Demolition work has begun on Hall 4 and the current Palau de Congressos at Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc venue, clearing the site for a new multifunctional hall planned to open by May 2029, the centenary of the 1929 International Exposition.

For residents near the venue, including the Poble-sec and Font de la Guatlla areas, Fira 2000 says it is sequencing work from the end furthest from homes and a neighbouring school during the summer. The project team said water will be used continuously to limit dust, while the noisiest work is intended to have moved away from the school playground by September.

Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni and Alícia Romero, the Generalitat's Minister for Economy and Finance and president of Fira 2000, visited the works on Tuesday, 28 July. According to the project timetable, the first phase is due to finish in 2029 while trade-fair activity continues at Montjuïc.

Three buildings form the first redevelopment phase

The first phase has a planned investment of €255 million, according to project information published by Arquitectura Viva and earlier planning details. Fira de Barcelona has described the wider remodelling as a plan to create a more flexible, multipurpose and urban trade-fair venue.

  • Multifunctional hall: the replacement for Hall 4 and the existing congress palace will provide 20,500 square metres over two floors. The design team is led by Smiljan Radić, with Miquel Mariné Núñez, Beatriz Borque and César Rueda Bonet.
  • Palau Alfons XIII: the historic building designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch is being rehabilitated as the new Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, with a planned entrance from Plaça de Carles Buïgas.
  • Palau del Vestit: the building is to become a centre for innovation, economic activity and Fira de Barcelona offices, while retaining its historic façade by Josep Maria Jujol.

The new multifunctional hall will include a landscaped walkway of more than 2,000 square metres on the Avinguda Maria Cristina side, according to the architectural competition results.

Housing and facilities planned after the venue works

Collboni said the wider transformation will release land between Avinguda Maria Cristina and Carrer de Lleida for 548 protected homes, a primary healthcare centre and a sports centre. Some of those interventions are scheduled for after 2029.

A second phase, running from 2029 to 2035, is planned to remodel the Palau de les Comunicacions and the Palau de la Metal·lúrgia. Fira 2000 has set May 2029 as the completion target for the first construction phase.

Primary sources: Ramon. Reported by viaempresa.cat, arquitecturaviva.com, elpais.com, firabarcelona.com, metalocus.es, Gerard Pruna, Carles Cols, expansion.com, Alfonso L. Congostrina, icf.cat, eleconomista.es, ZonaIT, ga-p.com, David León Himelfarb, María Bosch, elperiodico.com.