Barcelona City Council has awarded a €1,923,543 contract to restore the Umbracle in Ciutadella Park, with work approved on 4 May. The project is part of the city’s Ciutadella of Knowledge plan, which aims to strengthen the area’s scientific and cultural role.
The contract has been awarded to Vesta Rehabilitación. The restored Umbracle is set to become a scientific dissemination space, alongside the Castell dels Tres Dragons and the Centre Martorell d’Exposicions, which already form part of this heritage and science axis in Barcelona.
The building needs work because of several structural problems, according to the report that backed the project. These include capillary leaks in the façades, damaged vertical coatings and worn carpentry. A previous restoration in 2009 only dealt with the structure and roof slats.
The Umbracle was designed by architect Joan Fontserè in 1883 as a greenhouse for tropical species that could not survive Barcelona’s climate. Fontserè took inspiration from Paris’s Jardin des Plantes, and the building sits within the Fontserè i Mestre gardens, alongside the Hibernacle and museum buildings.
It has also had other uses over time. During construction, Jaume Gustà adapted it as a ballroom and conference hall for the 1888 Universal Exposition. Later, under Elies Rogent, it returned to its original function as an umbraculum. The building has five vaults with cast iron polar structures, iron beams and three roofs, and it houses exotic plants such as Monstera deliciosa, wax palms, ficus, kentias, gardenias, winter jasmine, carnaubas, elephant ears, marquesas and hydrangeas.
The works are expected to take 10 months for the interior, plus another three months for the four façades. The plan includes brickwork repairs, perimeter drainage, vegetation cleaning, carpentry restoration, tile repairs on the secondary façades and general maintenance of heritage elements. It will also prepare the building for public access, with step-free access, safety closures, Wi-Fi, a new irrigation system with micro-sprinklers and fire protection measures, including evacuation routes.
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