The Garcini Tower: A Renovation Story of Laughter and Legacy
Hold onto your hats, folks! The Municipality of Barcelona has embarked on a mission to renovate the historic Can Garcini farm in the oh-so-charming Guinardó quarter—because who doesn’t want a bit more drama in their lives? With a staggering 4 million euros on the line, this initiative aims not only to give a facelift to this agricultural relic but also to turn it into a cozy home for the elderly. But wait—there’s more! They’re also throwing in some fancy new estate gardens, which have been promised to become the hottest new social hub for local residents. Because nothing says ‘good times’ like an afternoon spent in a garden watching a bunch of pensioners play chess.
A Project with History and Future
Now, let’s talk about the Garcini Tower. This farmhouse, dating back to the 18th century, isn’t just a brick-and-mortar structure; it’s practically wearing a monocle and a top hat at this point! It serves as one of the best-preserved vestiges of Barcelona’s rural past. The plan? To renovate this beauty while simultaneously keeping its soul intact. The architects promise to respect key heritage elements—think ceramic tiles, hydraulic rajolas, and a few other shiny bits and bobs—because let’s face it, history can’t be bulldozed over, especially not for a spot of modern architecture. They will even keep the oven, fireplace, and that old pozzo—yes, a well—because everyone needs a deep hole for tossing in bad jokes.
Implementation Calendar
And what’s next on this renovation reality show? The municipality plans to launch a tender for the works in the comming months—so stay tuned, folks! They’re aiming to kick off construction in the glorious year of 2025, wrapping it up by the first quarter of 2027. Yes, that’s right, my friends: if you have a new social event to plan, just mark your calendars three years ahead. A quick heads-up: the elderly community will get a shiny new structure of 557 m², so don’t be surprised when your grandma suddenly knows three different apps for social networking. Much to the chagrin of her grandchildren.
The New Garcini Tower: A Space for the Community
But it’s not just about preserving history; it’s about evolving it! This renovation will create diverse spaces for socialization; think computer rooms, cooking laboratories, and reading areas that could double as a cozy escape from the daily grind. Whether you want to bone up on your frying skills or reminisce about the good old days over a game of checkers, there’s something for everyone! The attached building will feature two glorious floors and will host multifunctional rooms, including an assembly hall—because someone has to organize the bingo nights, right? The ground floor, with a grand double-height room, is designed to connect seamlessly with the gardens. Now that’s what I call a well-connected space!
The Gardens: A New Green Lung for the Guinardó Area
As for the surrounding gardens, they are being transformed into a vibrant public open space— because let’s be real, we could all use a bit of fresh air. The design includes various areas, each with specific characteristics. Get ready for:
- The Plaça de l’Era: This will be the beating heart of the gardens, mingling with the Garcini passage like a gossiping neighbor.
- The Floral Laboratory: Perfect for those elderly folks with a green thumb, it will allow them to engage in their gardening whims. Time to grow some veggies!
- A Shade Garden: Creating a secluded enclave to connect with nature without being directly roasted by the sun. A sanctuary from those pesky UV rays!
- Lowland and Fruit Trees: This entrance from Xiprer Street promises to connect visitors to a charming interpretation area of the gardens. Fancy a snack? Go wild!
One innovative aspect of the garden design is the gender-sensitive approach. Yes, you read that right! They want to avoid those mysterious dark corners that feel like the set of a horror film—every path will be fully accessible and buzzing with biodiversity as species that are suited to the local climate are planted. Because, as much as we love a good jump scare, nature triumphs!
A Historic Space with a New Purpose
The Garcini Tower is more than just a historic farmhouse—it’s a ticket to the past with a dash of modernity. It’s here to tell Barcelona’s agricultural tale while weaving the fabric of community life. The gardens, once used for farming flowers, will now serve as a cherished gathering place, replete with the charm of a traditional farmhouse. Keep an eye out for that rectangular plan, tower, and the good old well, which serve as a testament to the city’s roots, all while making sure that heritage elements don’t become ghosts of the past. Talk about a grand fusion!
