Image by Anna Boluda

Ok, first of all let me clarify this: I am not a big fan of shopping centers. And it is not the kind of place that I normally visit while being in another city -as I find they all so simmilar to each other. But this one has a couple of details that make it very special. 

First of all, this used to be a bullring! And it actually keeps the form and façade of the old place where people used to come and cheer while some animals where tortured to death (just in case you had any doubt about my feelings on bullfighting…). The activity stopped in  1977, and it has just recently reopened. 

The second great thing is the terrace. Get there by climbing several ‘flights’ of escalators that seem to be hanging from nowhere, or through an all-glass elevator that takes you directly to the 5th floor. The views are fantastic, and there are several restaurants and cafeterias  there. Walk all along it till you make the whole circle to get a perfect sense of Barcelona. 

In the inside there are some cinemas, a museum of rock that I haven’t dared to visit yet, more restaurants and the main Spanish and international brand stores: from Mango and Fnac to Benetton and Game. There are a couple of interesting ones though: Natura and Olokuti, both carrying a variety of clothes and nice little stuff for the house with nice design. Some of them are fair trade and ecological products too.  

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Arenas Shopping Center | Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Restaurants | Free
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 385 | Montjuich
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00 (stores) | 10:00 – 00:00 daily (restaurants)

Image by Bill Sinclair

If you enjoy a good art exhibition and really enjoy interesting architecture then check out the CaixaForum, you’ll get to enjoy both.

They host some excellent exhibitions here. One of the current exhibitions, Impressionists, is well worth seeing and runs until February 12th, 2012.

The building, housing five exhibition spaces, a mediateca, a kids’ art workshop, 350 seat auditorium, café-restaurant and gifts & books shop, is a former state-of-the-art textiles factory.Based on a romantic re-invention of a medieval castle, and informed by a Utopian desire to provide an inspiring and safe working environment for its workers, when it opened in 1912 local people refused to believe the building was a factory.

It served as a factory for only eight years. In 1940 the abandoned building was taken over by Franco’s police as a stables and garage. The current complex opened in 2002.

Take the lift to the roof for an closeup look at the decorative brick, tile and ironwork.

They have a good permanent collection – featuring works by artists such as Joseph Beuys, Sol Lewitt (who produced the permanent work you’ll see on the wall in the entrance) and Richard Long.

I often visit the shop for quirky gifts, magazines and books.

And, when done with wandering this inspired and inspiring building, there’s a café-restaurant which serves drinks, snacks and full blown meals.  And, if you enjoy architecture you’ll be pleased to know that the Mies van der Rohe pavilion is just across the street, and Poble Espanyol is just a few hundred metres up the road.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
La CaixaForum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Festivals & events
Avenida de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 6-8 | Montjuich | +34934768600
Mon – Fri & Sun 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 22:00