Barcelona plans to use evicted Antiga Massana for new passageway to gardens and expand cultural activity

The Barcelona City Council is working on a new transformation of the areas between the Old Santa Creu Hospital, in the heart of the Raval, and its surroundings.

The council's intention is to transform the extensive site, which includes facilities such as the Antiga Massana building, which was previously occupied until this week, the National Library of Catalonia, and the Rubió i Lluch Gardens.

The council aims to improve nearly 12,000m2 of space and develop new cultural facilities.

As for the Antiga Massana, the council plans to use the space to expand the activity of the Escola Massana. In the short term, the current pink wall will be demolished to make a passage on the ground floor that will connect Plaça de la Gardunya with the Rubió i Lluch gardens.

This new passage will become a third entrance to the Rubió i Lluch gardens, which are located in the patio of the medieval Old Santa Creu Hospital.

The works for the opening of this new passage are expected to begin this summer and end in 2026, and have been given a budget of €820,000.

City councilor Albert Batlle announced that there are no plans to allocate any space in the building to the groups that occupied the building for five years to let them continue their activity.

This February, the renovation of the nearby Plaça Dr. Fleming and the Plaça de la Gardunya is expected to begin, where new street furniture, new pavements, and a children's play area with a sandbox and playground pieces will be installed.