English: You can share our videos: / @barcelonamemory If you want to collaborate with a small contribution for the maintenance of the canal: https://es.tipeee.com/barcelona-memory. The city was already preparing for the 1888 Exhibition since 1860 and there was not enough capital to undertake the opening of the new road. It was not until about 50 years later, thanks to Anselm Baixeras when the Pla Cerdà was revised (1908). Barcelona began the process of expropriations for the opening of a straight road that would connect the bourgeois area, the Eixample, with their business area, the port, through a new "American-style" avenue where the headquarters of their companies would be located: Via Layetana. The name comes from the Laietanas, the Iberian settlement before the Romans that settled near Barcelona. Not only were urbanistic reasons at stake, but there were also economic reasons, since the reform would increase the price of land. The Hispano-Colonial Bank provided the financing. The works were supervised by Pere Falqués, the Municipal Architect, who represented the City Council, and Luis Sagnier on behalf of the builders. On March 10, 1908, King Alfonso XIII arrived in Barcelona accompanied by President Antonio Maura and, together with Mayor Domingo Sanllehi and other city authorities, symbolically began the works. During the works on the Gran Metropolitano (which lasted four years until its inauguration in 1924) and during the Civil War... the works were halted. In view of the great destruction of artistic heritage that Paris had suffered, the commission in charge of the works considered cataloging and transferring the most notable buildings or architectural elements. A large part of all this heritage was placed, especially in what we know today as Barri Gòtic. It was a kind of historical recreation with authentic elements of Gothic Barcelona to give the area more stature and monumentality for the International Exhibition of 1929. The Banco Hispano Colonial of Antonio López, one of the richest, if not the richest in Barcelona, ​​played a fundamental role in financially making the project a success. It was the manager, banker and contractor of the works. The operation that made it possible was conceived in 1901 with the entry into the Barcelona City Council of councillors from the Lliga Regionalista, and with the support of the republican councillors. In 1913 the demolitions ended amidst the outcry of artists, historians and residents of the city who saw how part of their collective memory had been destroyed. The demolition was structured in three parts and was distributed among three architects: DOMÈNEC I MONTANER (1908) was in charge of the project from Plaza Antonio López to Plaza Antonio Maura, PUIG I CADAFALCH was in charge of the second phase from Plaza Antonio Maura to Sant Pere més Baix (1909) ...and the last phase, up to the plain of Junqueres (today Plaza Urquinaona) (1911) was entrusted to FERRAN ROMEU. Let's review some of these buildings: The first building constructed, of course, was the headquarters of BANCO HISPANO-COLONIAL (1913) (Via Layetana,3). Today the Colonial Hotel. One of the best buildings on the street was the CASA GUARRO (Via Layetana, 17) by Puig i Cadafalch. Luis Guarro was the heir to the most important paper mill in Catalonia, Gelida, founded more than 200 years ago. It exported to America until 1898 when the colonies were lost. The COMPAÑÍA TRANSMEDITERRANEA building, inspired by the great ocean liners with its cruise ship staircase and its submarine-shaped skylight, the ARRENDATARIA DE TABACOS building in the purest Chicago School style, and the CAIXA MÚTUA POPULAR building. Or the magnificent CORREOS building (1925-1927) by Josep Goday (collaborator of Puig i Cadafalch) and JAUME TORRAS. Or the old building of the BANC D´ESPANYA which is now occupied by the Caixa de Catalunya (1929) by the Madrid architects JOSE YARNOZ and LUIS MENÉNDEZ PIDAL. The Jerusalem convent was previously here, where Pau Claris was buried. His remains disappeared when it was demolished. Or LA EQUITATIVA by IGNASI BRUGUERA, an architect obsessed with pre-Columbian art, the CASA RAFAEL POMES, the CASA DE VALENTI SOLER, CASA MARTI VENTOSA, the CESE building, the HISPANIA or the INMOBILIARIA CATALANA. One of the few buildings that was saved from demolition was the GREMI DELS VELERS which was renovated and restored. It belonged to the silk guild, with which the sails of ships were made. In the end, Via Layetana became one of the busiest streets for cars, often congested... There is already a project to transform it: private vehicles will be able to travel at less than 30 km/h only in the sea direction, a bicycle lane will be put in to turn it into a promenade towards the sea.