Eixample

Eixample, also known as L'Eixample in Catalan, is a central district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Planned in the mid-19th century to accommodate a growing city beyond its medieval core, it was laid out from 1859 under the supervision of engineer Ildefons Cerdà. The design pairs a regular gridded street pattern with chamfered corners to improve visibility at intersections and to bring more light and air to the blocks. Each block (manzana) typically contains several residential buildings around interior courtyards, with wide sidewalks and uniform building heights. Two major axes, Passeig de Gràcia and Avinguda Diagonal, intersect the district and connect a dense network of straight avenues.

The district is divided into two main neighborhoods, Dreta de l'Eixample (Right) and Esquerra de l'Eixample (Left). It is celebrated for its concentration of Modernisme architecture, including works by Antoni Gaudí such as Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera) on Passeig de Gràcia, and the Sagrada Família in the Dreta de l'Eixample. Other notable architects include Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner; the Hospital de Sant Pau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies nearby within the district.

Today, Eixample is a dense, mixed-use area with residential and commercial functions, extensive public transport, and a wide range of shops, restaurants, and cultural venues. It remains a major tourist draw and a defining element of Barcelona's urban identity.