Comments on: Las Arenas – From Boom to Bust and Bust-Ups http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/ Journalist based in Barcelona Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:29:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Anonymous http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3521 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:57:45 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3521 querias las arenas ,

participo en una challenge y necesito una foto de un hombre que lleva
una chaqueta naranje con la palabra “ypd” y que visita la arena en este momente. podría tocar
una foto para me?

gracias
barbara

]]> By: Las Arenas bullring - Barcelona blog - Barcelona food, history, buildings, travel, culture and weirdness http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3520 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:54:32 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3520 [...] Excellent article on the woes of Las Arenas bullring by journalist Nicholas John Mead. Barcelona is already famous for problems that have beset the Sagrada Familia, but for the last two years the prestigious €100m Las Arenas bullring restoration project in Plaça Espanya has run into setback after setback with contruction only resuming a few weeks ago. Read here [...]

]]> By: admin http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3519 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:50:26 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3519 You summed it up Adjoa. The race to make a name and cash by builders and architects in Spain has been particularly damaging since a huge part of the economy was based on its continued growth. No one wanted to wake up to the dangers of it in the same way as no one wanted to wake-up to the dangers of living on credit in the USA.

The claim by Alonso that he lifted an entire bullring 4 meters off of the ground is one of the more astonishing examples of an architect trying to make a name for himself however. I am no expert of course but I was reliably informed by an insider that it definitely isn’t possible and is the main reason that the British architects have vowed never to work with him again.

]]> By: Adjoa-Gennesaret http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3518 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:40:43 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3518 What physicians are to the health industry, architects are to planning: gods among mere mortals. It does not matter the financial ramifications a city may face; to make a name for oneself is the end all, be all in that profession (architecture).

Although I have to admit, the 4 meters above ground feat is impressive. I’d want credit for that, too.

]]> By: admin http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3517 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:46:52 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3517 I’m inclined to agree with you Brett. There are plenty of retail and leisure facilities to indulge yourself in in Barcelona and some kind of museum to a barbaric sport would have been a fitting way for Barcelona to take a stand against a bull fighting.

The impression I got from writing this is that massaging the egos of certain architects and further enriching a construction industry that was already wildly out of control was the main driving force of the project than any such cultural concerns.

PS Still can’t leave comments on your site. Think there might be something wrong.

]]> By: Brett Hetherington http://nicholasmead.com/2010/03/07/las-arenas-%e2%80%93-from-boom-to-bust-and-bust-ups/#comment-3516 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:47:31 +0000 http://nicholasmead.com/?p=1512#comment-3516 “Another huge shopping and retail park?” This is a symbol of cultural ambition being lost…And replacing it with self-indulgent retail wankery.

Since it used to be a bull ring, why not instead turn it into some kind of historical museum of an “art” that is no longer supported by the majority of people living in Catalonia? A memorial to the soon-to-be-lost “sport” of bullfighting and a clear sign that this part of the world is coming to realise that cruelty to animals is wrong.

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