The new Ciutadella shade house is now open.

BarcelonaThe new shade house in Ciutadella Park is beginning to see the light of day. The Barcelona City Council's governing committee has initially approved the project to remodel this emblematic city facility, which was currently in decline. Designed by Josep Fontserè in 1883, the building had long been in need of renovation. Now the council is getting down to work on a project that should help restore the building to its original appearance.

Although, unlike other spaces in the Ciutadella Park, the shade house is still open and can be visited, the building currently shows signs of neglect, with broken wood and uncontrolled plant growth. The objective of the renovation is to rehabilitate the roof, facades, structure, paving, and the two gates to the complex, which should also allow it to open from the back, at the entrance to Fontserè Square.

Created at the end of the 19th century during the process of restoring the Ciutadella to the city, the umbraculum had a unique debut. During the 1888 Universal Exposition, it was used as an assembly and function hall. It wasn't until later that the original project was completed and it served the purpose for which it was designed. As then, the City Council also wants to take advantage of the renovation of the space to convert it into a space for scientific dissemination open to the public.

Listed as a cultural asset of local interest, one of the challenges posed by the renovation of the umbraculum is the protection of the various plant species preserved within. In fact, the City Council emphasizes that the renovation seeks to "improve and enhance" the landscape aspects of the space, restoring the exposed brick walls, improving drainage, and clearing vegetation. It also includes improvements to the interior furnishings, flooring, and signage. Outside, the woodwork on the main facades and the grilles on the secondary facades will be restored.

All of this has a budget of two million euros and is scheduled to be carried out in two phases. The first, which involves the interior of the building, will last ten months and begin during the first quarter of 2026. The second, expected to last five months, will be carried out during 2027 and aims to rehabilitate the four exterior facades.

The transformation of the Ciutadella

The umbraculum was the last piece of heritage in this green space in the Catalan capital awaiting renovation. As part of the Ciutadella del Conocimiento project, the City Council promoted the restoration of three emblematic spaces in the Ciutadella: the greenhouse, reopened almost two years ago after a thorough renovation; the Martorell Museum, which also recently reopened as an exhibition center; and the Castle of the Three Dragons, which used to house the zoology museum but has been closed for years.

The latter, in fact, will be restored almost at the same time as the umbraculum. A week ago, the transfer of the 20,000 pieces of the vertebrate collection to the headquarters of the Forum's Museum of Natural Sciences began. This was a necessary step before the restoration work on the Castell begins in the first quarter of 2026, and one that has led to the recent sighting of moving trucks carrying giraffes, tortoises, and many other animals.

The transformation of the Ciutadella's heritage, which will also involve improvements to the park, is just one of the pillars of the Ciutadella del Conocimiento project. The project also includes the construction of the scientific macro-complex of the former Fish Market, the CSIC Bioscience Hub, and the State Library. To all this we must add the renovation of the Barcelona Zoo, which for years has shifted its focus to biodiversity management.

All of this will also physically transform the Ciutadella Park, as a new walk This path will cross the Zoo and provide a direct online connection between the Olympic Village and Riverside neighborhoods. This path will open a new access to the park from Wellington Street and will provide a direct connection between the new Fish Market and the future Provincial State Library.