Barcelona has started work on the new Institut Escola Cal Maiol in the Sants-Montjuïc district, within the Can Batlló complex. The project will bring public secondary education to this part of the city for the first time.
The scheme carries an investment of €13.6 million. Students are expected to move into the new buildings for the 2028-2029 academic year, leaving the current site at Sagunt Street, 92.
The school will have two buildings, a new build and the refurbished former Can Batlló electrical substation, known as Block 19. Together, they will provide 5,859 square metres of floor space, linked by a large porch that connects the whole site.
The new three-storey building will house early childhood and primary education spaces, plus the kitchen, dining room, reception, administrative offices and a semi-covered multi-purpose terrace. Block 19, also three storeys after refurbishment, will contain the secondary education areas, the gymnasium and the library.
The design also includes more than 2,000 square metres of naturalised outdoor space. These areas are intended to support school use and help connect Can Batlló’s urban park with daily school life. Facilities including the library, gymnasium, kitchen-dining room and semi-covered terrace will have independent access points for shared use with the wider educational community.
The new institute-school will also include a climate control system. Work is expected to take two years, and the project adds to the wider transformation of Can Batlló into a site for public, social and community facilities in Barcelona. For more local education coverage, see our news page.
