Eixample District of Barcelona

Eixample is District 2 of Barcelona. This is the most central district of the city and conists of Eixample left and Eixample right.  Within these areas are several "barrios" or neighbourhoods.  The Sagrada Familia barrio is one of the popular areas for foreigners to buy and rent flats in this district of Barcelona.



 Click here for photos of the architecture in the Eixample area of Barcelona

 Click here for photos of the Sagrada Familia in the Eixample area of Barcelona

 Click here for photos of Casa Batllo in the Eixample area of Barcelona

• The word Eixample in Catalan or Ensanche in Spanish literally  manes “the extension”. The Spanish verb “ensanchar” means to “broaden or widen.” So this district and area of Barcelona takes its name from its purpose – to extend the city of Barcelona.

• This area of Barcelona was created as an extension of the old city of Barcelona to keep pace with the changes that the industrial revolution was starting to bring.  By the mid 19th century a fast growing and increasingly wealthy middle class of Barcelona demanded new, modern and grand residences with more space and better living conditions.

• The Eixample is one of the first attempts at urban planning in the world.  In 1855 the Ajuntament (Council) of Barcelona authorized the demolition of the medieval city walls of the old Barcelona city and in 1859 they held a competition for projects for a big expansion of the city.

• The engineer Ildefons Cerdà (1815-1876) designed the Extension Plan of Barcelona in 1859 as a grid with blocks and straight lines. It is perhaps paradoxical that Gaudi  and Cerda are the two Catalans, who have influenced modern day Barcelona more than any others because Gaudi hated straight lines and Cerda loved them.

• Cerda’s love of straight lines shows in his design of a 1300 hectar grid system of blocks of buildings also called 'manzanas'  measuring 113 x 113 m and covering 14% of the total municipal area at that time

• The Ajuntament (council) of Barcelona didn’t much like the Cerda plan because it more of less left the old city centre the way it was. So they initially picked a plan by Antoni Rovira i Trias. The winning plans had long straight avenues leading out from Plaça Catalunya in a radial fan-like shape. For reasons still unknown orders came from Madrid, after the winner had been picked, that the plan that would be used would be that of lldefons Cerdà.

• Before the Eixample was devised the modern areas of Sants,  Sarrià,  Gràcia and Sant Andreu were still independent villages and not part of Barcelona. The street Passeig de Gracia got its name because this was the road from the then still walled city of Barcelona to the village of Gracia. 

• To ensure maximum quality of life and avoid the overcrowding and congestion of the crampled living conditions of the old city of Barcelona, Cerdas original plan had strict building controls to ensure sunshine, light and gardens in each block. Only in a very few blocks in the modern day Eixample are in accordance with his original plans, but so gardens still exists and many blocks still have large courtyard patios in the middle which provide natural light.

• A feature of Cerdà's plan that thankfully has survived are the 45º diagonally cut corners of each block  called “chaflanes”. This idea was not only to bring light and space between the blocks, but also to give the steam trams room to make their long turns.

• The Eixample consists of a “left and right” area called Eixample Esquerre, which is the area left of the Passeig de Gracia and Eixample Dret, the right side of Passeig de Gràcia. The right side is generally considered to be posher!

• The wonderful avenue of Passeig de Gràcia is the main avenue and where the most expensive and luxurious residential and commercial properties can be found. This is where La Pedrera (Casa Mila) and Casa Battlo can be found.

• In the days before the lift was invented the lower level flats were the most prestigious and the largest and most luxurious flats were found on what is still called the Principal floor,  which is the first above the ground floor.  Many of this high ceiled luxury flats for the building owners featured viewing galleries with high glass windows on the principal floor.  An example of this can be seen at Casa Battlo by Gaudi.  The top floors of buildings were hardest to get to without lifts and were used as servants quarters.

• The Eixample is also the cradle of Catalan modernism. This is where great Catalan architects competed to build fabulous Modernist structures like the Sagrada Famila, the Sant Pau hospital, Casa Amatller, Casa Mila and La Pedrera

• The Passeig de Gràcia is also home to the block called “Mançana de la Discòrdia” which means  “The block of disagreement.”  This is due to three houses in a single block that were designed by prominent Modernist architects but in very different styles. The three famous Modernist houses are Casa Amatller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch , Casa Morera by Domènech i Montaner and Casa Batlló by Gaudí.

• The popular Rambla de Catalunya which runs parallel to Passeig de Gracia was built over a former river called “la Riera d'en Malla” which was covered over.  It used to run all the way to the sea where the La Rambla also is located in the Cuitat Vella
   
     
Eixample area of Barcelona - Main tourist attractions and sights   

• La Sagrada Familia – unfinished Catedral by Antón Gaudi
• Hospital de Sant Pau by Lluís Domènech i Montaner
• Casa Mila – La Pedrera - Building by Antón Gaudi
• Casa Battlo – Building by Antón Gaudi
• Casa Amatller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch
• Casa Morera by Domènech i Montaner
• The Fundacio Antoni Tapies - modern art gallery

   
     
Eixample - Personal opinions from people who live there

Positive: The Eixample in Barcelona is more elegant than the old parts of Barcelona • Clean and organized is what brought me here • Great shopping, excellent public transport few tourists, very central for everything in Barcelona • spacious flats • Good solid buildings quality workmanship • good shopping and dining good nightlife civilized and very safe! • Great roof terraces • Many hotels with great food and bars.

Negative: Heavy traffic on some roads, which can be noisy • Balconies are noisy during week, but great for weekends • Can be monotonous with same blocks everywhere • Could be more green areas.

   
     
Eixample - Real estate perspective of buying flats in Eixample