Arriola & Fiol

The aim of the work on the project was to convert the residual rectangular space adjacent to the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar into a symbolic space; a memorial to the events of 1714.
The configuration proposed in the project makes possible the everyday use of the small square and also its meaning as a memorial. The most significant formal elements conditioning the proposal are the magnificent facade of the basilica and the Calle Malcuinat, a street perpendicular to the facade and situated on the opposite side of the square. The virtual axis of this street, which links Pla del Palau with the church of Santa Maria, becomes the basic datum of the project.
The work includes the polygonal limit of the existing paving of sandstone cobbles and slabs of Montjuïc stone as a trace of the recent history of the place. The work on the surface outlined by this perimeter defines the physical framework of the Memorial.
The symbolic presence of the place is attained through the topographical manipulation of its surface. The geometrical definition of this change in level, consolidated by the positioning of a low wall in red granite and the construction of the polygonal concavity in solid brick,
links the slight depression of the pavement with the current perimeter now defined by the limestone and a cast grille. This geometric definition of the pavement underlines the axis of the Calle Malcuinat and establishes, in the triangular planes it defines, different slopes which facilitate access to it. This treatment of the horizontal surfaces allows the development of very diverse activities, from skating on the smooth areas to sitting on those sloped more steeply. The singular shaping and texture of the brick, in the different triangular sectors
which define the polygonal geometry, lend to the concavity a tectonic character, emphasized by the lines of shadow varying through the day. This materiality of the brick paving contrasts with the incisions made in the polished red granite frontispiece, in the manner of a lectern, with the dedication of Serafí Pitarra: "To the martyrs of 1714: in the Fossar de les Moreres no traitor is buried, even if we lose our flags it will be the urn of honour."