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From exhibition hall to court: Montjuïc’s Pabellón 2 becomes Poble-sec’s sports centre
The future municipal sports centre in Poble-sec is entering its decisive phase. Barcelona has awarded the works to adapt part of Pabellón 2 at Fira de Montjuïc and turn 3,450 square metres of its interior into a neighbourhood sports facility with two regulation courts.
The work has been awarded to Constraula for around €2.01 million excluding VAT, and the contract was formalised at the end of August. The company places the start of the works during this month of September and expects around six and a half months of construction, so the first phase should be ready in spring 2027.
The most important change will be in the large indoor space. Two PAV-2-type courts suitable for basketball, handball, futsal and volleyball will be installed, with wooden sports parquet flooring, goals, hoops and the regulation markings needed for both training and competitions.
To enable the venue to begin operating, this first intervention will also include a lobby and access control, storage areas linked to the courts, a first-aid room, toilets, a cleaning area and support facilities. The metal structure of the roof will also be protected against fire, and basic services will be provided around the new courts.
The changing rooms and stands, however, will have to wait. They are part of a second phase that will later complete the sports centre. The municipal plan is for the two courts to enter service before the entire final project is finished.
The change has a direct consequence for the clubs in Poble-sec. The new venue will have to accommodate the organisations that currently train at the Pabellón de Italia, whose disappearance is planned as part of the redevelopment of Plaça de Carles Buïgas. The operation makes it possible to retain those sporting uses in the Montjuïc area while the transformation of the exhibition grounds progresses.
The project also responds to a long-standing demand from Poble-sec's sports and neighbourhood organisations, in a district with few indoor facilities available for regular training. The City Council had initially announced that it wanted the new space to be available sooner, but the updated schedule places the opening of this first phase in spring 2027.
Not all of Pabellón 2 will cease to have exhibition use. The building is considerably larger than the 3,450 square metres affected by the sports project, so it is more accurate to speak of transforming part of its interior than of converting the entire pavilion.