MTN WORLD

The mythical walls of the Three Chimneys Garden, one of the few remaining emblematic areas of Barcelona, that became known to the world for its love of graffiti and urban culture, disappeared just a few days ago.

Some walls have served as stages and welcomed both big names in national and international graffiti, as well as “unknown” writers seeking to leave their mark and take a photo that sums up their time in Barcelona. In this article we would like to pay tribute to the area and the best times had by those walls.

The History of the Square

Many people already know the history of the square, but we are going to summarize it for those who do not know it. Three Chimneys is what is left of the La Canadenca power plant, built in 1881. The three giants stopped working in 1989, but ten years earlier they had been declared a historical-artistic monument of the city.
In 1919 it was the scene of a historical moment of the workers’ struggle. The working conditions in La Canadenca triggered a strike that lasted 42 days. Thanks to it, the 40-hour work week was achieved, among other rights.

Everything written in the previous paragraph has no apparent relationship with the fact that it became one of the most famous graffiti areas in Barcelona, and yet, that story is a reflection that nothing -however important it may seem to us- is forever.

Graffiti in Three Chimneys

As for the story that we are concerned with, those walls were painted without permission, and without too many problems since their creation in the 90s and until the civic law of Joan Clos appeared on the scene in 2005.
It must be remembered that that law, far from ending graffiti, served to raise a lot of money in fines and enhance a less elaborate type of graffiti for untrained eyes when it comes to style.ç

Years later, in 2012, Murs Lliures got permission from the city council so that those three walls could be painted – among others – and unhurried graffiti returned to the square again.
Of course, it was not only graffiti that made a home in that space.
People and problems that don’t fit into a showcase city also found their way there. You can read more about it in this 2020 post.

The Square Today

The new urban plan aims to solve these problems by eliminating architectural barriers and making the square’s areas of poor visibility disappear. To do this, it will create a basketball court that the neighbors have asked for and will improve its green areas.

Graffiti writers will adapt to the changes, as we have done and will continue to do every time we encounter them. Even so, it’s hard to say goodbye to another piece of a city that will only exist in our memories.
Therefore, we have decided to remember and recover some of the best moments and styles of those walls that we have highlighted over the years: