The future Montjuïc Fair already has architects: these are the winners

BarcelonaThe future Montjuïc Fair already has its first architects. The winners of the international competition held to define the first phase of the renovation of this exhibition center were announced this Monday, coinciding with the centenary of the 1929 International Exposition. This competition has allowed the city to expand its portfolio of contemporary architecture with renowned names such as Chilean architect Smiljan Radic.

New Multifunctional Palace

The architectural group formed by Smiljan Radic, Miquel Mariné, Beatriz Borque, and César Rueda has won the first prize. It includes the renovation and expansion of the Communications Palace—which will be carried out later—and the construction of the new Multifunctional Palace, which will be located in the current Pavilion 4 and Congress Palace. This new facility will have 20,500 m2 of exhibition space, will consist of two floors, and is designed to host trade shows, fairs, and conferences.

The most notable aspect of the project led by Radic is its transparency. "The jury highly valued the approach, not only for the transparency and maximum flexibility of the functional program, but also because the four exterior facades make a great effort at composition to achieve a human scale," says Maria Buhigas, the lead architect of Barcelona. One of the highlights of the project is the construction of a new landscaped walkway that will connect the two buildings on the façade facing Avenida Maria Cristina, a street that the urban transformation of the area plans to pacify so that—together with the future Plaza de España—it makes the entrance to Montjuïc mountain much more permeable.

Alfonso XIII Pavilion

The second lot was won by Forgas Arquitectes, Arquitectura Sideral, and Álvaro Fernández. It involves the design of the new Conference Center, which will be located in the Alfonso XIII Pavilion. The requirement for the construction of a new Conference Center in the Alfonso XIII Pavilion is to preserve the listed skin of the building. "The program is not easy to fit into this space, and the winners resolve it with great beauty, great simplicity, and elegance, but also with great forcefulness," explained Buhigas. The architects propose an entrance courtyard in Carles Buïgas Square (where the Montjuïc fountain is located). It will be a covered courtyard with vaults reminiscent of Guastavino's. Inside, the architects propose an auditorium with capacity for around 2,000 people, in a large interior courtyard with vegetation and zenithal light.

The Dress Palace

The Bjarke Ingles Group and MIAS Arquitectura have been awarded the third lot, which affects the Palacio del Vestido (Clothes Palace) in Plaça Espanya. It will be used to house the Fira Innovation Hub, where large companies, SMEs, research centers, and universities will be able to develop their activities. In this case, the building will combine the original designs of Josep Maria Jujol and Andreu Calzada—such as the columns overlooking Plaça Espanya—with more modern structures. This is Bjarke Ingels' first major triumph in Barcelona. Trained at the Royal Academy of Copenhagen and the University of Barcelona (UPC), he established the Southern European division of his studio in the Catalan capital.

The remodeling of the Palacio del Vestido involves the challenges of an irregularly shaped site that must accommodate contemporary office use and the requirement to maintain the existing colonnade, which Bjarke Ingels and his local partner architect, Josep Miàs, are converting into an open atrium. "The architects have been able to develop an approach where both elements coexist, the pre-existing elements with the new architectures in a very intelligent way, also concerned with these spaces of encounter between the new architecture and the pre-existing, generating spaces of relationship, open spaces, of transition," stated Buhigas. Regarding the office building, it has a completely contemporary language that plays with overhead lighting and the introduction of greenery.

With these results, Barcelona will add to its catalog of contemporary architecture the works of two international leaders, although one is at polar opposites from the others. While Chilean Smiljan Radic is known for his housing and facilities with a strongly experimental character, Bjarke Ingels represents Denmark's contribution to star architects. The three projects were unanimously chosen by the jury, chaired by architect Josep Lluís Mateo and also comprising Maria Goula, Joan Lluís Zamora, Joan Olona, and María Langarita.

Once the competition winners are known, the plan is for construction to begin in early 2026 and be completed by 2029, coinciding with the centenary of the International Exposition. The total investment for this first phase is €255 million.

The remodeling of Montjuïc

During the presentation, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni celebrated that this Monday marks "the first big step" toward reclaiming Montjuïc Mountain for the city. The renovation of the Fira is one of the key elements of the transformation that the entire Montjuïc Mountain must undergo in the coming years. In an attempt to break down the boundaries that have contributed to the city's turning away from the mountain, Barcelona has planned a new mini-neighborhood with 500 public housing units to be built on the land currently occupied by Pavilion 2 of the Fair, which is on the corner of Lleida Street and Paral·lel Avenue and will also be located at the Urbana and Paral·lel Avenue stops. This neighborhood will also feature a sports hall and a primary care center.

Furthermore, the extension of metro line 2 is planned, which will cut through the mountain to serve points such as the Olympic Stadium and connect with the Logistics Park, and the expansion of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). All of this is in addition to the remodeling of Plaça Espanya, which Collboni recently announced, which will allow people to walk across it without having to go around it as is currently the case.