In order to recover a corner house in the old town of the small Tarragona town of Riudoms, the studio Gallego Arquitectura intervenes by putting the existing in value a project that hybridizes traditional and industrialized construction in a harmonious and sincere way the rehabilitation of the house becomes a reflection on the capacity of architecture to dialogue with time while celebrating the balance between the old and the new and efficiently distributing the spaces that respond to the contemporary needs of a home Located on a corner plot, the house renovation developed by Gallego Arquitectura presents the kitchen as a backbone that acts as a temporary meeting point and fluidly connects the original volume with the proposed extension thus responding to both functionality and aesthetics that respect the materials by treating the stone and the masonry with the lightness of the metal structure and glass This project results in an exercise of delicacy and attention that dialogues with time and also with the environment with which it relates directly through apparently arbitrary openings that are governed by an internal logic where the original building and the extension and whose materials come together to create a serene atmosphere where each element contributes to an experience Project description by Gallego Arquitectura The project restores a corner house in the historic center of a small town in the Camp de Tarragona region Gallego Arquitectura studio works on this hybrid project between traditional and industrialised construction enhancing everything that existed before the intervention consolidating and showcasing the original elements to integrate them harmoniously The most significant gesture in terms of distribution is the placement of the kitchen which serves as the central axis of the house it acts as a meeting point between the past and the future seamlessly connecting the original volume with the contemporary extension This decision creates a new spatial narrative that responds to both functionality and aesthetics with the openings in the original building and the extension having different proportions This respects the traditional construction system These perforations not only engage with light and views but also establish an intimate relationship with the urban environment The ground floor base not only frames the openings but also links them with the surroundings The material treatment combines the solidity of stone and brickwork with the lightness of the metal structure and glass white is used to unify the space while highlighting the elements that have been preserved from the original building The warmth of the wood and the delicacy of the metal elements evoke an atmosphere of serenity where each element contributes to a cohesive and peaceful experience This renovation goes beyond mere functionality to become a reflection on the ability of architecture to engage with time The proposal celebrates the balance between the old and the new offering a space that feels contemporary yet rooted capable of meeting present-day needs without losing the essence of its past Gallego Arquitectura Project year.- 2020.Construction year.- 2021-2024 Adrià Nuñez. Archive REMODELING-RENOVATION First published: November 19, 2024 01:26 PM A new Antoni Gaudí biography delves into the famous Catalan architect's life and work, with the author Armand Puig attempting to "relate the figure to his work."  Puig, a priest, historian, and writer, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the book – published in Catalan (Antoni Gaudí, Vida i Obra) by Portic and in Spanish by Arpa offers "rigor and a credible perspective” and “does not rely on stereotypes."  Puig aims to convey to readers that Gaudí was "a person of exceptional quality from the perspective of technique and architecture," but also "from the standpoint of love and his Christian convictions."  One Sunday afternoon in May 2010, Puig decided to visit the Sagrada Família, Gaudí's most famous building. "I entered, and at that moment," he said, "I felt touched by the wing of an angel passing by, and I understood that I had to explain what I was seeing and feeling. That was when I began my 'love story' with Gaudí."  That year, in 2010, he published a book on the Sagrada Família. Since then, he has been delving deeper into Gaudí’s life and work.  A biography should be "as objective as possible so that the reader can form an idea of the person," according to Puig.   He acknowledged that documentary sources about Gaudí are scarce because he wrote almost nothing, except for a manuscript from Reus.  "Gaudí dedicated himself to explaining what he had to explain through his works, and that’s why Gaudí's writing is architecture."   Puig believes the book offers rigor and a credible vision, avoiding stereotypes. "Gaudí turns out to be a person whom I understand to be a saint, with supernatural and natural virtues, along with faults and imperfections." Gaudí knew he was a great architect, but in the second phase of his life, he lost the pride he had in the first phase, Puig explains. "There’s one thing he never overcame: his bad temper, which he had until the very end," he admitted.  On whether Gaudí was born in the town of Reus in southern Catalonia, or nearby Ruidoms, Puig says: "Gaudí is from Reus, but he was in love with Riudoms, and at certain moments, he says he is from Riudoms – not because he really was, but because he felt emotionally connected to it."  "People from Riudoms claim that he was born there, but there is no document saying that he was born in Riudoms; he always signs documents stating that he was born in Reus."  Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone A museum in the Chinese city of Shenzhen has opened its doors to host a fascinating exhibition on the renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí Under the title “The Sounds of Gaudí in Riudoms” the exhibition offers visitors an immersive experience in the childhood and youth of the architectural genius in the town of Riudoms which occupies almost 2,000 square meters on the 49th floor of the Sky Museum in Shenzhen offers a unique insight into Gaudí’s origins and his link to Riudoms Organized by a Chinese promoter in collaboration with the City Council of Riudoms and the support of the Chinese authorities the exhibition seeks to pay tribute to the municipality that inspired the architect since his early years The Sounds of Gaudí in Riudoms’ focuses on three main elements: photographs Through dozens of photographs of Riudoms and its natural environment visitors can immerse themselves in the places that marked Gaudí’s childhood the ancestral home of his family and the Mas de la Calderera The images capture the essence and landscape that inspired the young Gaudí in his creative development the exhibition presents models and large-format elements inspired by the nature that surrounded Gaudí in his youth these elements reflect the architect’s deep connection to the natural surroundings of Riudoms A 40-meter long wall that represents the characteristic stone of the Baix Camp landscape is especially noteworthy A unique feature of the exhibition are the large-format sculptures by the artist Josep Cerdà These sculptures allow visitors to experience the sounds of the environment riudomense from the armed of Easter to the murmur of the stream of Maspujols the exhibition offers an immersive and multisensory perspective of Gaudí’s life in Riudoms The exhibition not only offers a retrospective look at Gaudí’s childhood and youth but also seeks to promote cultural and tourist collaboration between Riudoms and China the Riudoms City Council is exploring opportunities to export local products such as bottles of olive oil from the Riudoms Agricultural Cooperative The Sounds of Gaudí in Riudoms’ offers visitors to Shenzhen a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the life and legacy of the iconic Catalan architect while establishing cultural and commercial ties between Riudoms and China Stock images by Depositphotos La venta de la nuda propiedad Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media Cuatrecasas advises Serveis i Administracions Masergrup on acquiring all the share capital of Comercial Agroalimentaria Let us know your interests and receive our legal alerts: These allow the user to browse the website and use the different options or services that it provides They enable the website operation and management The website cannot function properly without these cookies These enable a website to store information such as the preferred language or location of the user and adjust its aspect and settings accordingly These enable user behavior on the website to be tracked and analyzed The information collected using this type of cookies is used to measure website activity and analyze usage data to introduce improvements Spain-based Fruselva is part of the Masergrup group which also owns assets in alcoholic drinks Spain’s Masergrup and its sister company Fruselva have acquired local cooking sauces broths and vegetable drinks business Costa Concentrados Levantinos traces its roots to 1897 when it was set up by the Costa family The company was taken over by businessman Joan Escoda in 2002 and is primarily engaged in the production of plant-based products such as the Amandin brand of beverages soups and pasta and the Costa Eco line of cooking sauces and vegetable-based milks a co-manufacturer of baby and toddler pouch-based foods stretching across fruit Reus-based Masergrup also operates in alcohol beverages such as wine and Spanish vermouth through its Vermuts Miró business Financial terms behind the Costa Concentrados Levantinos purchase were not disclosed in a statement from Fruselva in a transaction struck just before the Christmas holiday break The acquired business is also a co-packer for retailers as well as its own brands Fruselva was set up in 2008 and supplies international markets from its two factories in Chile and Colombia Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The acquisition marks Fruselva’s return to Spain in the context of production as the business gains control of the Riudoms factory The key objective behind the deal for Costa Concentrados Levantinos is to build up a further presence in the plant-based foods sector Fruselva explained its thinking behind the deal: “The group will add a complete plant-based range to their portfolio of baby-food products within their sustainability strategy and offering accessible It added “one of the main objectives is to establish new alliances within the plant-based industry with recognised leading companies in the sector” Fruselva said it expects to generate a turnover for 2023 of more than €80m ($87.2m) an increase of almost 36% from the previous year It is targeting a turnover of €120m for 2024 Nominations are now open for the prestigious Just Food Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation This is your chance to showcase your achievements Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network By Ted Trainer Within alternative