The foundation stone for the future Gran Via building, which is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026, was laid today
Fira 2000 begins its work to expand Fira de Barcelona’s exhibition area by 25% and reinforce it as part of the sector’s global elite
The foundation stone of the new hall at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue in L’Hospitalet del Llobregat was laid today. The enormous future building will extend the exhibition area of this Fira venue by 25% and lead to its facilities expanding the current 240,000 m2 to 300,000 m2.
The ceremony to lay the first stone was attended by the six institutions that constitute the shareholders of Fira 2000, the company promoting the project – the Government of Catalonia, the City Councils of Barcelona and L’Hospitalet, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona – in addition to Fira de Barcelona itself.
With these new facilities, Fira de Barcelona will reinforce its position among the sector’s global elite and achieve the necessary size to compete with Europe’s main fairgrounds. The expansion work is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2026.
The act of laying the first stone was presided over by Pere Aragonès, President of the Government of Catalonia, in the presence of Natàlia Mas Guix, Minister of Economy and Finance, Roger Torrent, Minister of Business and Labour, Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, Núria Marín, Mayoress of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and the Presidents of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, Fira de Barcelona, Pau Relat, and Fira 2000, Josep Maria Vilarrúbia.
60,000 m2 spread over two floors
The future structure, known as Hall Zero, will add 60,000 m2 to the current venue, with two floors serving as exhibition areas. Moreover, an adjoining tower for offices and services will also be built by Fira 2000. This tower will chiefly house offices owned by the Government of Catalonia as part of its new heritage policy, but there will also be areas to support the economic activities resulting from the trade fair activity. The new premises will be linked to the current venue by means of a raised walkway to provide continuity to the footbridge that connects all the halls at the Gran Via venue.
The building will be divided into three parts. The first will be made up of the area with the lobby and the entrances to the exhibition and customer service areas, with a congress centre and zones with meeting rooms related to the trade fair activity. The above-mentioned office tower for administrative use will also form part of this area.
The second area will be the exhibition hall, and the third block of the building is planned at the rear of the plot of land. This will include an underground loading bay to be used for parking fair vehicles and storage.
Apart from the increase in exhibition area, the future facilities will also excel in terms of their functionality, their technological solutions and their construction based on sustainability criteria.
Investment totalling 498 million euros
This project forms part of the Trade Fair Infrastructure Plan, which, in addition to the expansion of the Gran Via venue, envisages the remodelling of the Montjuïc venue, with a budget amounting to 498 million euros: 323 million for the expansion of the Gran Via venue and 175 million for the one at Montjuïc. In keeping with the schedule, the Gran Via venue is expected to be opened in 2026, and three years later it will be the turn of Montjuïc, on the occasion of the centenary of the 1929 International Exposition.
Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via fairground lies between the municipalities of Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 2.5 kilometres from the Montjuïc site. It currently has eight exhibition halls.
Barcelona, 4 December 2023