Barcelona designs a large new plaza in front of the Sagrada Familia

BarcelonaLittle by little, the pieces that will shape the final appearance of the Sagrada Família are moving. While we await the resolution of the debate on the staircase, the work to complete the cross-viewpoint that should crown the tower of Jesus is approaching the final stretch and the Board has accelerated the selection of theartist who will have to make the sculptures on the Glory façade. Now, the City Council is moving forward with the redesign of the temple's surroundings. First, with the creation of a large new plaza in front of the Nativity façade.

To this end, the City Council has planned the redevelopment of the area on Marina Street between Mallorca and Provença Streets. This stretch of street has been closed to traffic for years, but has not been renovated until now. The municipal government's plan is to use this space to create a large plaza that connects the steps leading to the temple with Plaza Gaudí. All of this should form a large plaza of more than 6,000 m².².

The project schedule calls for construction to begin in September and last eight and a half months, with completion expected in spring 2026. The budget is €2.7 million.

The project, as explained by the First Deputy Mayor, Laia Bonet, is inspired by an idea proposed by Rubió and Tudurí in 1977 for the current Plaça Gaudí. Bonet and Eixample Councilor Jordi Valls also argued that the redevelopment of this space should create a space for neighborhood use and also contribute to improving coexistence with tourism, which has a major impact on the area. The redevelopment of other sections of Carrer Marina, as well as Carrer Provença and the connection with Avinguda Gaudí, are also scheduled for later.

The elephant in the room

The great debate on the basilica is still pending, however. What will the final staircase that the temple's construction committee plans to extend to the Glòria façade look like? This would involve demolition of two blocks between Mallorca and Aragó Streets? This was, in fact, planned in the 1976 Metropolitan General Plan (PGM), which reserved a wide avenue with two islands so that the Sagrada Família would have a clear access clearly visible from Avinguda Diagonal. However, this did not prevent the construction of housing, for which solutions must be found if the project goes ahead. Now the question is how many apartments will be affected and which ones they will be.

This Wednesday, Bonet indicated that the talks have not stopped, but did not provide details. He simply emphasized that the definitive solution must guarantee the right to housing for all residents included in the plans and end the impact on those who ultimately will not be included. All of this, he said, must have the "consensus" of the residents, and the City Council is working to find a solution "as soon as possible" and leave behind a provisional situation that is "a burden."