movements there is much interest in introducing local currencies and they have been central elements in many Transition Towns and other initiatives  Unfortunately I think most of these have been quite misguided failing to grasp the power a local currency can have and not likely to make a significant contribution to goals such as town sustainability and resilience In the sad history of the world a major role has been played by power over currency have been in a position to determine what happens simply by being able to decide what it will be lent for  At one point the Duke of Wellington was almost defeated but was able to go on and win when the Rothschild bank decided to lend him a lot of money Lincoln probably would have lost the American civil war because the banks refused to lend him money (on reasonable terms) but he did what Transition Towns should do he created his own money and spent it on what he needed just and delightful economies we are going to create we local citizens will be in control of just about everything And the new currencies we will introduce will be the most powerful device we have for developing the systems we want But this will only be so if they are carefully designed and introduced to bring about the desired outcomes Unfortunately most of the local currencies I am aware of are totally lacking in sensible design reveal no understanding of how best to use a local currency The most common form of local currency implemented in alternative initiatives today involves merely substituting a new note to be used instead of the existing normal/national currency For example people can buy Bristol pounds by paying UK pounds for them That can make almost no significant difference to the structure and functioning of the town or contribute to the development of the kind of new ventures and infrastructures needed Above all it can do little or nothing to get the many currently idle resources and people into newly created productive employment That is the extremely important function local currencies can perform and it is a crucial element in the revolution we have to achieve The common argument is that the new local pound encourages local purchasing because it can’t be spent outside the town But anyone who understands the importance of buying local will be doing that already  Anyone who doesn’t will buy what’s cheapest  Obviously what matters here is getting people to understand why it’s important to buy local; just substituting a local currency won’t make much difference to that (…although it probably does increase public awareness and readiness to buy from local producers and it can have good effects on social cohesion.)  Note that substituting does not create additional money; it does not add to the money supply or increase the things that can be paid for or done currencies which depreciate with time miss the point and are unnecessary  Anyone who understands the situation does not need to be penalised for holding new money and not spending it  In any case it’s wrong-headed to set out to encourage spending; people should buy as little as they can and any economy in which you feel an obligation to spend to make work for someone else is an idiotic economy In a sensible economy there is only enough work producing and spending and use of money as is necessary to ensure all have sufficient for a good quality of life The main purpose of a local currency: Getting unused productive capacity into action The simplest old LETS system provides a good illustration Consider a situation where Fred can produce carrots and wants bread but can’t get any because he has no money and Mary can produce bread and wants carrots but can’t buy any because she too has no money Mary can then say “Thanks for the carrots Fred; I now owe you one dollar because we agreed that’s what they were worth.” Fred will say I now owe you one dollar because we agreed that’s what that amount of bread was worth.” In a thriving LETS system with many participants a person holding an IOU worth one dollar can use it to buy one dollars worth of anything any other member has to sell that is as a newly created currency which enables production and exchange between people who have no normal/national money at all Thus a form of currency has been created that puts previously idle resources and people to work supplying each other with necessities the notes or electronic records are not central here; what matters is the organisation the arrangements that have been set up to enable desirable economic interaction to begin enabling everyone to keep track of how much they have contributed and what they owe and what they have earned the right to receive Note that this new form of money does not need to be borrowed from anyone and there is no need to go into debt to get it or to pay interest on the amount you have And no bank has any say in what it is used for or can refuse to make money available for a purpose that doesn’t suit it Here is an indication of the basic application that I see as the fundamental mechanism for towns starting to get control of their situation Our Community Development Cooperative sets up a community garden and invites people to come and work in it especially those who are unemployed or homeless  Time contributions are recorded so that later produce can be shared in proportion to contributions The record represents “income” in a form like an IOU It can be used to “buy” garden produce when it becomes available In time when the CDC has set up many similar ventures “work” time put in at the garden