La Palmera
The Plaza de la Palmera has great importance as it was one of the first spaces won for the city in the beginnings of municipal democracy. It had later become the location of the Ballast Drums Factory which was a source of employment for many immigrants until it’s demolition in the 1980’s. You can still see the original towering chimneys has been preserved here as part of the plaza design – another important icon connecting past and present.
At first arrival on location, you might first notice the great dividing structure here in the park. What, on first glance, seems like a partition is in fact an enormous sculpture, called 'The wall'. IT is formed by two blocks of white concrete- each 53 metres long and three meters tall. It was created in 1984 by American sculptor, Richard Serra’s and was his first public sculpture in Spain. This work is an early representation of his signature minimalist constructions that are in existence today, all around the world, perhaps most popularly know for the Snake at the Guggenheim in Bilboa and the Tilted Arc in New York. However, Serra has not always fared so well in polarity in Spain and over the years the police prevented the lawbreakers from destroying the work many times. It is probably true that a great majority of Barcelonans know more of Serra’ works at the Guggenheim than for their own outdoor piece in the Catalan capital. It could be argued that although The Wall has been protected for it’s historical and artistic value, other features of the park are more beloved by it’s inhabitants and it the social collective. The identity sign in La Plaza de la Palmera of course comes from the iconic palm tree.
It was a palm that gave its name to the square of La Palmera at it’s inauguration in 1984, and, by extension, to the entire neighborhood of its surroundings. The palm had been there, long before the square itself existed or any other developments for that matter- shanty houses, block houses, factories or even sculptures. This final palm was the only one left of the group of 3 that was in the yard of the factory and remained in the public space when the factory was destroyed. They knocked two down and the neighborhood struggled to save the remaining one.
Sadly, in December it had to be removed because it was decaying from the affliction of the Red Spruce Beetle. One neighbour recalls the feelings of sadness as he and his grandchildren watched the city crew divide the dead tree and load the small pieces into the truck for removal. It was obvious that this artifact was quite relevant as more than just the name of the district. Now, a new palm has been installed by the City of Barcelona. However, it is a different species: the original was a canary palm and now a palm of Brazil has been planted.
We can pause to appreciate the reoccurrence of the theme of preservation; one for industry, one for nature and one for art. What is interesting, is when we consider the enablers behind this heritigization efforts and which tokens of the past are most treasured in the hearts of La Palmera?
Photo Source: El Periódico, Associació de Veïns La Palmera
