Years of major reforms are coming in the fair area of ??Barcelona and its metropolitan area. To the expansion of the Gran Via complex in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, where the foundation stone was laid last week, will be added the modernization of the historic area of ??Montjuïc, now as the younger brother in terms of attraction of large fairs. The reform of the traditional fair area of ??the Catalan capital, which maintains the same structure as when it was conceived a century ago, will require an approximate investment of 175 million euros which will be borne by Fira 2000, a company in which the Generalitat participates of Catalonia, the Barcelona City Council, the Provincial Council of Barcelona, ??the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, the Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council and the Chamber of Commerce. The figure was specified yesterday by the administrations involved during the creation of a commission to celebrate the centenary of the International Exhibition of 1929.
However, these 175 million only include the modernization of the old Montjuïc pavilions and everything related to the activity of the Fira de Barcelona. The budget estimate presented does not include the creation of public facilities and housing, which are also part of the planning agreed by the institutions involved.
At the time, it was promised that with the reform of this area, 500 public flats and various facilities such as an outpatient clinic and a residence would be created. The idea of ??adding housing and services for citizens is still there, but it has no calendar or budget defined as of now. Or at least it’s not public. “We will communicate it in due course”, said the mayor of Barcelona, ??Jaume Collboni, when asked about this issue. “It will be contemporary with the transformation of the Fair”, he remarked. A remodeling that will end, if the deadlines are met, in 2029, coinciding with the centenary of the International Exhibition.
The Fira 2000 operation may also have changes in the amount of investment required. And in fact, to update the pavilions, four international architecture competitions will be called which will arrive during next spring and can change the budget of 175 million euros depending on the winning projects. “Barcelona wants to have iconic buildings”, said the mayor. “Montjuïc is vital to complement the spaces of the Fira”, considered the president of the Fira de Barcelona, ??Pau Relat.
These tenders will decide how to build a congress hall in the Alfons XIII pavilion, the creation of a modern pavilion in the current Palau de Congressos, the rehabilitation of Palau 8 for fair uses and the remodeling of the Palau del Vestit as a space for permanent economic activity.
In essence, the fair activity will lose half of the spaces in exchange for modernizing and optimizing them and taking into account the expansion already underway in l’Hospitalet. In exchange, the city will gain space for public housing, facilities and green areas. One of these open spaces will be located where the misnamed Italian pavilion now stands. In addition, Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina will be renovated and will be intended for pedestrians, bicycles and public transport, becoming a space restricted to the passage of private cars. “It is about a balance between the Fair and urban uses. Preserving their historical value, we will turn the spaces into benchmarks of the 21st century”, defended the general director of the Fair, Constantí Serrallonga. The Minister of Business, Roger Torrent, said that the Generalitat is “absolutely committed” to the modernization of the Fair.
While all this transformation is carried out, work will be done to celebrate the centenary of the International Exhibition of 1929. The Generalitat, the City Council and the Fair are part of the commission created for this purpose, which will also be in charge of making a monitoring of the transformation of the Montjuïc space. “The Exhibition of 1929 meant the full acceptance of modernity”, recalled during the event PhD in Art History Pilar Vélez.