The area around the Mercat de l’Abaceria is being transformed ahead of its long-awaited reopening

Work has already begun on the streets surrounding the Mercat de l’Abaceria. Paving, drainage and lighting are being renewed. The aim is to make access to the new market easier this summer. The Gràcia neighbourhood will gain a large covered public space.

The Gràcia neighbourhood is undergoing a key transformation these days: the streets surrounding the Mercat de l’Abaceria are being fully refurbished to prepare for the imminent reopening of the emblematic market after the summer. The work affects the sections of Mare de Déu dels Desamparats and Torrijos, where the paving will be renewed and access reorganised to make connections with the new facility easier.

As well as the aesthetic improvement, the intervention includes the installation of two new collectors that will strengthen the drainage network in the area, a fundamental aspect in such a dense urban fabric. On travessera de Gràcia, the paving will be replaced and public lighting modernised with low-energy luminaires, committed to energy efficiency and safety.

The project, with a budget of 486,263.12 euros and an expected duration of four months, seeks to turn the area around the market into a friendlier, more accessible and modern space. The City Council stresses that the new covered public square will be able to host cultural and neighbourhood activities, reinforcing the market’s central role in neighbourhood life.

The project provides for the continuity of the covered public space, which will have dimensions similar to plaça de la Revolució and will be accessible from Mare de Déu dels Desamparats. A new entrance will also open on Torrijos, creating a spacious lobby designed for temporary events. All this will make it possible to add up to 6,000 square metres of space for the associative fabric and community life.

The new Mercat de l’Abaceria building, whose works began in October 2023 and will finish in July, will have 14,350 square metres spread over several floors, including three underground levels. The refurbishment will bring new operators and services, aligning the market with the standards of the city’s major facilities.

The Mercat de l’Abaceria is one of Gràcia’s historical landmarks, both for its architecture and for its role in the neighbourhood’s everyday life. Its refurbishment not only modernises the facilities, but also reinforces its function as a meeting point and social catalyst. The creation of a large covered public space responds to residents’ demand for more places for socialising and culture, in an area where every square metre counts. The reopening of the market will boost local commerce and community life in the heart of Gràcia.

The works in the surroundings of the Mercat de l’Abaceria not only modernise streets and services, but also reconfigure the market’s role as the central hub of the Gràcia neighbourhood. The new covered public square, of around 6,000 m², becomes one of the largest collective spaces in the area, designed to host cultural activities, neighbourhood events and temporary uses without depending on the weather. The project is committed to accessibility and urban sustainability: renewed paving, strengthened drainage and low-energy lighting align with the “Barcelona resilient” strategy and the improvement of quality of life in a very dense urban fabric. The reopening of the Mercat de l’Abaceria this summer is expected to boost the local economy, local commerce and community cohesion in the heart of Gràcia.