Resumen de L'arquitectura de la cantonada: Barcelona com a cas d'estudi
Corners are unique spaces, points of reference in the city. They are the most visible parts of the urban space, the ones that call the attention of pedestrians. lntersections define the limits of the built fabric, shape the public space and give character to crossings .They are spaces that attract people and meeting places for friends and strangers,but they are also places where social conflicts become more evident. In ancient times, the development of the edges of fortifications was an important factor in military strategy; resistance depended on defending the corners. In architecture, the construction of all buildings starts at the comers, setting the limits and primarily the angles, because these are the points where the building needs to be strongest. The constructive complexity of these points means that they require a sound knowledge of the architectural profession. For builders and architects, resolving a corner is a provocative challenge:it offers an opportunity to showcase their talents but also poses the risk of failure. This thesis brings together a set of observations that focus on the architectural concept of the corner, with the aim of contributing to a general approach to this idea and shedding light on its role in architecture. The greatest architects, who have never worried about the recurrence of the same problems and the repeated use of the same forms, have always approached the problem of the corner with the utmost respect, but also with a desire for experimentation into new forms of architecture. The research of this thesis is based on the analysis of the treatment given to the corner over time. The thesis consists of three parts: The first part defines the subject of the thesis by defining the corner from a general perspective. The second part applies the idea specifically to a set of local cases. Finally, the third part brings together the first two through a critical reading of the cases based on the general concept. The concept of the comer in architecture can be interpreted from many points of view, as evidenced by the numerous published essays that refer to it. Though it is a timeless concept, no studies have considered its meaning from a global perspective,taking into account the broad variety of approaches. One of the objectives proposed in the first part of the study is to fill this void by addressing the concept of the corner from a global perspective , considering its many meanings and bringing out the importance of this inescapable concept in architecture. In the second part, the concept of the corner will be approached through the study of 60 cases built in the city of Barcelona between 1862 and 1992,with the aim of consolidating a compendium of local examples that deal with this subject. This guide to corners in the city avoids the usual stylistic classifications and focuses on the architecture. lt is useful in itself as a catalogue with original documentation on a number of examples that deal with the same problem.The relationship between the different cases in their approach to the corner forms the basis for the research and brings out characteristics that would be missed in an isolated reading. Finaliy, these local cases are critically reinterpreted from a broad perspective ,highlighting the importance of the corner in all areas of architecture and confirming the universal scope of the subject.
