The long-awaited restoration and remodeling works of the Hivernacle de la Ciutadella have begun. The rehabilitation of the emblematic heritage building erected for the Universal Exposition of 1888 includes its internal and external restoration.
It also aims to fix some structural flaws of the product of so many years of neglect. Incidentally, the building will be equipped with humidifiers and a monitored ventilation system.
The work has a budget that has increased to two million euros and it is estimated that the intervention will take approximately one year. In addition, lhe building has been considered an endangered historic building. But it is not the only historical heritage that is at risk of being lost.
The same happens with the Castell dels Tres Dragons, the Museu Martorell and the Umbracle, all these buildings were built at the same time within the Ciutadella park. It was born as part of a museum and scientific program.
The Hivernacle of the Ciutadella
It is a building of 1,000 square meters cataloged as Bé Cultural d’Interès Local, BCIL, Cultural Asset of National Interest.
It consists of three naves:
- The central one and two lateral ones.
- The Picasso ship.
- The Magnòlies ship.
The creator was the architect Josep Amargós and the most used materials for the construction were metal and glass.
It is worth mentioning that the objective is to achieve the restoration of the modernist building of the Ciutadella, which has been closed and abandoned since 2006. Just before being closed, the Hivernacle had operated as a restaurant. But since that time it has only opened its doors for special occasions.
For its part, the City Council, over the last ten years, has advanced different works with an estimated investment of 1.8 million euros.
Thanks to this budget, it was possible to bring forward the last reforms at the end of 2015, which were expected to be completed in 2016. However, the renovation had to be suspended because the company in charge of the works went bankrupt.
Thus, in March 2019 and just before the municipal elections, the Urbanism, Ecology and Mobility commission took on the task of urgently approving the rehabilitation work.
But two and a half years later, the building remained in total abandonment, with peeling, rusted walls and structural problems. Subsequently, at the beginning of 2021, it was modified to complete the executive project, although the actual work was only resumed this week.
While this space will soon be lost in a civic facility, the Barcelona City Council is working to structure a new proposal for the use and future of the restored building.
In this context, the municipal government has also aimed to take advantage of the full potential of the Ciutadella park, along with the rehabilitation of its heritage and the best use of educational, cultural and green spaces in the area.
