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The newly redeveloped Santa Caterina market in La Ribera district of Barcelona is definite highlight for visitors keen on the bustle of shopping for food in a traditional market or admiring beautifully displayed local products.There had been a market on the site, located near the Gothic cathedral, since 1848, but 150 odd years of existence had taken their toll and in 1997 the commission for a new design was won by a husband and wife team of Catalan architects.
Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue did a wonderful job of including three facades of the original building and somehow successfully combining the food market, low rent housing for senior citizens, a car park and an organic waste depository all under one roof.And what a roof it is!Certainly the star of the building´s design, it is a brightly coloured curving masterpiece, resting elegantly on steel arches.Hung with ceramic tiles from Seville, many of the roof panels had to be cut by hand to accommodate the many curves, the result proving a great success in marrying old techniques with new architectural vision.
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There are a hundred or so stalls in the market selling local products of almost every description, and it would be entirely possible to shop here and avoid trips to nondescript supermarkets altogether.An innovative concession to the modern age is the inclusion of online shopping; to date 30 of the market’s stalls can receive orders placed by email and then deliver goods to the customer’s home.Cashpoints are also located amongst the stalls and these useful developments are sure to generate a love of market shopping in younger generations.
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The market also houses Cuines, an excellent restaurant that offers 4 varieties of food; Asian, Mediterranean, Italian and vegetarian (hence the name Cuines, meaning kitchens in Catalan).Owned by the omnipresent Tragaluz group, the quality is high and the prices reasonable with the advantage of dishes to suit almost everyone; there is also a delicious tapas bar by the entrance.
Santa Caterina market: Avda Francesc Cambó, across Via Laietana from the catedral.
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TRANSPORT |
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Barcelona tourist apartments close tourist places, cheap vacation rental, flats by days close to Ramblas, large list of central and quality apartments in Barcelona to rent for busines or holidays. Online reservation system 24 h. |
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