed design due to start in early 2000.
Construction of the urban park will start in September 2000, and is due for completion in spring 2002.
Buro Happold is structural engineer and the M&E contractor is BDSP.
The scheme is the latest in a line of urban regeneration projects that helped Barcelona become the first city to win the RIBA's top award.
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The urban park hotel
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