One of the reasons I chose to study in Barcelona was the image I had of it from my research. I wanted a city in a Spanish-speaking country that had a rich culture, history, and liveliness. I felt that Barcelona had everything I was looking for in a city to study abroad - Mediterranean lifestyle, arts, culture, architecture, modernity, a melting pot of cultures, and sports.
When delving deeper into Barcelona's image, I found that it’s portrayed in a variety of ways because it is such a versatile city like I mentioned above. One of the main depictions of Barcelona in the media is related to art and architecture. Specifically, work done by Antoni Gaudí is popular in mainstream media which has caused it to become a high traffic tourist attraction. Park Güell and Sagrada Familia are just two examples of this that I admired while studying and living abroad in Barcelona. In an article from Curbed, I found that Park Güell is a prime example of how Barcelona’s image has transformed over the years because of Gaudí's public architecture. This park was originally a flop, and in 1914 Gaudí was hired. He developed the area into one of Barcelona’s most beloved parks that features curved benches in the shape of sea serpents using gorgeous mosaics (Sisson, 2015). Sagrada Familia is also an example of work by Gaudí that has reshaped the image of Barcelona. Tourists from around the world come to Barcelona to marvel at this ravishing, towering monument that is still in progress. Architectural imagery like these examples are part of one initiative to “re-brand” the city. They play a major role in the reason that Barcelona is now seen as a cultural, cosmopolitan, lively and aesthetically pleasing city that millions travel to see every year (Smith, 2005).
Interestingly, I learned that the photographic image of Barcelona has also changed in past years due to tourism and Gaudí architecture. One study from blank found that 30% of the images were focused on elements of the Gaudí universe of the city including the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Park Güell and La Pedrera. In addition, almost 70% of the total image of the city is photographs without tourists or locals which proves the importance of contemporary architecture in changing the city's image (Donaire and Galí, 2011). This is true for me as I captured many photos of tourist attractions and Gaudí architecture while I was abroad. Ultimately, Barcelona has completed many initiatives that have changed its image in the media including architectural improvements in the 19th century which has surely impacted tourism in the area.
References
Donaire, José & Galí, Núria. (2011). Barcelona tourism image within the Flickr community. Cuadernos de Turismo. 27. 1061-1063.
Sisson, P. (2015, September 21). “Gaudi's Barcelona: A Map of His Famous, Fantastical Works.” Vox Media Inc. https://www.curbed.com/maps/antoni-gaudi-barcelona-map-buildings
Smith, Andrew (2005). "Conceptualizing City Image Change: The ‘Re-Imaging’ of Barcelona", Tourism Geographies, 7(4), pp. 398-423