City Centre initiates the transformation of the former Hospital de la Santa Creu and the surroundings of Plaça de la Gardunya

• The Barcelona City Council will tender the construction of the connection works between the Rubió i Lluch Gardens and the Gardunya square, as the first step of the rehabilitation and transformation project of the Old Hospital de la Santa Creu
• In February, the Government Commission will approve the project that will allow starting the works during this 2025 to gain a public space of 535 square meters, with a budget of 820,000 euros
• This new ground-level passage will be a third entrance to the Rubió i Lluch gardens, along with the entrances from Hospital street and Carme street, and should contribute to creating new flows and giving new uses to the gardens, Gardunya square, and surroundings
• The action is part of the remodeling project of this area of El Raval, with the Old Santa Creu Hospital enclosure as the central space, where in this first action the new public passage between the gardens and the square will be gained
• In a second phase, the transformation of the Old Santa Creu Hospital will act on more than 12,000 m² to host and improve cultural facilities, including a district library and the expansion of the Catalonia Library of the Generalitat de Catalunya
• In parallel, in a few weeks, the renovation of Dr. Fleming square and Gardunya square is expected to start, acting on more than 4,600 m² to plant new trees, install new urban furniture, new pavements, and a children's play area
• Also, the Boqueria is planning to face its 2025 reform to expand as a market and open up to the neighborhood near Gardunya square, coinciding with the redevelopment of La Rambla until 2027

First steps to open the Rubió i Lluch gardens towards Gardunya Square

Ciutat Vella begins the transformation of the environment of the Old Hospital de la Santa Creu by opening a new passage between the Rubió i Lluch gardens and Gardunya Square, in the center of El Raval. The Government Commission plans to approve the executive project for the connection between the Rubió i Lluch gardens and Gardunya Square in February, with a budget of 820,000 euros, and is expected to start in the summer of 2025 to finish in 2026.

The intervention proposes the ground-level connection of the public space of Gardunya Square with the interior of the Rubió i Lluch gardens, aiming to achieve maximum permeability, accessibility, and visual relationship for pedestrians without distorting it and affecting the protected buildings through which it must pass. To connect the current volumes at ground level, the physical barriers separating the east and west courtyards between them and with the gardens and Gardunya Square will be demolished, solutions will be incorporated to overcome the height difference - which can reach 33 cm in some sections - and spaces will be reserved which will be adapted to accommodate community services, in a project with an estimated additional cost of 250,000 euros.

This new ground-level passage will become a third entrance to the Rubió i Lluch gardens, along with the entrances from Hospital street and Carme street. The proposal guarantees an accessible itinerary for pedestrians throughout the route and must contribute to creating new flows and giving new uses to the gardens, Gardunya Square, and the whole environment, while strengthening this entrance from El Raval to the Boqueria Market.

The municipal works for the opening of the passage between the gardens and the square began in 2016, when the urban pre-project was carried out, with the aim of finding a solution to facilitate pedestrian communication on the ground floor between the gardens and Gardunya Square. Subsequently, in 2018, the basic project for the reform of the spaces located at the connection between the Rubió i Lluch Gardens and Gardunya Square was drawn up; and already in 2019, the necessary archaeological studies and plans were processed to undertake the current connection project.

Improving 12,000 m² for new cultural equipment uses at the Old Hospital

This action lays the foundations for the global project of the space of the Old Hospital de la Santa Creu, where it is planned to improve nearly 12,000 m² for new cultural equipment uses.

One of the main objectives is to recover the spaces of the façade of the Old Hospital with Gardunya Square for cultural uses and to be able to expand the current library to become the new district library of Ciutat Vella, thus completing the city's library network and providing such equipment in the only district of the city that currently lacks it.

The new library would mainly occupy the façade part facing Gardunya Square, both on the ground floor and the first and second floors.

On the ground floor, a space dedicated to a stage and educational and cultural facilities in the old kindergarten building would also be preserved, and the Catalonia Library of the Generalitat de Catalunya could be expanded, being located in currently free spaces and others that could be used once the Dialogs de Dona and Kn 60 Lab entities can move their activity.

The Jardinet dels Gats will maintain space for its activity within the new project.

The old kindergarten building will be rehabilitated, with a project expected to be tendered in the summer to start works in 2027, at an estimated cost of 3.6 million euros.

It is also planned to act on the rehabilitation of the cloister and the façade of the enclosure.

The project of the new district library and the expansion of the Catalonia Library

The transformation of the Old Santa Creu Hospital also includes, in a second phase, the creation of a library and cultural complex that will house the expanded Catalonia Library and the district municipal library (replacing the current Sant Pau and Santa Creu library).

This will represent a significant improvement in library and cultural dissemination services aimed at citizens with new spaces, such as an auditorium and a large exhibition hall.

In the case of the Catalonia Library of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the project will mean a clear optimization of services, as the services currently located in another building on Villarroel Street will be able to move to the Hospital Street headquarters.

It is forecasted that the drafting of the project will be tendered by the end of this year.

Improvements in the environment with the Dr. Fleming Square reform and actions at Boqueria

In parallel, this February it is planned to start the reform of Dr. Fleming Square and the Gardunya Square, where new urban furniture, new pavements, and a children's play area with sand and play elements will be installed. The project will improve 4,635 m2 of public space, has a cost of 1.8 million euros, and is expected to be completed by late summer 2026.

Work is already underway at the Boqueria Market on the renovation agreement with all market stallholders and operators to start a reform during this 2025. This transformation will begin to be visible from 2027, with the aim of maintaining the municipal market function and at the same time preserving its uniqueness and commercial offer to ensure its viability, while reforming the market façade towards Gardunya Square. The municipal investment planned for the entire transformation is a minimum of 12 million euros, which runs in parallel to the large transformation of La Rambla, and the municipal work for the modification of both the Municipal Market Ordinance and the internal regulations of the Boqueria Market, which must be reflected in a remodeling agreement with traders

Regarding the reform of La Rambla, which is already underway and is expected to be completed in 2027, it will be a reurbanization aimed at making it a more comfortable, green, friendly, and cultural promenade with more space for pedestrians.

The space allocated to vehicles will be reduced and given more to pedestrians, mainly extending the space on the lateral sidewalks to facilitate walking and enjoyment in front of the shops and establishments on La Rambla; three large spaces will also be configured, and new benches and chairs will be installed on the sides of the central promenade and under the shade of the trees.

An investment of 41.07 million euros is planned for the execution of the four sections, and in this term, around 48 million will be invested in the reurbanization of La Rambla, including the actions in the Colom-Santa Madrona area. In total, a total investment of 55.6 million euros will be allocated to transforming the entire promenade - all five areas plus the drafting of the necessary projects and services.

All these actions will help generate a new space around the Old Hospital de la Santa Creu, with new public spaces and facilities and the remodeling of existing ones. They are part of the municipal government's action that prioritizes urban interventions and the revitalization of the axes in the North Raval around Castella Square, Angels Square, Gardunya Square, Can Seixanta, and Rambla del Raval.