The silhouette of the Tres Xemeneies is an inseparable part of the Poble-sec skyline—a brick testament and living memory of industrial Barcelona that is now preparing to look squarely toward the future. The City Council will completely transform the Llac building— a currently vacant concrete structure with no interior walls located right on Avenida del Paral·lel—to turn it into the new hub for public safety and crisis management in the Catalan capital.
With a total investment of 36.6 million euros (VAT included), this project will bring together under one roof the City Police, the Barcelona Fire Department, the Mossos d’Esquadra, and the Emergency Medical Services (SEM). The tender is expected to be launched shortly, with construction set to begin in early 2027; following 18 months of renovations and a subsequent phase of technological integration, the complex is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2028.
More space to take care of the city
Currently, the four law enforcement and emergency response agencies share a joint operations center on Lleida Street. Although this current model facilitates a rapid response to any incident, the facilities have become too small to meet the needs of a major city. The move to Paral·lel will be a giant leap forward: the usable operational space will nearly double, increasing from the current 3,251 square meters to more than 5,000 square meters.
This increase in floor space will not only substantially improve working conditions for frontline teams but will also strengthen coordination in the face of risks and major emergencies, making the return to normalcy after an incident much faster and more orderly.
From an Empty Shell to a High-Tech Hub
The Llac building, located in this landmark area of the Sants-Montjuïc district, is currently a bare structure. The renovation will respect its original identity, preserving the characteristic ceramic latticework façade, but will completely transform its two basements, the ground floor, and its four upper floors, totaling 6,763 square meters of floor space.
The interior layout has been designed with maximum efficiency in mind:
- Basements: These will house technical spaces, storage areas, locker rooms, and the central IT system, which will have redundant power sources to ensure it never goes offline.
- Lower floors: Location of the joint control rooms, the true operational hub where emergencies will be managed in real time with the help of large screens and videoconferencing systems.
- Ground floor: This will serve as the main entrance and institutional area, housing a press room and multipurpose spaces.
- Upper floors: Dedicated, independent workspaces for each of the emergency services.
- Top floor: Reserved for staff well-being, with a dining hall, terraces, and rest areas essential for teams providing round-the-clock service.
The building that heats itself
The center’s design focuses not only on technology but also on the environment. The project incorporates energy-efficiency criteria such as advanced climate control systems and circadian lighting, which mimics natural light to improve the work environment.
One of the most notable aspects of the renovation will be energy reuse. The building will feature a system capable of recovering the constant heat generated by powerful telecommunications and IT equipment. This thermal energy will be reused to heat the building itself during the cold months, reducing overall energy consumption and transforming an abandoned space into a modern, self-sufficient facility.
