After The park we visited the Botanical Gardens which are positioned high up on the hillside and have beautiful views over the city to the mountains behind. The Gardens were designed by an interdisciplinary team comprising the architects Carlos Ferrater and Josep Lluís Canosa, the landscape architect Bet Figueras, the horticulturalist Artur Bossy and the biologist Joan Pedrola. The two main considerations during the design of the Gardens were:"Firstly, how the vegetation was to be structured. It was important to plan the layout according to geographic criteria, grouping the plants according to the world’s five Mediterranean regions. Within these regional groupings, moreover, the plants should be combined according to ecological affinity, that is to say, recreating landscapes as they are found in nature.
The second consideration involved creating a project in which the mountain itself provided the topographic conditions for establishing the different plant areas in the Garden. This entailed designing the network of paths around the natural relief and avoiding large earth moving operations as far as possible."
http://www.jardibotanic.bcn.es/11_eng.htm
The result of these two considerations meant a network of paths was created around a series of triangular plots to accommodate the principle plant communities found in Mediterranean climates around the world. Attention was also paid to the available space, mountain slope and soil condition. The design of the space is very clean and beautiful the pathways are cut into the mountainside and seating areas and areas of change in level have different angled triangular shaped retaining walls clad in corten steel. The use of the rusty looking corten steel, brings a different texture to the gardens and creates swathes of orange- brown colour, which complements and enhances the plants around it. There are trellises above some of the seating areas, created by many cords of wire pulled straight and at such angles to each other that the overall finish is a large curve of wire, with climbers making their way along it. I loved the wonder around looking at all the different plant species, you feel above the city and away from the bustle and noise of the city; it' is a very calming and serene place to be. I really appreciated the design of the Gardens, I think it's my favorite piece of Landscape architecture I have seen on this field trip. Especially the pond, the way the triangular shapes are used ti hide and reveal ares of the pond is very beautiful, and the planting surrounding it is perfect.