can be used to get goods from the clothing or bread baking or orchard co-op There are some very large scale versions of this money-creation process in operation for instance whereby big corporations trade with each other without using any normal money let alone having to borrow it at interest to be able to purchase They do this simply by registering at a central agency the amounts owed for goods purchased etc But it is at the town level where the revolutionary potential lies For instance a council might print an amount of new money and use it to set up little businesses providing jobs for unemployed people to produce things they need The council tells everyone that it will accept this money as payment for council rates The new money the council receives as rate payments can then be used to purchase some of the labour and supplies it needs from the ventures being set up thereby completing the money’s circular flow The newly employed people can buy things from other firms paying for them with the new money because those firms know they can use the money to pay part of their tax In Simpler Way transition thinking we refer to this as Economy B which the Community Development Cooperative works to expand as the arena in which socially necessary but neglected production can be undertaken underneath the old Economy A that fails to attend to them  We can run Economy B via thoroughly participatory control mechanisms and with no reference whatsoever to what banks or corporations think what is happening in the global economy or what maximises profits and GDP Economy B is us taking some/more control of our own fate via rational collective application of our resources to our needs  In the near future as Economy A increasingly self-destructs more and more people will start to participate in Economy B In the longer term we will be able to see how much of Economy A it makes sense to retain  It could be that many unimportant things could be left to it or that we agree to phase it out completely It is at the national level where this approach can have its most profound effects At present we have the extremely idiotic situation where governments borrow large sums of money from private banks to build infrastructures etc. and then have to pay it back with interest  Ellen Brown (2011) estimates that over a 24 year period Americans paid over $8 trillion in interest on the federal debt alone  Where do the banks get the money to lend to corporations and governments  They “print” it (… now electronically.) But as Ellen and many others have pointed out governments could create/print all their own money and issue it via their central banks and thereby prevent billions of taxpayer’s dollars flowing into the coffers of the super rich every year in its efforts to solve the Global Financail Crisis (GFC)to  the US government printed and gave (to the rich) several trillion dollars (The Australian Rudd government had the sense to give $900 to every Australian and this is why we got through the GFC better than the rest.) Monetary reform movements around the world are trying to get rid of the present absurd system which lets private banks print and issue money in the form of debt to them and to constantly rake in billions But it is not the savings that are most important here it is the power to determine development and distribution Just as our town CDC can decide what activities to set up using the money it can create a government that “prints” its own money can lend or give it to those wishing to set up socially desirable activities  It can take away from the Rothschilds the power to decide what will be developed The existing banks will only lend if you can pay their high-as-possible interest rates so loans go mostly to firms producing consumer rubbish for the few in rich countries  Banks never lend to the most needed projects Why then doesn’t Greece issue its own money and enable the setting up of many little farms and shops so that millions of people could start producing the necessities desperately needed  Greece is full of Freds and Marys capable of producing what each other needs but who can’t do that simply because they can’t get a little money to set up a tiny business  Why doesn’t the Greek government print something like an IOU to get all this going The banks which lent recklessly to Greece (whose elites bear some of the blame) now have the power to decide Greek national policy and they gear it to repaying the impossible debt  This includes redirecting funds from welfare to debt repayment and selling national assets (to foreign investors at bargain basement prices) Throughout history this has been one of the main ways the super rich get richer; when debtors can’t meet their interest payments they buy up the debtors’ assets cheaply because they are in no position to argue Similarly the conditions put on loans from the IMF and World Bank force just about all Third World countries to gear national economic activity to repaying the debt and thus to direct it away from meeting internal needs  If they could set up an Economy B it would enable lots of labour timber and talent to go into producing what people need … but that would mean these productive resources were not flowing into activities that benefit the owners of capital and rich word consumers How convenient that the Structural Adjustment Packages prevent poor countries from applying their resources to meeting their needs At the town level what matters most is not the employment and firms that are created when a local currency is introduced with that