Diagonal Mar
Diagonal Mar is one of the newest neighborhoods of Barcelona. It gets its name due to its proximity to Avinguda Diagonal and the Mediterranean Sea.
It has been built on what was once an industrial area and today alternates luxury residential buildings with hotels, offices and congress centers having so far the most modern architecture in Barcelona, though one that received ample criticism for its American design.
In 1996, seven years after the initial urbanization process has begun, the Diagonal Mar project was considered a risky endeavor by the American estate developer Gerald Hines. The project was stalled due to challenges that none of the renowned promoters were willing to take. Back then, Avinguda Diagonal didn’t reach the sea and the area was polluted with the waste of the industrial foundries. For Hines, though, this could have been a place to provide for the needs of its residents, a neighborhood where they could live, work and carry on leisure activities. In spite of the risks, Hines bought the area envisioning a metamorphosis. In time, with the collaboration of the city council, the modern neighborhood of Diagonal Mar took its current shape.
Coordinates: 41.408242, 2.216521