Start of the reform of Dr. Fleming Gardens and Gardunya Square.

The redevelopment of public space in this area aims to improve the leisure areas of El Raval and promote new patterns of use

The ground will be renovated with soft paving, sand, new trees and more surface area for the tree pits; a new children's play area will be created with swings and balance and jumping games, and urban furniture will be installed

4,635 m² of public space will be worked on, with an investment of 1.81 million euros from the Barri Plan in El Raval, in a project expected to be finished by the end of summer 2026

This initiative is part of the overall renovation of the surroundings of the former Hospital de la Santa Creu, La Boqueria, and La Rambla to create a new central space in the neighborhood.

This week, the renovation works of the Dr. Fleming Gardens and the surroundings of Gardunya Square, in the neighborhood of El Raval, have begun.

The reform includes improvements to the Dr. Fleming Gardens and Floristes de la Rambla street, increasing the soft paving area and renewing the children's play area. In Gardunya Square, specific interventions will be made with the overall goal of promoting new patterns of use and reorganizing the square's functionality, redesigning the paths and areas and connections within this area of influence.

According to Albert Batlle, Deputy Mayor and councilor of the Ciutat Vella district, "the initiative covers an area that was very closed off due to its physical structure" and represents a step forward in the "remodeling project of the center of El Raval." "It is a significant economic initiative, funded by the Barri Plan, within the framework of opening up the gardens of the former Hospital de la Santa Creu, the Dr. Fleming gardens, and the Gardunya Square to provide greater accessibility to the entire neighborhood," said Batlle.

The project involves improving a total of 4,635 m². In the Dr. Fleming Gardens, a sandy paver will be laid for vehicle and pedestrian traffic areas, maintaining the current traffic flow configuration in the square and Floristes de la Rambla street. In the central area, filtered and compacted gravel and sand will be placed in a new children's play area, where this sand, an adapted game table, and animals for experiencing will be located. Additionally, a double swing set with different seats (adapted, double, standard, and children's), as well as balance and swinging games such as a seesaw or a bouncing flower, will be added in the children's area.

New flower beds with shrubs and ground cover plants will be built throughout the intervention area, including Gardunya Square, and 10 new trees ("mèlies") will be planted, expanding the tree pits to increase permeable surface area. Regarding urban furniture, the two water fountains in this area will be restored, and the type of furniture will be unified with consistent benches and seating.

The City Council is investing over 1.81 million euros from the Barri Plan for El Raval, with a schedule to complete the works in about 19 months, by the end of summer 2026.

Part of the renovation project of the Former Hospital de la Santa Creu

The redesign of Dr. Fleming Square and Gardunya Square is part of the renovation project of the Former Hospital de la Santa Creu, as a new central space in the neighborhood of El Raval.

In this sense, the City Council has already tendered works to enable a new ground-level passage that provides access to the Rubió i Lluch Gardens and helps create new flows and uses for the gardens, Gardunya Square, and the surroundings, while reinforcing this entrance from El Raval to the Boqueria market.

The redevelopment of Dr. Fleming Square and Gardunya Square and the opening of the new passage to the Rubió i Lluch Gardens are therefore the first steps towards the transformation of this area, linked to a second midway phase involving the rehabilitation of the Former Hospital de la Santa Creu, where over 12,000 m² will be worked on to accommodate and improve cultural facilities, including a district library and the expansion of the Catalonia Library of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

In the same area, La Boqueria plans to address its reform in 2025 to expand as a market and open towards the neighborhood through Gardunya Square, coinciding with the renovation of La Rambla, already in progress and expected to be completed by 2027.

All these actions will contribute to creating a new space around the Former Hospital de la Santa Creu, with new public spaces and facilities and the renovation of existing ones. They are part of the municipal government's initiative prioritizing urban interventions and the revitalization of the axes in North El Raval around Castella Square, Angels Square, Gardunya Square, Can Seixanta, and Raval Promenade.