intent  What matters most is that the process engages local people in the early steps towards having taken control of their situation  The global predicament involves levels of resource use that are far beyond sustainable and control by distant globalised forces which inevitably drive to greater growth and enrichment of the rich There can be no solution to this apart from transition to mostly small scale localised and largely self-governing communities which rationally and collectively gear local productive capacity to meeting local needs The crucial step in this transition is the realisation that we have to get together to run our town to meet our needs cannot be left to global market forces or distant government or what will maximise the profits of corporations  When we implement forms of money which bring with them the power to determine what will be developed we are introducing and reinforcing the understanding that we can choose how to build our town into the form we want We don’t have to remain at the mercy of those who presently control money supply Such is the immense power over development and the lives of billions that comes with the capacity to create and lend money  So it is very unfortunate that alternative movements seem to have little understanding of the fact that we can very easily take much of that power away from the 1% but only if we create and use new money in those ways that will enable the miracles  Just substituting eco-dollars for normal dollars won’t do it For a more detailed discussion see TSW: Money, Banking, Debt, Interest and Local Currencies Featured Image: Bank note used in Riudoms during Spanish Civil War (15 June 1937). Via Wikimedia Commons. Ted Trainer is a Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences He has taught and written about sustainability and justice issues for many years an alternative lifestyle educational site near Sydney Many of his writings are available free at his website The Simpler Way By Helena Norberg-Hodge, Henry Coleman, Local Futures we need to condemn globalization loud and clear And we need a cohesive strategy that moves us sensibly and sanely in the opposite direction By Tom Murphy, Do the Math Asked if he could fathom trading modern life for a pre-agricultural lifestyle Leavers exposed to modernity have consistently tried to return to their Leaver lifestyles—often rendered impossible by the destructive acts of Takers By Shodo Spring Resilience is a program of Post Carbon Institute a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world transition away from fossil fuels and build sustainable Reposting Policy | Privacy Policy This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Antoni Gaudí’s work has left an indelible mark on Barcelona with iconic monuments such as the Sagrada Família one of his lesser-known creations can be found in an unexpected corner: the Ciutadella Park is home to a hidden gem in plain sight: a gate designed by the young Gaudí Although less imposing than his most famous works the gate at Ciutadella Park is an intriguing example of his ability to fuse art and functionality he was commissioned to design this gate as part of a larger project led by his mentor the master builder Josep Fontserè i Mestres a native of Riudoms and protector of the young architect is one kilometer long and has 132 linking columns and seven gates Three of them are located on Paseo de Picasso three others on Paseo de Pujades and one on Princesa Street The main doors are notable for their nine-meter-high columns accompanied by four-meter-high auxiliary columns These entrances are crowned by chandeliers that were originally lit by gas flames with the war helmet of James I of Aragon and a winged dragon adds a touch of majesty and integrates harmoniously with the design of the gate The construction of the gate was carried out by the foundry “Nueva Vulcano” and the workshops of Marià Rifà i Rumeu editor of “La Ilustració Catalana” and Gaudí’s partner in “La Catalanista” published an engraving of the gate along with a laudatory commentary recognizing the young architect’s paternity in the design sculptures were added to the main gates in 1885 Venanci Vallmitjana was in charge of sculpting the statues of Industry and Commerce His brother Agapit Vallmitjana created the statues of Agriculture and the Navy were a prominent tourist attraction in Barcelona during the 19th century They appeared in city guides and photographic collections of the time besides being one of the most important green lungs of the city is a meeting place for both locals and tourists This space is located in the heart of Barcelona It is a quiet refuge that contrasts with the urban bustle Gaudí’s gate is an element that many visitors overlook the structure of the gate may appear simple but closer inspection reveals the unique details that characterize Gaudí’s style The organic shapes that decorate the structure are a reflection of his constant inspiration from nature The curved lines and plant motifs blend perfectly with the natural surroundings of the park demonstrating the architect’s mastery in the use of wrought iron Gaudí used this material in several of his works giving it sinuous shapes that mimic the growth of plants and other organic forms Although this gate does not enjoy the fame of the Sagrada Família or Casa Batlló it represents a fundamental piece in Gaudí’s career It is a clear example of his ability to elevate the everyday to the category of art For those who wish to learn more about the legacy of this architectural genius