Ildefons Cerdà

Ildefons Cerdà I Sunyer (Catalan) or Ildefonso Cerdà there Suñer (Castilian) (December 23rd 1815 - August 21st 1876), is an engineer of the Ponts and Chaussées of the School of Madrid and Spanish Urbaniste . Its principal work is the plan of extension of Barcelona, named the Eixample (Catalan) or Ensanche (Castilian) (1859). On the theoretical level, he writes the general Théorie of the urbanization ( general Teoría of the urbanización ) (1867), first treaty of town planning.

Biography

He follows a formation of Civil engineering.

When the Spanish government of the time yields vis-a-vis the land pressure and allows the destruction of the enclosing walls of Barcelona, it is charged by this last with carrying out the plans of expansion of the city. In parallel, the town of Barcelona entrusts same work to a Catalan architect. It follows a conflict between the two institutions, but the government ends up imposing its choice. On this conflict between two institutions a conflict between two trade associations is superimposed: architects and civil engineers (of the " Escuela of ingenieros of caminos, canales there puertos" based in 1802 on the model of the School of the Highways Departments).

The objectives defined for this project are to conceive the new part of the city like a livable and practical place, in opposition with the old city Intra-muros, which is congested, overloaded and favourable with the epidemics (it is at that time that one applies the theories hygienists). Vis-a-vis impossibility of finding work existing appropriate to the project, he undertakes the creation of an innovative project: the Eixample. Although it is not the foreground of extension (plane of extension of Athens, 1833) nor the first checkerboard plan (plans of the colonial cities of Latin America), the Cerdà plan is new by the unit which it represents:

of the very precise studies carried out not Cerdà itself on the one hand economic conditions and social of the Inhabitants of Barcelona on the other hand of the topography of the ground.

of the legal mechanisms, like the principle of reparcelation, today still into force.

a levelling inspiration put into practice (the " via Icària" is a reference to the Voyage in Icarie of Etienne Cabet): the same equipment for all.

of the ideas visionaries like the taking into account of the needs increasing for mobility, and generally of the networks.

It continues to create and improve of the projects all its life, while developing its theories relating to the project planning of great scale, on a level of regional planning, until its death. Thus it wastes all its inheritance, and dies surendetté, near to indigence, not having never been paid for its Chef-d'oeuvre inhabitant of Barcelona.

Achievements

Cerdà is a man with several facets. It gives up its work in civil engineering, is presented to the elections and seat to the the Cortes (Spanish Parliament). He also undertakes to carry out, with his own expenses, an extremely detailed topographic chart of the neighborhoods of Barcelona, and writes a treaty, first theoretical treaty of town planning, which founds its project of Eixample. One owes him the term urbanización included thereafter in the other Latin languages.

Approaches

It concentrates on the paramount needs: above all, need for the daylight (the sunlight), ventilation in the hearths (it is strongly influenced by the movement hygienist), the Green areas near the population, a suitable treatment of the Déchet S, a system of sewer S effective, and a possibility of movement homogeneous of the people, goods, energy and information.

Its creations indicate a design of the very advanced concept of network for its time. Its plans of streets in checkerwork are conceived to facilitate the displacement of the pedestrians, the cars, of trams drawn by horses, urban networks railway (which are an innovation for the time), of the gas network, the sufficiently important to prevent any flood, and this without neglecting public gardens and private sewers, as well as the other key equipment. The last technical innovations are integrated, provided that they contribute to a better urban operation. But it also calls upon its own innovating concepts, such as a logical system of levelling of the ground essential to the good realization of its project. It also carries out a methodical statistical analysis on the working condition of the time, in order to show the problems involved in the urban congestion.

Controversies

Its plans of Barcelona undergo two principal revisions. The second version, approved by the Spanish government of the time, is that of the current Eixample. Nevertheless, the buildings of low size and the gardens inside each small island are quickly considered to be superfluous by certain politicians who make them shave to solve the problems of land pressure. Only one of the two diagonal streets was carried out. The Eixample was and is always inhabited by the easy classes, instead of being used as place of social diversity. Many are the Catalan architects of the time who fight the ideas of Cerdà, showing it sometimes even to be socialist. At all events, number of them end up designing there the buildings headlights of the Modernismo , which make today the fame of certain districts.

The political developments in Spain and Catalogne led to the safeguard of a version revisionist concerning the way in which Cerdà obtained the official approval of its plans.

Actually, Cerdà drew its plans at the request of the competent authority of the time, the Spanish government, with the support of the municipal council of Barcelona. When this last is renewed, the new elected officials seek to take the initiative vis-a-vis the decision of the preceding municipal council, while launching an invitation to tender to decide between several projects. The project of Cerdà is finally imposed by the central government, with the despair of the majority of the big landowners.

Principal works

1859 : Teoría of Construcción de Ciudades ( Theory on the construction of the cities). He writes it to promote his preliminary project of extension of Barcelona.

1861 : Teoría of Viabilidad Urbana Reformed there of Madrid ( Théorie on the urban network viaire and reforms that of Madrid ). It accompanies its project by refitting of the streets of the center of the capital.

1863 Teoría LED Intertwines del Movimiento of mow Vías Marítimas there Terrestres ( Théorie on the connections of the movements of maritime and terrestrial axes ). The work tends to promote a preliminary project concerning an intermodal system ground-iron-sea in wearing of Barcelona, conclusive proof of the existence of the project, although the majority of the contents were not found yet.

1867 : General Teoría of Urbanización ( general Theory of urbanization ). Cerdà presents to it its project of 1859 for the expansion of Barcelona.

Sources

PERMANYER, Lluis, Història of Eixample

SERRATOSA, Albert (to dir.), Semiòtica of Eixample Cerdà

DUPUY, Gabriel, the town planning of the networks

Institute of Estudis Territorials

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