La Rambla will be the first Terrace Excellence Zone in the city

La Rambla will have its own style guide, agreed upon with Amics de la Rambla and the Restaurant Guild

The procedure begins to declare La Rambla a Terrace Excellence Zone and approve a style guide that sets a model for terraces with a unique image for the entire area, to improve and reinforce the identity of the promenade as an emblematic avenue of the city

The process coincides with the execution of works in the central section of the promenade, which has forced the temporary suspension of licenses for establishments in the area

The style guide for the La Rambla Terrace Excellence Zone defines technical and aesthetic criteria for the elements that make up the terraces (tables, chairs, parasols, and other aspects), which at the same time evoke a unified image balanced with distinct and individual expression

The City Council will call a public competition for the design of three elements: the auxiliary furniture, the chalkboard, and a delimiting element, in collaboration with two FAD associations: Adi-FAD and Arquin-FAD

The Barcelona City Council is advancing the transformation of La Rambla by tackling a new terrace model intended to reinforce the quality and uniqueness of this central city space. Coinciding with the execution of the third phase of works, underway since January and which has already required the terraces to be removed from establishments in the central section, work is being carried out so that their return can happen gradually and, as much as possible, in accordance with the new layout and design criteria.

To this end, the City Council has already begun proceedings to declare La Rambla a Terrace Excellence Zone, and this week the Barcelona Technical Terrace Committee has been convened, which will have to technically endorse the proposal.

The project defines the Excellence Zone, which covers the whole of La Rambla, and includes a proposal for its own style guide, agreed with Amics de La Rambla and the Restaurant Guild, which will set out the technical and aesthetic characteristics of the elements and spaces for the terraces occupying the new Rambla.

A new style guide to help reclaim the excellence of La Rambla

The La Rambla Terrace Excellence Zone takes shape in the definition of a style guide developed with two FAD associations on one hand, and with Amics de La Rambla and the Restaurant Guild on the other. One of its main objectives is to improve the terraces by recognizing their key role in upholding the values and characteristics of La Rambla as a historic emblem and a reference avenue of the city.

The document highlights the potential for improvement in order for the terraces to contribute to creating a continuous visual rhythm along La Rambla, reducing visual noise and committing to overall coherence and the enhancement of the surroundings. To achieve this, the style guide seeks a balance between the homogeneity of certain elements to create a unified, recognizable image and the differentiation of each restaurant establishment.

The main points addressed by the style guide relate to the installation of the terrace's basic elements: parasols, chairs, and tables, as well as optional elements: auxiliary furniture, chalkboards, lighting, heaters, windbreaks, and rear boundary elements. The style guide defines the sizes and material characteristics-setting out ranges of colors and qualities-which should facilitate the acquisition of different elements by restaurateurs, and allow space for the identification of different establishments.

Thus, the new Rambla would feature large-format parasols, all required to have the same height and to be in cream color, according to the style guide.

They may add efficient lighting and/or roll-up, non-rigid windbreaks that are as transparent as possible.

The parasols will create a horizontal plane intended to be homogeneous along La Rambla, emphasizing this aspiration of an Excellence Zone, with its own unique identity.

In contrast to this homogeneous plane, tables and chairs may be of several models, but differentiated by colors and formats within a range of proposals. The suggested material, polypropylene, has proven its quality and durability-robust but lightweight-making it easy to collect daily as it can be stacked. Chairs should have backrests and armrests, avoiding stools or high chairs to ensure comfort.

Finally, covers and cushions may be added to help identify establishments, in colors chosen from within the style guide's options as follows:

Regarding visual noise, the style guide for the La Rambla Terrace Excellence Zone also regulates that establishment identification can only be placed on the chalkboard and the chair's fabric backrest, with only the company name or trade name of the establishment as a possible message. This eliminates the possibility of advertising, brands, or other messages.

Advertising will also be prohibited throughout the terrace area, including on chalkboards, tables, and chairs.

Tablecloths must also be textile, unpatterned, and either white or from the color palette in the style guide.

In addition, there is a requirement to dismantle and remove all terrace materials daily, except for the parasol, which may remain folded/closed in the public use area after the establishment's closing time, and the space must be kept clean and tidy.

A call for excellence through local design

To infuse La Rambla with local design, Barcelona City Council will launch a design competition for three terrace elements (the auxiliary furniture, the chalkboard, and the divider) in partnership with two FAD associations: Adi-FAD (Association of Industrial Designers) and Arquin-FAD (Association of Architects and Interior Designers). These two entities respectively promote two long-standing prestigious prizes: the Delta Awards and the FAD Awards.

This public competition aims to find the best design for these three complementary elements that will bring personality and uniqueness to La Rambla: the auxiliary furniture, the chalkboard, and the divider.

Terrace reorganization, a priority for enjoying more space on the new Rambla

This 2026, the City Council has initiated a reorganization of terraces of food and drink establishments on La Rambla, with the main goal of configuring the new promenade with more space and priority for pedestrians, reinforcing La Rambla's identity and improving the quality of commercial, cultural, and food service offerings on one of the city's most iconic streets.

Currently, La Rambla has 62 bar and/or restaurant premises, representing 30% of active commercial establishments on the avenue; half of these currently have a terrace license and, until now, could occupy-with various authorizations-spaces on both sides of the central section and on the side pavements. With the new regulations, the offer will have to be located exclusively in the central section, respecting distances and separations that guarantee comfort and safety for citizens, keeping passageways, metro exits, monuments, planters, tree pits, and signage, lighting, and curb cut points clear. The aim is to preserve an accessible, orderly public space, prioritizing coexistence and the civic use of La Rambla.

Now, with the creation of the La Rambla Terrace Excellence Zone, it will also be possible to update the image of the terraces, to enhance the overall quality of the new Rambla.

In this way, efforts are being made to promote and preserve the characteristic features-historical, morphological, social, economic, and cultural emblems-that make up La Rambla as an intangible heritage site of the city of Barcelona, continuing the process that began transforming the look of this avenue to consolidate it as a reference axis for Barcelona residents, beyond just occasional visitors.