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The Ciutadella renews its Umbracle: science, history and sustainability in 2026
The Ciutadella Umbracle will be restored and modernised. The building will become a space for science outreach. The works will begin in 2026 and will last more than a year. Discover how this project will transform the park and its heritage.
The Umbracle de la Ciutadella will be restored and modernised. The building will become a space for science outreach. The works will begin in 2026 and last more than a year. Discover how this project will transform the park and its heritage.
The emblematic Umbracle in Ciutadella Park is beginning a new chapter. Barcelona City Council has given the green light to the definitive project to restore and adapt this historic building, with the aim of turning it into a science outreach space open to all citizens.
The refurbishment, which will recover the original appearance designed by Josep Fontseré in 1883, includes the restoration of façades, access points and interior paths, as well as a review of the structure and roof. The plan also includes improving the furniture, paving and signage, in addition to protecting the plant species currently housed by the Umbracle.
The building, listed as a Bien Cultural de Interés Local, forms part of the heritage axis of the Ciutadella del Coneixement alongside the Hivernacle, Castell dels Tres Dragons and Centre Martorell d’Exposicions. This project seeks to turn the park into a European benchmark for knowledge, research and innovation.
The works, with a budget of 2.4 million euros, will be divided into two phases. The first, focused on the interior, will begin in the first quarter of 2026 and will last ten months. The second, devoted to the exterior façades, will be carried out in 2027 and is expected to last three months.
The intervention will improve the building's accessibility, safety and energy efficiency, incorporating more sustainable irrigation and lighting systems. In addition, heritage elements will be restored and the surrounding landscape will be enhanced.
Funding comes from European Next Generation EU funds and the Pla de Manteniment Integral, within Pla Endreça. In total, the works will cover 11 of the park's 14 hectares of green areas.
The Ciutadella, declared a Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional y Monumento Histórico-Artístico since 1951, is one of Barcelona's great green lungs, with more than 7 million visitors a year. This rehabilitation reinforces its role as a resilient space adapted to the challenges of climate change, while preserving its valuable heritage.