Barcelona Guide
The waterfront
Vila Olímpica
From any point along the Passeig Marítim, the soaring twin towers of the Olympic village and port impose themselves upon the skyline, while a shimmering golden mirage above the promenade slowly reveals itself to be a huge copper fish (courtesy of Frank O. Gehry, architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim). These are the showpiece manifestations of the huge seafront development constructed for the 1992 Olympics.
The Vila Olímpica (Olympic Village) housed the 15,000 competitors and support staff, with the apartment buildings and residential complexes converted into permanent housing after the Games. It was a controversial plan, not least because the local population from the old industrial neighbourhood of Poble Nou – part of which was destroyed in the process – were excluded as property prices here later soared.
Generally agreed to have been more beneficial is the Port Olímpic, site of the Olympic marina and many of the watersports events. Backed by the city's two tallest buildings – the Torre Mapfre and the steel-framed Hotel Arts Barcelona, both 154m high – the port area has filled up with restaurants, bars, shops and nightspots, and is a major target for visitors and city dwellers at weekends and on summer nights. Two wharves contain the bulk of the action: the Moll de Mestral has a lower deck by the marina lined with cafés, bars and terrassas, while the Moll de Gregal sports a double-decker tier of seafood restaurants.