Previous state

The territory of Samuntà (the mountain), on the north side of the town of L´Hospitalet, was occupied, until the mid-eighteenth century, by a number of farmhouses dotted over farmland. The growth in the population, after the nineteenth century, together with important changes in agriculture and the establishment of industries, led to a series of changes in the zone which included the building of the La Infanta canal and the railway line. The development of Samuntà took place in the twentieth century, particularly during the sixties and seventies, and the fields of Pubilla Casas, Can Serra, La Florida and Les Planes disappeared beneath the tide of blocks and estates.

The site of the park is located in this part of Samuntà next to the L´Hospitalet cemetery and was previously occupied by tile factories and a chemical plant. The two chimneys, which now stand out between the pines, remind us of this recent industrial past.

Description

The Parc de les Planes lies on an uneven terrain on the southern edge of Samuntà. It consists of a series of hillocks separated by streams and torrents originating mainly from Sant Pere Màrtir and Collserola. The stream in the cemetery cut through the hills of Can Serra and Les Planes and ran through what is today the central walkway of the park. The park´s main boundaries are: Carrer de Sant Rafael in the north; the cemetery and railway line in the south; the cemetery, Carrer del Teide and Carrer de la Maragda in the east; and the Avinguda d´Isabel la Catòlica in the west. The main entrance to the park is located on this avenue, across the big public square which is dominated by a modern clock tower. There is an esplanade-viewing point at the end of the square. There are landscaped areas and pergolas on either side and a children´s play area on the southern side.

The area between the stream in the cemetery and Carrer del Teide has the steepest slopes which go up to the Les Planes hill. The flattest area includes the La Florida football ground and an area of spaces which are more open and feature a series of unusual elements such as the old chimney, the plane tree with three branches and the modern sculpture. The park then continues to climb between small platforms populated with pines and ilexes, built in the style of the terraces once used for cultivation. A network of steps, paths and pedestrian walkways allows us to enter these spaces or go round the edge of them, until we get to the highest point in the park.