Mamarosa Beach Lounge

Historical narrative

One evening Steve walked a couple of blocks from his rented condo to the Sant Sebastià/Sant Miquel end of the Barceloneta waterfront on the Mediterranean. He was intrigued by the tented lounge constructed directly on the beach, with brilliant blue neon lighting and W Barcelona (Hotel Vela) rising behind it. Today, the structure might be described as a kind of pop-up lounge, but its history tells a much fuller story. The lounge is a modern interpretation of the earlier 18 chiringuitos, or merenderos, informal restaurants built directly on the sand at Sant Miquel Beach. Before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Barceloneta’s beaches were lined with seafood restaurants rooted in the neighborhood’s fishing culture. Their roots reached back to the late nineteenth century, when fishermen cooked and sold part of their catch; by the early twentieth century, bathing establishments helped make beach restaurants popular. By the postwar decades, they formed a lively seaside culture, serving paella, grilled fish, mussels, prawns, and other seafood, often with tables directly on the sand. Places such as La Marina, El Avión, Rancho Grande, Terramar, Las Gaviotas, Miramar, Sol y Sombra, and Casa Paulino became local landmarks. The 1988 Coastal Law and Olympic redevelopment ended this tradition. The chiringuitos on Sant Miquel Beach were demolished in 1991, making way for Barcelona’s redesigned waterfront.

Oil

© Stephen B. Hales — All Rights Reserved