Barcelona will transform the entire Montjuïc area over the next 10 years and one of the most relevant pieces will be the remodeling of the Fira Barcelona pavilions.
This week the Barcelona City Council has announced the first 3 pavilions that will be modernized in the coming years in order to modernize the site and enhance the integration of the Montjuïc area in the city.
Artefact 2029
The remodeling project is divided into three major interventions. In the first batch, Smiljan Radić, Miquel Mariné Núñez, Beatriz Borque and Cesar Rueda Bonet will develop the “Multifunctional Palau and Renovation of the Palau de les Comunicacions” under the proposal “2029 Artefacto”, which proposes a monumental complex with a light metallic structure, a landscaped walkway and 20,500 m² of exhibition area.
Umbracle
In the second lot, Forgas Architectes, Archambac (Arquitectura Sideral) and Álvaro Alejandro Fernández will lead the creation of the “New Palau de Congressos” with the “Umbracle” design , which combines natural light, sustainability and an auditorium for 2,025 people.
The Avantsala
The third lot, by Bjarke Ingels Group and MIAS Arquitectura with the proposal “L’Avantsala de la Fira”, contemplates the remodeling of the Palau del Vestit to turn it into the Fira Barcelona Innovation Hub, with flexible spaces, an auditorium for 200 people and a new façade on Gran Vía.
A jury of five experts, chaired by architect Josep Lluís Mateo, evaluated these proposals based on criteria of facility optimization, updating and flexibility of the spaces, as well as efficiency, digitalization and sustainability.
When will they be finished?
The first phase of the works will begin in early 2026 and are scheduled for completion in 2029, coinciding with the centenary of the 1929 International Exposition.
The project is part of the reformulation of the Montjuïc area, which will create, among other projects, a new pedestrian entrance on Avenida Maria Cristina, make Plaza de España walkable, improve the public transport and housing network with the extension of L2 and create a new neighborhood with more than 500 subsidized housing units and facilities.
The total investment amounts to 255 million euros, of which 215 million will go to the Palau Multifuncional and the Palau de Congressos through Fira 2000, while 40 million will go to the remodeling of the Palau del Vestit by Fira de Barcelona.
In a second phase, a new architectural competition will be launched for the remodeling of the Palau de les Comunicacions (Palau 1) and the Palau de la Metal-lúrgia (Palau 8).
The consortium “Centenari de l’Exposició Internacional de 1929: BCN2029”, made up of the Generalitat, the Barcelona City Council and Fira de Barcelona, has been set up to manage the centenary of the 1929 International Exposition and the modernization of the space.