The large dome of the new Fira de Barcelona pavilion is taking shape
The expansion works at the Gran Via venue have reached the halfway point, while improvements are being made to the current facilities for a Mobile World Congress that needs to grow.
L'Hospitalet de LlobregatWith the constant hum of cranes and the hammering of workers, the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona venue in Hospitalet de Llobregat is progressing well. Conference attendees and local workers can see the new pavilion taking shape and the large dome that will cover it almost completely in place. The roof, which has a mesh-like structure, is made up of steel tubes that fit together like a puzzle of some 9,000 pieces. Construction began in the summer and will be finished in the coming weeks. This dome will envelop one of the two exhibition floors of the future pavilion, known as Hall Zero. The hall will be the same size as ten Olympic swimming pools, two football fields, or a city block in the Eixample district of Barcelona: 120 meters wide and 135 meters deep. "The entire Palau Sant Jordi could fit inside," says Albert Civit, managing director of Fira 2000, the Fira de Barcelona holding company carrying out the work. Construction of the floor will begin next week with the arrival of the first beams. The main feature of this hall will be the absence of any columns in its 20-meter-long interior, allowing for activities beyond trade fairs, such as concerts and sporting events.
The works reach the halfway point
With the foundation stone laid at the end of 2023, construction is now approaching its halfway point. "We're at 45% completion," explains Civit. Work is currently focused on finishing the structure of the exhibition hall and the accompanying office tower. Seven of the twelve floors, which will be occupied by the Catalan Government and Fira de Barcelona, have already been completed, with the option to lease them to third parties. Work has also begun on the building's facades and the installation of water, electricity, and climate control systems.
With the dome in place, construction will accelerate significantly starting early next year. The entire interior structure and facades will need to be built, requiring a workforce that will increase from over 100 to 600. The project will add more than 60,000 square meters of exhibition space, expanding the Gran Via venue from its current 240,000 square meters to 300,000 square meters.
The budget stands at €365 million, higher than initially planned, due to changes in the project that have added more square meters to the facilities and increased costs for expropriating the land on which they are being built, the former site of a Porcelanosa store. However, the construction itself costs €250 million, the land acquisition cost €93 million, and an additional €20 million will be needed for complementary projects, such as the development of the surrounding area.
But it's not all about that grand dome. The ground floor lobby is also taking shape; it will be on the same level as the other exhibition hall, which will be very similar to the existing pavilions. To welcome the congress attendees, capitals reminiscent of Gaudí have been erected. This space was designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, who also designed the façade of the current fair complex, in collaboration with the Barcelona-based firm b720 Fermín Vázquez.
Beyond the exhibition halls, Hall Zero will incorporate a type of space highly sought after by conference attendees. These are known as executive meeting roomsBasically, this is where the business deals that begin to be negotiated at the exhibitors' booths during trade fairs are finalized. They will be located on the first floor of the new pavilion, which will be directly connected to the rest of the pavilions in the venue by a bridge that will pass over Juan Carlos I Avenue, which is also now complete.
Work completed by the end of 2026
The new pavilion is expected to be finished by the end of 2026. However, there will be a slight delay before Fira 2000 can hand over the keys. Once construction is complete, it needs to be legalized, and everything must be tested to ensure it's fully functional, from the electrical system to the climate control. These extra months are what have prevented the Mobile World Congress, the main event held at the Gran Via venue and the one most in need of the expansion, from opening in early 2027 as originally planned. Once everything is validated, Fira 2000 estimates that all the work will be finished by June 2027, and the first trade fairs won't take place until September. Later, the office tower will be completed, and the interior design contract has yet to be put out to tender. However, the technology congress will have to wait another year, until 2028, making the most of all the available space in the eight current pavilions, with temporary structures and also taking advantage of the Montjuïc fairgrounds, which will also be under construction.
Small improvements like those Fira 2000 is making to the existing complex have a significant impact here. This year, they completely renovated the convention center in Hall 2, with a budget of six million euros. "We'll finish it this December, and it will be ready for next year's MWC," says Civit. It will also benefit Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the other major international trade show held in the city. Specializing in screens and sound equipment, ISE needed its conference and meeting room technology to be updated.
In addition, this space in Pavilion 2 has gained more rooms, as well as an auditorium with a capacity of approximately 500 people and an exhibition area of 5,000 square meters. This will allow it to host smaller events, given that until now most required a minimum attendance of 2,000 people. It will also have private parking and direct access to the metro.