Cerda: The Barcelona Extension, Traveling Exhibition / x14_historic_walls Exhibit Organizer: Nico Calavita 9/20/03 - 9/27/03

The old city of Barcelona was suffering from one of the highest population densities in
Europe because demolition of its constricting medieval walls was held up. This, together
with other factors, made it impossible for its inhabitants to achieve a decent living
environment. Barcelona’s urban fabric had all the features of a medieval town unable to
cope with the expansion brought about by the Industrial Revolution.
This area of the exhibition analyses (with the use of photographs) the urban planning
features of Ciutat Vella, the old city. Everything, from the photograph of the inner
courtyard of a block of flats to the one of the whole city, ranging through the streets and
the street-blocks, stresses how degraded the city was in the mid-19th century.