The Montjuïc fair enclosure, covering an area of 130,000 m², currently act as a barrier within the urban fabric, interrupting the physical and functional continuities between neighbouring districts. In addition, the existing pavilions require deep modernisation to meet contemporary standards of energy efficiency, sustainability, and functional versatility.
The transformation project proposes integrating the fair activities into a new, more efficient and connected urban fabric. The site will be opened up and made permeable through the creation of new streets that cross it, reconnecting it with the surrounding neighbourhoods and enhancing the continuity of public space.
The planned activities are diversified to incorporate residential use. The eastern sector of the area will be devoted to a new cluster of mixed-use blocks combining housing and public facilities, with an estimated potential of around 500 public dwellings.
Regarding the existing heritage, the plan foresees the renovation of the historic pavilions —such as those of Communications and Transport and the Metalworking Pavilion—, the rehabilitation of the former Palace of Clothing as an innovation centre dedicated to permanent entrepreneurship, research, and technological development activities, and the construction of a new Multifunctional Palace that will complement the fair complex.
The project also includes a significant transformation in terms of mobility. It proposes the pacification of Avinguda Maria Cristina by restricting private traffic and prioritising public transport and pedestrian movement. Moreover, it aims to improve connectivity between neighbouring districts through new streets, pedestrian axes, and green corridors, reinforcing the integration of the fairgrounds into the urban structure of Montjuïc and its immediate surroundings.
References:
https://www.bcnregional.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TP04_FIRA.pdf
