The gardens of Canals-Junyer, located in the district of Gràcia, are now open to the public. This new Verde space of almost 1,800 m² in the Vallcarca neighborhood houses an old mansion from the beginning of the 20th century, which was the Danish consulate until the end of the last century.
The Diputació, owner of the building, has ceded it to the Barcelona City Council, which has renovated the gardens to create a community meeting point. The gardens now have a kiosk that will offer a cafeteria service and social and cultural activities will be organized in the mansion, which has been emptied and renovated internally.
The studio in charge of the renovation was Carles Enrich Studio and the project is available for consultation here.
The works, which lasted 10 months, involved an investment of 990,000 euros. The renovation work has respected the original character of the garden, preserving a large permeable area and highlighting historical elements such as merlons, arches and cypresses. Accessible paving has been added and a large gazebo and shaded seating areas have been created.
The space, which was previously only accessible from the Vallcarca viaduct, now has a new access from Gustavo Bécquer street, facilitating the connection between these two areas of the neighborhood. This access includes a 2.4-meter-wide, 13-meter-long staircase, while access from the viaduct is via an accessible ramp.
The landscaping design includes a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), which allows infiltration of rainwater to recharge groundwater reserves, rather than directing it to the sewer. Most of the existing trees have been preserved and a pergola has been built on the northeast side of the building to house the kiosk and its terrace.
The main paving of the gardens is stabilized sauló, maintaining a natural character and complying with accessibility requirements. Gravel and recycled materials have been used in the non-trafficable zones.
The interior of the mansion has undergone a previous restoration, eliminating non-original elements and recovering the roof, one of the most unique heritage elements. In previous phases, an outbuilding was removed and the structure was reinforced with metal profiles.
The interior space has been transformed into an open-plan area 12 meters high, with a hydraulic pavement on the first floor showing past interventions, creating a covered public space linked to the garden for neighborhood, social and cultural uses.