Historic bull ring becomes leisure palace

Symbolic of the way modern Spain is changing, one of the two historic bullrings in Barcelona is being converted into a EUR 100 million leisure centre; a case of the new replacing the old in Spain's ever-changing architectural landscape.

From the controversial Spanish 'art' of bullfighting, Las Arenas will become a temple to eating, jogging, watching films or working. On the Plaza de Espana in the west of Barcelona, the 19th Century bullring is one of the first sites to greet visitors to the city.

At first glance, nothing seems to have changed, as the exterior of the building is to be preserved. Lord Richard Rogers, the British architect who is to transform the bullring, said: "It is in an important, pivotal position point of view for people coming into Barcelona. We wanted to preserve as much of the original building as possible. But it will be a leisure and commercial and retail centre with cinemas and an underground car park."

Lord Rogers, who was commissioned by the Spanish developers Sacresa , will cover the previously open-air bullring with a huge, partially transparent dome. The bullring where the likes of matadors El Cordobes and Dominguin once delighted the crowds, will be used to entertain crowds with gentler pursuits when it opens in 2008.

The 45,000 square-metre centre, will combine five floors, with multiplex cinemas, shops, restaurants and offices. Below will be a 1,200-place car park. A central garden, planted with palm trees, will remain an open public space and the whole new complex is designed to provide pedestrians with a link between the neighbouring Joan Miro park and the Montjuic area which houses several museums, the city's exhibition halls and its Olympic stadium.

People will be encouraged to run around a circular jogging track that will be incorporated into the new building. Unlike the matadors of old, the joggers will not be running from an angry bull.

The conversion of the building, which has touches of Arabic architecture, will also incorporate a 27-metre tower with a viewing platform. The new building has two other blocks next door, which some claim might spoil the view of art nouveau Casa de la Papallona (House of the Butterfly), decorated with a huge and colourful ceramic butterfly, next door.

The bullring conversion came about because of falling attendances at corridas in a part of Spain where the 'sport' has never been very popular. Those Barcelona residents who still want to see blood and gore on a Sunday afternoon will have to wait for a suitably violent film to appear at the 12 screen cinema complex being designed by Lord Rogers in the Hospitalet area of the city.