[Barcelona] Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute - Carlos Ferrater

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Botanical garden: 1995 - 1999, Carlos Ferrater with Josep Lluís Canosa and Elisabeth Figueras
Botanical Institute - 2001-2002, Carlos Ferrater

Barcelona's botanical garden is dedicated to the Mediterranean isoclimatic regions of the world (The Mediterranean basin, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia), hence its motto - "Totes les mediterrànies del món" (All the mediterraneans of the world).
The project uses a deformed triangular grid to define paths and platforms with a minimum modification of the existing topography.
Very few materials are used: Mainly concrete and corten steel. These materials and the project's geometry establish a clear contrast with the natural elements, although through their aging and degradation they're progressively acquiring an interesting "natural" quality.
Built a few years later, the Botanical Institute is a research building, placed in the highest part of the garden, and follows the same discipline in the use of materials, although adopting a more rational form.

Google Earth snapshot

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The following information is relative to the garden, since the Institute is an investigation building, not open to the public.

Adress
Carrer Dr. Font i Quer, 2
Parc of Montjuïc
08038 Barcelona

Opening hours
April, May and September: from Monday to friday, from 10 am to 6 pm
weekends and holidays, from 10 am to 8 pm
June to August: from Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 8 pm
October to March: from Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm
Admission Adults: 3 euros
Free admission last Sunday of every month

How to get there
Metro: Plaça de Espanya station (Line 1 and Line 3) and bus Parc de Montjuïc or 50.
Buses: Parc de Montjuïc, 50 and 55. Bus Parc de Montjuic passes in front of the botanical garden, bus 50 and bus 55 stop in front of the olympic stadium. You need to get off there and go around the east side of the stadium to get to the garden.

Map

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Some web references:
Carlos Ferrater website
Carlos Ferrater on PPB2
Barcelona Botanical Garden website

GE placemark

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Arriving there you see the JARDÍ BOTÀNIC discrete signage in corten steel along the sidewalk

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Path leading to the entrance

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The various regions of the world represented in the garden are identified by corten steel letters placed on the pavement. Detail view

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Going up the ramp

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Bench

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The cuts in the floor slab are very expressive. They're bigger than usual (about 2cm wide) and define trapezoidal sections. I suppose besides their structural purpose they're also used to drain the rainwater away from the pavement. Their geometry also defines the tree planters

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The entrance pavillion is composed by three L shaped concrete walls pointing towards a central space. Each of these walls enclose a different space (ticket office, toilets and a classroom) and they act as retaining walls seen from the outside, allowing the ground and vegetation to flow over them, and defining a sunken patio. This patio is covered by three triangular slabs inclined in different directions.
View towards the entrance