Vila Olímpica: the best example of Barcelona's changes since the 1992 Olympics.
1. How does world public opinion evaluate the Olympic Games?
It does so with the following questions:
- Sports and logistical aspect:
- Did records, emotional moments, memorable teams or athletes impact in the Olympics?
- Were the routes between the competition locations ideal?
- Were the Olympic Village and the sports infrastructures where the events were held in optimal conditions for coexistence and competition?
- Security aspect:
- Were there any terrorist attacks?
Communication aspect:
- Were the instructions to the international delegations clear?
- Was the organization empathetic to all visitors?
- Was the organization agile in fix possible political boycotts?
- Has the event been respectful with the Planet?
Management aspect:
- How much was spent on everything surrounding the event?
2. Did Barcelona benefit from taking on the risk of hosting an Olympic Games?
Yes, at least from four points of view: public enthusiasm, positive economic return, enormous tourist projection and urban transformation.
a) Citizen enthusiasm: in September 1992, 88% of Spaniards thought the Games were a howling success. Without the context, this high percentage of approval could be interpreted as a sign of self-satisfaction. However, when the Olympic Stadium was flooded at the end of August 1989, there was fear of failure.
b) Positive economic return: A question arises when we talk about economics, how many bilions of euros at 2021 prices did the investment in the 1992 Olympics bring in?
Between 9,487 and 13,110 bilions at 2021 prices, but it must be assumed that there is no exact answer. For this reason, Finques Feliu is extremely transparent when it comes to explaining which two studies we have selected to calculate the interval we provide. Thus, first we give the link to the sources and, second, at the end of the text there are two notes explaining how we have calculate all.
First of all we choose, one of the most comprehensive studies at international level: "The Oxford Olympics Study 2016: cost and cost overrun at the Games". It makes an analysis of costs - and cost overruns - of all winter and summer Olympic Games between 1972 and 2016 according to this work the 1992 Games cost 9,487 bilions euros * (note 1). The authors are Professors: Bent Flyvbjerg, Allison Stewart and Alexander Budzier the study is available at:
Secondly, Professor Ferran Brunet in the book "the keys to success" details that the Games cost 1.12 trillion pesetas and an article in the 2017 Periódico transformed this amount into 12,625 million which is 13,110 million euros at 2021 value* (note 2).
The mentioned book is available here:
http://ceo.uab.cat/ca/b/moragas-botella-claus-exit-impactes-jocs-olimpics-barcelona-1992/
c) Enormous tourist projection: in 1990 was visited by 1.73 million tourists while in 2019 the number of visitors was 9.47 million Barcelona, according to statista.com, . Is it usual for the tourist projection of an Olympics impact to last more than ten years? No. Almost all Olympic cities are world-renowned before hosting the event Barcelona did not have this advantage. Today, regardless of one's ideological position on tourism, its management is considered a major challenge. In 1990 this was a marginal issue.
d) Urban transformation: Professor Brunet breaks down the 13.11 billion euros of his study into two items: urban infrastructures (85.5% of the total) or sports competitions (14.5%). This percentatges speak for themselves: Barcelona's Games were conceived as a sports spectacle at the service of a profound urban transformation, not the other way around, as is usually the case (a city strictly focused on the spectacle).
3. What was the danger which Barcelona instutions want to avoid in Barcelona Olympics?
To build very expensive infrastructures, which are even more expensive to maintain and from which, in addition, when the competitions are over, it is almost impossible to obtain any economic return. With twenty-nine years of perspective, we can be sure that this goal has been achieved.
Both, the Palau Sant Jordi and the Bernat Picornell Swimming Pools are in regular use.
The "Sant Jordi" is a Townhall facility with a capacity of 18,000 spectators for concerts and 16,670 for sports. It is also used extensively for professional trade fairs.
The "Picornell" swimmingpools are privately owned, used all year round by the population and are the headquarters of water polo Picornell both infrastructures hosted the World Swimming Championships in 2013.
In "l'Anella Olímpica" (picture 1), however, there is an infrastructure often criticized for being underused: the "Estadi Olímpic".
4. What did the institutions want to achieve in Barcelona?
To make Barcelona a first world-class tourist city..
5. The "Vila Olímpica" district as a legacy
In December 1986 the public company "ViIa Olímpica S.A." was set up to build the new district. This would be located in the middle of an industrial zone, a former shantytown, where two kilometers of beach would also be gained. The design of the neighborhood was thought by the team formed by Josep Martorell, Oriol Bohigas, David Mackay and Albert Puigdomènech.
All cities that host the Games either build anew or adapt an existing space to accommodate competitors from around the world they do so with two objectives in mind:
a) That the athletes occupy a little city space with all the appropriate amenities and closely connected to the event sites.
b) That the athletes of the different disciplines and states coexist.
Barcelona went further by placing accessibility at the core of the design of its Olympic Village. Thus, there were no architectural barriers so that Paralympic athletes - who always compete after the Olympics - could enjoy universal accessibility.
Once the competition was over, the Olympic Village became a neighborhood integrated into the urban fabric. Today, it has many attractions that make it a tempting environment:
a) Splendid roads for strolling such as Avenida Icaria or Avenida Bogatell while enjoying the mild climate next to the Mediterranean.
b) The Olympic Port and the New Icaria have opened up the seafront and reconciled Barcelona with the sea (picture 2). The seafront of the 'Vila Olímpica' also includes the beach of Nueva Icaria.
c) The twin towers of more than 154 meters (picture 3), the Mapfre and the Hotel Artes, have changed the profile of the city.
d) There are many parks and landscaped areas.
- You can study from zero to eighteen years old in the neighborhood.
- As it is almost completely flat, it is the most suitable place in Barcelona for people with mobility problems.
- There is a vibrant leisure offer
Final notes: How have we converted the two prices of the above jobs to Euros in 2021?
* In the Oxford study it gave the original value - of 10 billion 2015 dollars - we have divided this amount by 1.11 which was the median annual value of dollars to spend to obtain one Euro in 2015 (source: statista.com). 10.000/1,11=9009. So 9009 euros from 2015 to 2021 value is 9487.
* Professor Brunet's work uses an official source the "pattern of updating incomes of the National Institute of Statistics" - in Euros at 2017 prices and it was mentioned the figure was 12,625 million. Secondly thanks to the web: "https://www.dineroeneltiempo.com/euro" Feliu has transformed the 2017 euros to 2021 euros.