Vazquez-Montalban said: “Barcelona It is a northern city in a southern country.” And he was right. still owns a Nordic vision, but with the Spanish salt shaker.
In the Olympic context of Barcelona 92, design was essential for the new image of the city and the catalyst for important changes. Yes, they wanted to flee from the bulls, the paella and the sevillanas.
“Until then, Barcelona was a city closed to the sea. Without the rounds or many of the category hotels. I remember that, to get out of it, you had to cross it entirely on one side of Diagonal or on the other. There was no more left! Later, all that improved, however, a lot of tourism was won,” he says. the tennis player Sergio Casal.
The tennis player Sergio Casal.
In the month of October 1986 there were other cities aspiring to the Jocs: Paris, Belgrade, Brisbane, Birmingham and Amsterdam. But ours won, everyone's.
When asking Casal where he was when he heard about “In the city of... Barcelona”, which was delivered by Juan Antonio Samaranch –and which is now history–, he evokes: “I was playing in Vienna. The following week I competed in the best tournament of my career in Paris, beating John McEnroe. So that announcement made me lucky and I will never forget it.”
Nani Marquina.
For the designer Nanimarquina, “Pascual Maragall and his team, together with the architect Oriol Bohigas, they knew how to value the very different trait that Barcelona offered. At that time the city was already a pioneer in design, a boiling character was noticeable, a new and enterprising vision. It was a success to connect the culture, the Mediterranean character, the creativity and the artistic vision and present it to the eyes of the world”.
Another who was in his early thirties was the same son of Samaranch. “ In the late eighties, he lived in New York and worked on Wall Street. I had just started banking and had to ask for a holiday to go to Lausanne. I wanted to be by my father's side. I did not participate in the candidacy but I wanted to be part of it and live it with my family”, recognizes Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, member of the International Olympic Committee.
Barcelona Olympic Stadium.
The Olympics were a project to which all citizens signed up, no matter what political ideology they professed. Civil society was mixed with politics. Each one very motivated to welcome those who came from outside. You were nobody if you hadn't volunteered.
Young anarchists or punks were seen controlling the entrances to the stadiums. Because actually, during those days, certain clichés were broken. With much premonition Friends forever it was the best hashtags ever created and a whole hit polyglot musical (at the height of Rosalia).
And the illusion in the public, without a shred of doubt and with devotion, the most pursued goal for a contemporary Instagram account. Would the same be true today, when it seems that we must have radical opinions, put them in a digital manifesto and find an audience that supports them?
Hotel W Barcelona.
“In '92 I didn't experience the Olympics like an ordinary citizen. I was a host, my parents had many commitments and My mission was to show the city to people from all over the world. I was lucky enough to see Barcelona through the eyes of someone who discovers it for the first time”, reveals Samaranch.
Needless to say, 1992 was fundamental for Barcelona, and the urban modifications were developed with an excellent approach: whatever brick was laid had to make sense after the fifteen days of the championships.
Also, neighborhoods that had been abandoned began to be taken into account in order to make a more extensive and beautiful city. And as precious as it still is after 30 years. "I remember the adjective 'design' in places, objects, streets... It spoke of something new, different and that not everyone understood. Y Life after 11:00 p.m. also comes to mind”, admits Nani.
Mariscal's exclusive illustration for Condé Nast Traveler: Cobi today.
If we wanted to recreate this dream, we should go eat Nibble either The flute on a shopping spree Pilma, Jean Pierre Bua or Camper. And visit the showrooms of Lydia Delgado, Josep Abril and Antoni Miró.
But the Samaranch route began in Plaça de Sant Felip Neri. And he ended up at the Up & Down disco or in the fascinating atmosphere that was breathed in Montjuic and the bars of the Port Olímpic. "But the moderns went to Otto Zutz," he laughs.
Something that Casal subscribes that, in terms of nightlife, I would add: “Sidecar, which is still very authentic; Estudio 54 Paral.lel, now Bars room; Zeleste, now Razzmatazz and with another location; Mirablau and Pipa Club”.
Joan Bayén, who carried the Olympic torch, behind the bar of the legendary Pinotxo bar.
Nani adds: “A great plan is to walk around The Olympic Village of Poblenou. Wonderful! It was a big change in the traditional neighborhood, that was enabled as a residence for athletes, gaining space to a completely industrial area. Another is to go to Olympic Stadium, in Montjuic, which was built in 29 and was fully restored for the Olympics, and the Torre Collserola, by Norman Foster, a symbol that crowns the highest part of the city”.
How has Barcelona changed? “In the nineties there was a spectacular transformation: beaches, airports, buildings, hotels... however, the greatest metamorphosis we had was in the increase of our level of self-esteem. The message that we repeated to ourselves was this: 'We have impressed the world, we are very good'. There was a general pride of belonging here, in Madrid and in Badajoz. I'll tell you one thing: I continue to trust in the city's potential”, concludes Juan Antonio.