A Neighborhood Achievement and a Promising Future
Finally, this project isn’t just a simple renovation; it’s an achievement ignited by neighborhood passion. Since 2010, when the farmhouse lay abandoned and the wrecking ball was knocking at the door, the community has rallied together. Fast forward to 2015, when the demolition license was officially canceled, and in 2017, the process of forced expropriation began. Now, the Garcini Tower is preparing for a revitalizing rebirth as a community space—because nothing screams “community achievement” like turning a potential disaster into a sustainable hub of social inclusion and historical significance. Hats off to the local residents who have made this dream a reality!
So, here’s to the Garcini Tower—a space that promises to keep history alive while cultivating future connections among generations. May all our renovated spaces be as lively and filled with laughter as the stories they tell!
The Municipality of Barcelona has announced an ambitious renovation project of the historic building Can Garcini farmlocated in the Guinardó quarter of Horta-Guinardó. With an investment 4 million eurosthis plan will not only preserve one of the most significant vestiges of the city’s agricultural past, but will also create a home for the elderly and will open to the public i estate gardenswhich will be renovated to become a new meeting place for residents of the area.
A project with history and future
The Garcini Towerknown for being one of the best preserved farmhouses in the area, dates back to the 18th century and is one unique testimony to the rural past of Barcelona. The main objective of this project is to renovate the farmhouserespecting its original structure and preserving key heritage elements, such as the ceramic tiles and hydraulic rajolas, which will be recycled and relocated to the first floor. Other emblematic elements such as the oven, fireplace and the pozzo. The intervention involves the construction of a multifunctional annexwhich will allow us to expand the farm’s activities, and the opening of gardens surrounding the farm, which will transform the space into a new one green lung for the Guinardó neighborhood. This project has long been requested by the neighbors, who fought for the Garcini Tower to be preserved and transformed into a space for public use.
Implementation calendar
The municipality plans to launch a tender for the works in the coming monthswhich should start instatus of 2025 and continue until the first quarter of 2027. During this period, work will be carried out on both the farmhouse and the gardens, with the aim of providing a new structure of 557 m² for the neighborhood elderly community.
The new Garcini Tower: a space for the community
The renovation of the Can Garcini farmhouse aims not only to preserve the historical memory of the building, but also to give it one new community function. The senior center will have various spacesincluding a computer room, a cooking laboratory, reading and game rooms and an outdoor gallery for various activities. This space will not only be a meeting place for the elderly, but also a point of reference for the entire community. THE’attached buildingwhich will be built next to the farmhouse, will have two floors and two multifunctional rooms. The ground floor will house a large double height roomwhich will serve as an assembly hall and will be directly connected to the gardens. The upper floor, however, will offer a more intimate space for private activities.
The gardens: a new green lung for the Guinardó area
Rehabilitation also includes intervention on gardens surrounding the farmhousewhich will be transformed into one public open space and accessible. The project involves the creation of different areas with different characteristics and functions:
- The Plaça de l’Era it will be the central space of the gardens, connected to the Garcini passage.
- The floral laboratory it will be a complement to the activities of the farmhouse, allowing the elderly to dedicate themselves to gardening.
- A shade garden it will become a new urban ecosystem that promotes biodiversity.
- The lowland and the fruit treeslocated at the entrance from Xiprer Street, will be an access point that will connect with the interpretation area of the gardens.
One of the highlights of garden design is the approach gender sensitiveavoiding the creation of dark areas or corners that could generate insecurity. The routes will be fully accessible and the biodiversity will be promoted by planting species suited to the local climate.
A historic space with a new purpose
Garcini Tower it is much more than a historic farmhouse. Its value lies in its ability to tell the story of Barcelona’s agricultural past and in its function as social connector for the neighborhood. The gardens, which until recently were productive with the cultivation of flowers, will now be a meeting place for neighbors, preserving the spirit of a traditional farmhouse. The farmhouse, with its rectangular plan, tower and well, will be maintained as testimony to the rural origins of the city. The intervention seeks to preserve heritage elements as much as possibleensuring that both the farmhouse and the gardens become a space in which history and modernity coexist harmoniously.
A neighborhood achievement and a promising future
This project is the result of years of neighborhood mobilization, which began in 2010 when the farmhouse remained uninhabited and was about to be demolished. In 2015 the demolition license was canceled and in 2017 the process of forced expropriation began which finally transformed the Garcini Tower into a public good. Today the Garcini Tower has not only been preserved, but is preparing for one new life as a community space where historical memory, sustainability and social inclusion go hand in hand.
