Towards the Olympic Games: Enric Pantaleoni, president

Once Mr. Deulofeu's presidency was over, Mr. Enric Pantaleoni, son of Miquel Pantaleoni, one of the founders of the Association, took over the helm of the entity. The new president was, or rather said, a member of an Italian-origin saga that, back in 1875, established the "Model Tailor's" on the upper part of La Rambla, which has since then been a complete commercial success.

Endowed with a long-term dynamism and elegant manners, Enric Pantaleoni presided over the entity from 1986 to 1993, which means during the period when almost all citizen energy was focused on the Olympic Games.

The City Council had presented La Rambla as a "meeting point", an ideal meeting place for anyone visiting Barcelona, and made it known that at this "meeting point" the "Amics de la Rambla," an organization offering all its collaboration and assistance, was located (the Association then had its offices at number 109 La Rambla, in the "Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas" building).

The impact of the Olympic Games decisively contributed to putting Barcelona on the world map and to introducing Barcelona and Catalonia, with all its pros and cons, into the dizzying race of globalization.

Enric Pantaleoni was succeeded in the presidency by Mr. Tristan Xancó in 1993. The new president of the Association, now presented as "Amics de la Rambla," could say, in early 1994, that "La Rambla rediscovers itself and little by little, with everyone's effort, we will restore its cosmopolitan personality."

A strong and unexpected event was the fire that, on January 31, 1994, devastated the Gran Teatro del Liceo. However, the citizen response was immediate. The very day of the fire, the four institutions forming the Liceo Consortium - Generalitat, City Council, Diputación, and Ministry of Culture - along with the property owners' representatives, collectively stated that the theater would be quickly rebuilt in the same location. Clarifying the expropriations of neighboring housing, the conditions, and prices, was a matter that caused Mr. Xancó many headaches. Regardless, Mr. Tristan Xancó has gained a positive experience and says: "The experience lived, as a member of the Association's Board, and also as president, has given me insights to understand what the essence of La Rambla really is: contrast and contradiction."

The effect of the Olympic Games did not stop, and by the end of '94, sixteen million tourists had visited the country, nearly 7% more than the previous year. And, as expected, with the influx of new visitors, La Rambla further increased its popularity.

Another concern of the Association at that time was the need to dignify Plaza Real. The City Council began a campaign to recover the place, and Xancó insisted that it was necessary to create "a dignified recreational area."

But the most ambitious project of the Association at that time was the Old Port project, consisting of extending La Rambla to the Muelle de España, where it was planned to set up a shopping center and a cinema. A project that could positively impact La Rambla, according to Josep M. Bilurbina, the Association's urban planning advisor.