Javier Mariscal, sitting on a stool of his own design, in the gardens of Palo Alto.
A TALK WITH MARISCAL
CNT. Were the 1992 Barcelona Olympics the best in history?
JM That they were the best Olympics, only we say it, each country defends that theirs are the best. It is true that we broke with a past of dictatorship and civil war, a democracy arrived and in 1992, when a decade had already passed, the party arose. It was the demonstration that Spain was modern.
CNT. But we cannot forget that they were profitable.
JM Until '92, the Olympics made a lot of money, but there could be no publicity. And I, to the man from the IOC (referring to Samaranch Senior), said: "Hey, man, since you have millionaire agreements with the brands (Coca-Cola, Iberia and Danone), Offer them a personalized Cobi and this is how the Olympics are promoted internationally. It also favored that, at a technological level, a button on the TV was pressed and the signal was given throughout the world. For the first time it was possible to add texts, logos, split the screen in two or direct from distant places.
Creation of Marshal prior to Cobi.
CNT. It seems that you don't care too much...
JM I think it's better to hold an Olympics than a war, obviously, but beyond that, I'm not very attracted to them. The best, the fastest... are concepts that do not interest me. In the end, it's about being there in the pool every day, eating hard-boiled eggs to beat the Russian for two seconds.
CNT. Another of the premises was innovation.
JM And the adventure of jumping off a cliff. One year before the opening show, Mediterranean, of La Fura dels Baus, the theater company was immersed in a play in which the actors carried bags of chickpeas and beans in their bellies. And they threw them on top of the public in a simulated vomiting. Or the same Tricycle! Go figure.
Palau Sant Jordi.
CNT. In this process, you had something to do, right?
JM The choice of that puppet [he refers to Cobi] was a contest and the truth is that I was convinced that they would give it to Peret or one of those, hahahaha! Because being “the official” gives respect. If they chose that pet with such risk, it was because there was a jury of 20 people chaired by Maragall who wanted something that would break. He understood that if there is no risk there is no emotion. Cobi was very cute, affectionate and traveled. He was not a super athlete and he would never be number 1, but he ate bread with tomato, beer, olives... in a wonderful environment. He could be any of us.
CNT. However, and as impossible as it sounds, when he showed up he had a low acceptance rate.
JM Certain. At the end of the event, the acceptance among the Spanish public was 81%. That is very good! For my parents, anything was a scandal and we were only a generation apart. It was revolutionary!
The diffusion tower by Santiago Calatrava, built between 1989 and 1992.
WHAT WAS BUILT FOR THE OLYMPICS... AND CAN BE VISIT TODAY
Escullera Pool (Barcelona Swimming Club), Passeig de Joan de Borbó, 93. The CNB has more than 100 years of history and is a sports and social benchmark. This pool is one of four in the club, including a saltwater pool.
Hotel Arts, Carrer de la Marina, 19-21. The best way to sleep on the waves. It is only equaled in height by the Mapfre Tower (154 m). They know Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Mick Jagger or Madonna, who have stayed there.
The Shrimp (Marshal), Passeig de Colón, towards Barceloneta. Mariscal's work, has remained as a memory of the disappeared Gambrinus restaurant, owned by a close friend of his. Barcelona in its pure state.
Olympic Port, Passeig Marítim of Port Olímpic. It was designed by the architects Bohigas, Martorell, Mackay and Puigdomènech. His nightlife went through a dark time, but continues to maintain an interesting gastronomic proposal.
Rehabilitation of the Olympic Stadium, Passeig Olímpic, 15-17. The original stadium was opened in 1929 and was completely transformed to host the Olympic Games. It is the objective of any musical group, it is at the level of a return of Mecano or the reception of The Weeknd.
Palau Sant Jordi, Passeig Olimpic, 5-7. One of the emblems of the city, it is located on Montjuïc and hosts the best music concerts, family shows and sporting events. His billboard always has something to sign up for.
Telefònica communications tower, Montjuic. Also known as Torre Calatrava, in addition to its specific function, it is a true work of art and a symbol of Barcelona.
Collserola Tower, Road from Vallvidrera to Tibidabo, S/N. Ideal for going for a walk or an excursion, it is the work of Norman Foster and is 445.5 meters above sea level, near Tibidabo Park.
Olympic Channel, Av. del Canal Olímpic, 2. You will find it in Castelldefels and it is one of the most up-to-date spaces, now they offer cable skiing, a wakeboard school, wakeskate... and they have a native crab (what-you-read).
mapfre tower, Marina, 16. By the architects Íñigo Ortiz and Enrique de León, it is one of the tallest buildings in Spain, together with the Hotel Arts, both protagonists of the city's skyline.