The Barcelona City Council has begun a significant urban renewal project in the heart of the Gràcia district, investing nearly half a million euros to transform the streets surrounding the historic Mercat de l’Abaceria. The works, which carry a budget of €486,263.12, aim to improve accessibility and create a more welcoming public space ahead of the market’s anticipated reopening.
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The intervention is a crucial preparatory step for the relaunch of the market itself, a beloved institution that has been undergoing a comprehensive, multi-year renovation. While the main market structure is not expected to be fully completed until late 2025, this four-month project will revitalise its immediate environment, ensuring the area is ready to welcome back shoppers and residents.
A Strategic Upgrade for Gràcia’s Streets
According to the municipal government’s announcement, the project will focus on the sections of Carrer de Mare de Déu dels Desamparats and Carrer de Torrijos that directly border the market. The primary task is to completely renew the pavement on these streets, creating a seamless and accessible surface that integrates with the future market entrance. Additionally, new drainage collectors will be installed to modernise the local sewage network.
The works will also extend to the nearby Travessera de Gràcia, where its pavement will be resurfaced and its public lighting system upgraded to energy-efficient LED technology. These upgrades are part of a wider effort to enhance Gràcia’s urban fabric. The district is celebrated as Barcelona’s top area for quality of life, but it also faces challenges from development pressures and the loss of historic businesses, exemplified by the recent closures of Cafè Reunión and a 146-year-old espadrille shop.
A More “Permeable and Modern” Public Space
Laia Bonet, Barcelona’s First Deputy Mayor and the Councillor for Gràcia, emphasised the project’s community focus. She described the works as essential to “help make the new market a central space for the neighbourhood, one that is more friendly, permeable, and modern.”
“The opening of the new market will be a great gain for citizens, with the new covered public square that will serve to host popular culture and neighbourhood events,” Bonet stated.
This vision of a more integrated community hub is central to the project. The renovation aims to “sponge” the dense urban environment around the market. The project will create a new covered public area on Carrer de Mare de Déu dels Desamparats, with dimensions similar to the well-known Plaça de la Revolució, to encourage community life. A new main entrance on Carrer de Torrijos will also feature a large lobby designed to host temporary activities, further enhancing the market’s role as a public asset.
In total, the city estimates that the redesigned Mercat de l’Abaceria and its surroundings will provide neighbourhood associations with an additional 6,000 square metres of space for their activities.
The New Mercat de l’Abaceria
The external works are a precursor to the main event: the reopening of the market itself. The complete reconstruction, which began in earnest in late 2023, will result in a modern, 14,350-square-metre building. The structure will consist of a ground floor for the traditional stalls, a split-level mezzanine, and three subterranean floors for logistics, storage, and other services.
The Institut Municipal de Mercats de Barcelona (IMMB) plans to incorporate new operators to complement the fresh food offerings, bringing the Abaceria in line with the city’s other modernised markets. As reported by Metrópoli Abierta, this phase of street renovations is scheduled to last four months, while the market is on track for a grand reopening in the summer of 2026.
