22 - Sculptural railway frieze by Josep Maria Subirachs

The sculptural frieze beside the level crossing was made in 1979 by the prestigious contemporary sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. It was commissioned to identify and decorate the north entrance of the Barcelona-Sants intermodal station. The sculpture had to be visible at a distance, from Plaça dels Països Catalans. To that end, the artist used 18 large blocks weighing two tons each. It remained there until 2006, when the station had to be enlarged to prepare it for the arrival of high-speed trains; it was thereafter taken to be displayed at the Museum.

For eleven years, it was placed in parallel to the Gran Nave building. Due to refurbishing and extension work, it was moved to its current location in the infrastructure area.

The relief, conceived by the artist as a sign identifying the station, features variations of a wheel motif, since this is a decisive element in railway communications and movement. If you look closely from a certain perspective, you will see that the artwork is figurative and not merely decorative: the interplay of curves and counter curves of the high reliefs forms the word "Barcelona”.