Manresa, Catalonia, is carrying out work at the Casino de Manresa on Arquitecte Oms street to protect a rare elm tree and reduce a safety risk for people walking past.
A section of the stone wall is being replaced with a metal, semicircular fence. The tree is the city’s only large elm to have survived Dutch elm disease, also known as grafiosi.
The project also includes removing part of the pavement to enlarge the tree’s planting pit, or escocell. The new fence will be 2.10 metres high, with a 3.30-metre radius, and will be made from corrugated and perforated metal sheeting.
Officials said the tree’s growth had pushed the wall 28 centimetres out of line towards the pavement. They also said the roots had nearly caused the wall to collapse, so it had to be shored up.
Six metres of the existing wall are being removed. The stones have been classified and stored by local authorities. The Casino building is a National Cultural Asset of Interest, or BCIN, protected for its architectural, artistic, social and historical value, and for its role in shaping the urban space of Pere III promenade.
The elm is also protected. It is listed in the city’s Catalogue and Special Urban Plan for the Protection of Trees and Groves, and is classed as a Botanical Element of Municipal Interest, or EBIM. That protection generally prevents actions that could lead to its loss, alter its immediate soil, or damage its specific values. More local coverage is available on our news page.