MACBA expansion at the expense of skaters' community: 'We are citizens too' 

The MACBA museum in Barcelona is not only famous for its contemporary art inside its walls, but also for what is going on outside. The square in front of the museum is seen as a true legacy in the worldwide skating community.  

The museum's Plaça dels Àngels, right in front of the MACBA building in the neighborhood of El Raval, has become a well-known and even vital part of Barcelona's urban culture. Though currently, the square is under threat as there are plans of expanding the museum, which include demolishing and redesigning Plaça dels Àngels. 

Pol Martin, a skater and architect from Barcelona, is committed to ensuring the survival of the skaters' square: "During these last years we've had several meetings with the museum and the city council. We are trying to show them the positive side of skateboarding." 

MACBA's expansion 

For now, there is no ear for the complaints of the skaters' community. The works for the expansion started mid-February and will continue to be carried out in two phases. Scheduled to be completed by early 2027, the expansion will cost around €16.26 million.  

"I think losing a spot like MACBA, will be a loss for Barcelona," Martin told Catalan News. "We are also going to lose a place of sports and culture. I think Barcelona loses a big opportunity to recognize this reality. They say they realize it, but they don't," he adds in reference to local authorities. 

The redesigning of the 1,105 square meters square will result in a public space with more greenery, shade, and seating areas. The idea is to make Plaça dels Àngels "a place where the public can meet and coexist," as reads on the museum's official website.  

"They are thinking of a public space for a certain kind of citizen. They are not recognizing skateboarders as citizens, but we are citizens too," Martin states. 

 
Why MACBA? 

In order to understand why MACBA is so important, it is essential to understand what the difference is between skating and street skateboarding. Some may wonder, why don't they just build another skate park somewhere else? 

Skating is a general term that covers all kinds of skateboarding, whether it’s in skate parks, ramps, bowls, or the streets. Street skating, specifically, means skating in public or urban spaces, using everyday architecture like stairs, rails, ledges, benches, or even curbs as obstacles and features. 

When the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) was inaugurated in 1995, the urban design of the Plaça dels Àngels unintentionally made it a perfect spot for skaters.  

The smooth concrete, ledges, stairs, and open space quickly attracted skateboarders, turning it into an important meeting point for the local and international skate scene. 

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Barcelona started gaining worldwide recognition as a skating 'mecca', thanks to spots like MACBA, Paral·lel, and Sants Station.  

Skating at the museum's square is more than a sport for many skaters coming there, as the site intertwines and blends with El Raval's artistic and countercultural scene. MACBA gained its place in the global skating community featuring in many skating videos and even as a level in video games, globally attracting numerous skateboarders.  

"You realize MACBA is a sacred place, it's like a holy place for skaters," Mario Cano, a skater and skate videographer, tells Catalan News. 

"The ground is perfect, you got the stairs, the ledges, there are not many places like this in Barcelona where people from all around the world gather for the same thing, the same concept, skating and having fun," he adds, even calling it "the most perfect place on earth for skateboarding." 

The 31-year-old has spent years of his life at the square and highlights its cultural and social significance by telling stories on how he met most of his friends at this place. 

"It's something that needs to be preserved, and it's sad that it is dying," he says.  

Conflict with authorities and regulations 

As MACBA became a global skate destination, conflicts with the Barcelona City Council grew. Complaints from museum visitors, local businesses, and residents led to increased police presence and restrictions. 

Authorities introduced fines and occasional crackdowns in the 2010s, but skaters kept returning. In 2020, the city banned skating on Saturdays, aiming to reduce disturbances on busy weekends, though, this ban was not obeyed most of the time. This move sparked protests from skaters, arguing that MACBA is a public space for everyone. 

Despite these challenges, those defending skating at MACBA believe it will remain a symbol of Barcelona’s urban culture, and the heart of Barcelona's skating community until the very last beat.  

"The good thing about skateboarding is that there are no limits," Cano says. "We will always find a place to skate and do what we do, because we are a community."