On Monday FC Barcelona’s pre-season begins with five friendly matches, or to be more accurate, in the words of Barça’s coach Gaurdiola, with five non-official matches. Pep Guardiola has shown that he wants to win every match.
According to the consultancy firm Jones Lang Lasalle, the office rental rate for second quarter of 2011 in Barcelona has increased 42% compared to the same period in 2010. 74,500 square metres of new office space have been rented out between April and June 2011, 14% more than those registered during the first quarter. The “prime” zone has reached 2005 activity levels.
The 5th edition of the urban and contemporary fashion exhibition The Brandery takes place in Barcelona from the July 13th to the 15th in the Monjtuïc venue. The fashion fair has created a new space called ‘Brandtown a FashionXperience’ that will host concerts, fashion shows and exhibitions.
Barça have a year ahead of them full of challenges - to become the first team to retain the Champions League trophy, match the 4 successive Spanish League titles of the Dream Team and try and equal the historic six trophies of two years ago.
The Museu Blau (Blue Museum) is part of Barcelona’s Natural History Museum, divided into four different locations. It is housed in a futurist blue triangular building by Herzog & De Meuron, at the Forum Park. Blue Space will have a permanent zoology exhibition called “Planet Life”, focusing on the Gaia theory and the link between the Earth and natural life. The 19th century buildings at the Ciutadella Park will be renovated and will host other parts of the Natural History Museum.
Directed by Andrés G. Schaer and featuring popular actors Pere Ponce and Elsa Pataky, the film hopes to reach an international audience. It combines 3D animated features with real images. The movie pictures Snowflake, the popular albino gorilla that lived in Barcelona’s zoo.
The new Barça B manager, Eusebio Sacristán, has told at his presentation press conference that he is loaded with energy going into a job he feels privileged to take. Eusebio congratulated his predecessor Luis Enrique and says he intends to continue his work.
The website ‘Xplore Health’ is an educational tool for secondary school students. It aims to improve the understanding of biomedical science, as well as “inspire future researchers”. It is a European Commission project, led by Barcelona Science Park (from the University of Barcelona) and involving research centres and science museums from across the EU.
FC Barcelona has announced an agreement with Pedro Rodríguez to extend his present contract for one more season. The new contract will expire in June 30th 2016. His buy-out clause has been increased from 90 to 150 million euros. He has scored 45 goals in the last two seasons.
FC Barcelona announced that the Catalan Andreu Fontàs will be playing with the first team in the 2011/12 season. His buy-out clause will be automatically raised to 30 million euros. He is another player from Barça’s junior teams that reaches the club’s main squad.
The European Museum of Art houses 20th and 21st Century figurative paintings and sculptures from all over the world. It is located in Barcelona’s Palau Gomis, next to the Picasso Museum. The MEAM belongs to a private institution and aims at becoming a reference within European figurative art’s landscape.
FC Barcelona’s coaching directorate has always defended the need to prioritise home grown talent and give the youngsters a chance to shine. Last week, the old Masia building closed, as a new and larger one has been built in Barça’s Sporting City. Besides, the contract extension for Thiago Alcántara is the latest example of this policy.
A similar change happened in Girona Town Hall, where Carles Puigdemont, also from CiU, also became the first non-Socialist Mayor in the last 32 years, since the restoration of democracy. Barcelona and Girona Town Halls were constituted later than all the rest because of appeals regarding the electoral vote and the number of elected councillors. These two Mayoral offices consolidate CiU’s hegemony in Catalonia, after last May's municipal elections and after last November's Catalan Parliament elections.
Catalonia’s National Museum of Art (MNAC) hosts the most important collection of Romanesque art in the world. It displays works from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, and some mural painting ensembles that are unique. After half a year of intense renovation, the Romanesque collection is on show again, with a new narrative.
Gamelab is organised in Barcelona for the first time and it will take place in the Catalan capital at least until 2015. It is the video game fair of Spain, which is the sixth market in the world. The trade fair contributes to consolidate Barcelona as a technology capital.