I found this nice Shirley Temple graffiti on a small door at the entrance of a former squat building at the corner of Ciutat de Granada and Pallars streets in Barcelona 22@ Poble Nou district. I walked many times in front of the building when photographing the 22@ area and I always noticed this happy sight and pleasant smile, quite an unexpected contrast in an old quarter all shaken by heavy works and immersed on a powerful transformation process.

Two months before photographing the graffiti, the squat -a building that had previously been a car repair workshop, and even before a small factory- was razed and the site cleared for new construction. The graffiti was lost and only one single beautiful element from the old XIXth century factory was preserved, a long and tall chimney.

That’s why I want to share with you this photograph and wish you all the best for the new year to come. Season’s greetings and happy new year 2011.

French architectural magazine Archicréé is using many of my Barcelona 22@ photographs on its December 2010 #348 Urban Mixing issue. They have published Melon District Hotel, Saló Llull arrangement and 199 Diagonal Ave. by Blanch & Conca Arquitectura, Indra Headquarters Building by Fermín Vázquez / b720 Architects, Mediatic Building by Enric Ruíz-Geli / Cloud 9 Architects and ME Hotel by Dominique Perrault.

You can find these and many other Barcelona 22@ projects at the gallery section on the site: some of them are Agbar Tower by Jean Nouvel, Ca l’Aranyó by Valls & Benedito, Can Framis by Jordi Badia / BAAS Architects, 123 Diagonal Ave. by Dominique Perrault, 197 Diagonal Ave. by David Chipperfield and Pere IV, iLlacuna and Can Gili Vell buildings by Blanch &  Conca Arquitectura.