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Messi buys the former Wagner galleries and steps up his property investment in Barcelona
One of the most forgotten buildings in the upper part of Barcelona is about to undergo a radical transformation. Leo Messi has acquired the former Wagner galleries, a commercial complex next to Turó Park that has been closed for over thirty years, with the intention of turning it into a new office space in one of the city's most exclusive areas.
The operation, valued at €11.5 million, represents a new foray by the Argentine footballer into Barcelona’s property market. The building had stood completely empty for decades and had become a kind of silent symbol of urban abandonment within an area marked by offices, high-end homes and business activity.
The future refurbishment promises to alter the dynamics of the area. The arrival of new offices could attract businesses, workers and more day-to-day movement to an environment that combines residential calm with economic activity around Turó Park and part of the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district.
Messi already has other significant investments in Barcelona through his property company, with a presence in hotels, restaurants and office spaces. His commitment also reinforces an increasingly visible trend in the city: recovering historic or deteriorated buildings to adapt them to new uses linked to businesses, services and professional activity.
The Wagner galleries were a small commercial landmark for local residents during the 1980s and 1990s. Their closure left a highly visible urban void in one of Barcelona’s neighbourhoods with the highest property values, where every transformation usually has a direct impact on the commercial fabric and everyday life of the surrounding area.
The refurbishment also reflects how Barcelona continues to redefine some of its more established urban spaces. In a city with little available land, many property operations now involve recovering existing buildings rather than building from scratch, especially in central, very densely populated areas.
The area around Turó Park has spent years becoming established as one of Barcelona’s most exclusive and peaceful hubs, combining offices, restaurants, shops and high-end residential life. The recovery of the former Wagner galleries also adds a new layer to the slow but constant transformation of a city seeking to modernise without losing part of its urban memory.