Sot d’en Barriques Park

Urban parks are increasingly taking on a more transversal and integrated role, becoming active spaces within the urban dynamics of their surroundings. Sot d’en Barriques Park is located at a strategic point within the urban core of Parets del Vallès and currently consists of two distinct areas: one that functions more traditionally as a children’s playground in the upper part, with shade and defined uses; and a second area without shade, formed by a large empty space containing only a few paths that reveal the routes crossing through it.
The new park is defined by a structure of vegetated spaces located along the perimeter, which act as both a filter and a connection between the urban edge and the park’s interior. At the center of the park, a clearing opens up: a large open space with gentle topography that creates areas for leisure, play, and relaxation. In the corners, more urban, plaza-like spaces are located.
The vegetated enclosures adapt to the topography in the form of terraces. This topographic adaptation is also used to create a rainwater runoff route that runs through the park and irrigates all the trees, making the most efficient use of water resources.
With the aim of generating identity through vegetation, the park’s main element is the tree canopy, which forms a green roof around the clearing and defines the different enclosures with distinct species while maintaining visual permeability beneath the crowns.
Children’s play areas are located in the spaces furthest from the street to provide a greater sense of safety and to avoid the need for a hostile fence. The wooded area and the clearing are designed to support both more defined and more informal uses, allowing a wide variety of activities to take place. The park also includes a kiosk-bar with services related to the plaza in front of the CAP, which at the same time helps provide greater passive supervision of the park.