Miró Pavement

Design: Joan Miró, signed
Materials: Terrazzo paving slabs made with a mixture of white cement stained with colored crystals crushed
Inauguration: December 30, 1976

When it was proposed in 1968 to Joan Miró (1893-1983) to design a mural for the new airport terminal in Barcelona, ​​not only he accepted the request, but promised to do for the city three works that would welcome travelers who arrive by land, sea and air. He kept his promise, with a time of six in six years, and each of these works, with very different characteristics, greet visitors that come flying (the mural, made in ceramics by Llorens Artigas, was placed in September 1970 ); who arrive by sea, with the pavement of Plan de la Boqueria, which opened on December 30, 1976, and entering Barcelona with land vehicle on the Gran Via, with the monumental and phallic sculpture Woman-mushroom with hat moon, better known as woman and bird in the Slaughterhouse -now Park Joan Miró since April 1983.

Following the will of the artist, the pavement looked at Plan del Oso or Pla de la Boqueria has not been protected as a museum piece that should not be touched, but merely to fulfill the mission of any pavement: being walked on and accumulate on the surface all kinds of filth, and between chewing gums cleaning services must be peeling occupy a place. Often even it remains hidden from the eyes of pedestrians to get on stops occasional fair. It has held up well all attacks thanks to the excellent technical realization of the son of Llorens Artigas, Joan Gardy-Artigas, and the work of Escofet workshops, specializing in parts of terrazzo.

Following the will of the artist, the pavement looked at Plan del Oso or Pla de la Boqueria has not been protected as a museum piece that should not be touched, but merely to fulfill the mission of any pavement: being walked on and accumulate on the surface all kinds of filth, and between chewing gums cleaning services must be peeling occupy a place. Often even it remains hidden from the eyes of pedestrians to get on stops occasional fair. Excellence • slow technical realization of the son of Llorens Artigas, Joan Gardy-Artigas, and Escofet workshops, specialized in street pavements and street furniture, makes you resist quite well daily aggressions, but still has been necessary to making periodic repairs , especially the blue pieces, which are most easily deteriorate. In 1992 it became an important part replacement of this color and in 2007 had to be changed again, and also the yellow and red. To achieve perfect alignment of the new pieces with old aerial photos they were used.

Miró did not see the monument until after a month of placement, and stayed a while in the Rambla listening to the reactions of passersby. It was on Friday, 14 January 1977. A bricklayer stopped and told him he was misplaced tiles, and Miró replied: "I do not know what it cost me to convince operators to put erratically or ... ".