Going to the Mercado

Since we were in the right area, we decided to walk over to the Santa Caterina Market.  Upon discovering roof problems several years ago, the architects (who also did the Scottish Parliament Building we saw in Edinburgh) decided to design a new roof to go over the top, rather than tearing the building down and rebuilding something new.

The curved timber roof recalls Barcelona's shipbuilding culture, while the colorful tiles give it a modern and fun feel.  I also liked the tree-like posts, twisting and curving around each other up to the roof.

You can definitely see a similar look to the Scottish Parliament Building in the back of the market.  The crate-like wood gates over the windows look very similar to the orange ones in Edinburgh.  After walking around the entire market, we walked through to get back to the front.  We were there close to closing time, but it was still bustling with people standing at the little stalls.  There were so many colors of fresh fruits and vegetables, and all kinds of meats and things hanging from awnings.  You could tell its very integrated into the local daily life.

(photos by e.hunt)