Barcelona Ciutadella Park to gain another entrance

The Ciutadella park, which includes the Barcelona Zoo and the Catalan parliament, will get a new access to the city, connecting the neighborhoods of Ciutat Vella and Vila Olímpica.  

Inhabitants, students from the nearby Pompeu Fabra university and visitors will be able to enter the park via Wellington Street without detouring around the zoo. 

Park visitors will access through a bridge built above the zoo installations while the zoo visitors will access the installations from under the new construction. 

This new entrance aims to make the park more accessible, as well as to better blend the green spaces within the city. 

"We'll try to make the Ciutadella more accessible and the zoo more open to the city and more integrated within the park," Jaume Collboni, Barcelona mayor, said during a press conference on Wednesday. 

Access to the nearby tramway station Wellington and metro L4 at Ciutadella Vila Olímpica station will also be facilitated. 

The access via Wellington Street was initially planned in the initial project of the park by architect Josep Fontseré and existed until the 1950s, when it became an exclusive zoo access.

This new pathway, provisionally called Biodiversity pathway, is part of a remodeling plan of the park, the 'Ciutadella Knowledge Hub' project. 

With the idea of creating a scientific center of innovation within Ciutadella park, new research centers on biology or NanoSciences, for instance, will be built. 

The city council collaborates with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in the Knowledge Hub project. 

Collboni said the aim is "to create an area where science, knowledge and culture are represented." 

New buildings are under construction, among which the Fish market, a new research complex at the Wellington future entrance, and a new central library next to the train station Estació de França.  

Both will be connected with the new pathway through the park. 

This new path is also an opportunity for the Knowledge hub to integrate with the Barcelona Zoo, letting children be informed on nature and biodiversity. 

The construction of the pathway will take place in two phases. The first part of the project will focus on the entrance above the zoo, as well as renovating the zoo entrance.  

The inferior path through the zoo should be completely immersed into nature, integrating the existing greenery, press release says. 

The second phase will prolong the pathway up to the other side of the park, progressively reducing the Parliament parking space towards a green area. 

In total, it will be a 26,000 m2 path, with a portion of at least 20 meters wide. 

The pathway will cost €13 million while the overall project of the Ciutadella Knowledge hub requires an investment of €290 million.  

"This new path will be a reality in the spring of 2027," Jaume Collboni said. 

Construction work should begin in the first trimester of 2026.