A landmark agreement between political groups in Barcelona’s City Council has given the final green light for a new Carmen Thyssen Museum, which will open its doors by 2028 in the historic former Comèdia cinema building.
The deal, forged between the municipal arms of the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia (PSC) and Junts per Catalunya, paves the way for the transformation of the iconic Palau Marcet. The building occupies a prime location at the intersection of two of the city’s most important arteries, Passeig de Gràcia and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. After years of discussion and evolving proposals, including a period where the Baroness Thyssen herself signalled an openness to changes, the project is now set to move forward.
The Political Accord
Jordi Martí Galbis, president of Junts in the city’s consistory, announced the agreement at a press conference on Thursday. He celebrated the project as a “decisive commitment to quality culture,” underlining a vision where major city projects are the result of combined public, social, and private initiatives.
The museum requires a modification of the Metropolitan General Plan (MPGM) to proceed. Reports from 20 Minutos indicate the Urbanism Commission will debate and provisionally approve this modification next week. After this, the full plenary session will consider it for definitive approval in March. Once the Ajuntament de Barcelona passes the plan, the Generalitat de Catalunya will finalise it.
A Cultural Focus with Strict Limits
A key element of the political compromise involves a significant emphasis on the building’s cultural purpose over commercial exploitation. The agreement reduces the allowance for commercial and restaurant use from the 25% permitted under urban planning regulations to just 16% of the building’s total space.
Crucially, the plan prohibits these commercial areas from having direct street access. This ensures the visitor experience centres entirely on the museum. “The museum will unequivocally be the main use of the facility, by an overwhelming majority,” Martí Galbis stated.
The project also mandates a full heritage rehabilitation of the Palau Marcet. This will involve restoring its historical composition, including original facade elements and entrances, and reforming the adjoining party walls to improve the building’s integration into the urban landscape. The final design also features a reformulated roofline, replacing a previously planned structure with a light blue cover that better complements the city’s skyline.
Broad Support for a New Cultural Landmark
The city’s Councilor for Culture, Xavier Marcé (PSC), expressed his satisfaction with the deal. “We are very happy and confident that it will move forward with the normalcy it deserves,” he told the media. Marcé highlighted that the agreement places “more emphasis on cultural projects” and resolves the two primary concerns surrounding the development: heritage preservation and commercial use.
Support for the project extends beyond the governing coalition. Daniel Sirera, the leader of the People’s Party (PP) in the council, also applauded the pact. “Barcelona needs first-class cultural projects and the Thyssen museum is good news for the city,” he said. “The city will gain a new singular building, valuing a heritage property that this project will revitalise and return to the people of Barcelona.”
The museum’s arrival promises a major boost for Barcelona’s cultural offering, joining other recent additions like the Catalan Video Game Museum. The project is also part of a wider trend of investment and renewal in the Eixample and neighbouring Gràcia district. One local official described the museum as “a unique opportunity to strengthen Barcelona’s position as an international cultural capital.” With the political hurdles now cleared, all eyes are on the 2028 opening.
