Las Galerías Vía Wagner, once the most exclusive shopping destination in northern Barcelona, has found a new owner three decades after closing its doors. According to the EFE news agency, Leo Messi has purchased the building for 11.5 million euros through his SOCIMI, Edificio Rostower.
The deal was closed with Santomera Bay, the private office of Alejandro Alcaraz, who had acquired the property in 2025 and enhanced its value before selling it.
A building with history and many owners
Opened in 1985 at the intersection of Diagonal and Beethoven, Bori i Fontestà, and Ganduxer streets, the galleries were conceived as a project aimed at the city’s wealthiest residents, competing with spaces such as Pedralbes Center and Galeries Berlin.
However, the inability to coordinate more than a hundred owners with differing interests brought the project to an end in 1993.
Since then, the building has endured decades of neglect, squatting, and a fire in 2001 that destroyed much of its interior.
The City Council even opened two investigations into the property due to the condition of its facades.
In 2024, Idealista reported on plans by a “Catalan investor” to convert the space into offices.
Premium offices in Turó Park
The plan calls for a comprehensive renovation of the building, which has approximately 4,000 square meters of floor space. The property will be targeted at the office rental market, and according to Santomera Bay, several operators in the financial sector are already interested in occupying the space, although no agreements have been finalized yet.
The purchase of Vía Wagner follows the acquisition of UE Cornellà, a fifth-division Spanish soccer club.
