Poblenou

Poblenou, Barcelona is known as the Manchester of Catauyna and has a rich industrial heritage. Poblenou, Barcelona had the largest number of factories in the region at the beginning of the 20th century. During the year 1860 its isolated location was separated from the old city of Ciutadella and had very good connection with the coastal railway system. There were textile industry and other modern industries established hubs in this sector of the city.

Presently, Poblenou, Barcelona is undergoing re-construction and is going through transformation. Imagination is required to mentally draw the pictures of the future shape that this place would acquire currently under construction.

Poblenou, Barcelona faced an industrial decline that was brought about by global reconstructing of the industrial production that began in the late sixties. The old industrial sites were broken up into smaller segments for craftsmen and carpenters. These sites were largely abandoned as well. A small but sizeable community of artists emerged from within this industrial decay. The community contained various members of the artistic community like painters, designers and theater companies, to name just a few.

Little by little, the artistic community moved and achieved a critical mass in the area by the late eighties and formed associations depending on the building and their respective locations. Presently the artistic community faces trouble. Their inexpensive studio space and collective experiment have fallen victim to the combination of rising property values and the 22@plan that plans to convert the industrial areas of Poblenou, Barcelona into a high tech ’knowledge-based’ economically viable zone.

A visit to any of these industrial factories shall evoke the somewhat romantic image of a bohemian artist oozing of creative energy struggling with his art, confined in a decrepit space.