Cities are made up of layers, of shutters that close to mark the end of an era and open, years later, to herald a new one. This is exactly what is happening at number 66 on a central street in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, in a space that has been silent for seven long years. The spectacular former Rupert Laporta umbrella factory—a protected building in an eclectic style constructed in the mid-19th century—began to be cleared of debris this week to be transformed into the New Home megastore, a retail concept that many are already calling the Asian alternative to IKEA.
Behind this urban revival is the Chinese-Catalan entrepreneur Jiang Yungkai, who, after registering his company in 2019, has waited patiently until obtaining all the necessary permits. With its 2,000 square meters spread over two floors, the immense space will fill the void left by the historic flagship store of Electrodomésticos Miró, which closed in 2019. This move not only breathes new life into a gem of Barcelona’s heritage but also brings an end to the business drama of a historic family-owned chain that was unable to survive a long history of financial turmoil.
From Umbrellas to the Decline of a Local Empire
The walls of this immense space are living history of Barcelona’s retail scene. Throughout the 20th century, the building was occupied by the Catalan Pío Ruper Laporta, who used it as an umbrella factory and store. With the turn of the century, the space was transformed into Miró’s flagship store. In the mid-2000s, this family-owned company was enjoying its golden years: it had annual revenue of nearly 350 million euros and operated a network of 150 stores throughout Spain.
But the giant had feet of clay. The entry into the market of major competitors like MediaMarkt triggered a decline that the brand was unable to halt. Throughout the 2010s, Miró filed for bankruptcy four times. It managed to survive its penultimate insolvency in 2016 when it was taken over by Svan Trading and the Catalan company Candelsa. However, in January 2025, the collapse of Candelsa led to Miró’s final liquidation, a process currently being managed by the law firm RCD.
The closure of this spectacular store in Sant Antoni, in the pre-pandemic era, was the visible symptom of a collapse that ended up in court. Following the brand’s ultimate collapse, Sinersis—the firm that controlled it in its final phase—filed a complaint alleging mismanagement. All of this adds to the dark chapter surrounding its founder, Francesc Miró, who in 2022 accepted a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence after admitting that he had falsified the accounts to secure additional financing.
Respect for the past and commercial expansion
After seven years of dust and shuttered windows, activity has returned to the interior of the old factory building. With the necessary permits now approved, New Home workers have begun to clean up the building’s imposing facades, even restoring one of the historic original signs from the former umbrella assembly line.
When it opens its doors, this monumental space will be the seventh store owned by Jiang Yungkai, who already has two locations on Barcelona’s Gran Vía and other stores scattered throughout Catalonia and the Valencian Community. For the entrepreneur, who also operates various import and export companies between Spain and Asia, this location will be no ordinary store: given its size and history, it will become the crown jewel of his burgeoning home goods empire.
