Barcelona’s Fira de Barcelona has published virtual images of its planned Hall Zero pavilion at the Gran Via site in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The project is meant to strengthen Barcelona’s position as a major congress city, with completion expected in late 2026 and the first event planned for autumn 2027.
Hall Zero is the main part of the expansion. It will add 40,000 square metres of exhibition space, taking Gran Via from 260,000 to 300,000 square metres. The building will have 135,000 square metres of usable floor area, and Fira says the whole structure would be large enough for the Palau Sant Jordi to fit inside it.
The project budget is €365 million, covering construction, land purchase and urbanisation. It is aimed at major events such as Mobile World Congress and Integrated Systems Europe, with officials expecting those fairs to make full use of the new space by 2028.
Architect Fermín Vázquez, from b720, said the project with Japanese architect Toyo Ito is meant to create a pavilion that is pioneering in Europe, while also fitting smoothly into L'Hospitalet’s urban fabric. Vázquez and Ito have worked together before on Barcelona’s Porta Fira Towers.
The design includes a large vertical lobby, a main exhibition nave across two floors, and a 12-storey office tower shared by Fira de Barcelona and the Generalitat. The first floor will connect to the rest of Gran Via through a red walkway called the central axis, while the second floor will hold congress spaces and auditoriums. The third floor will contain the main hall, a column-free space that can be used for concerts, conferences or sporting events, plus an elevated garden terrace.
Once construction ends in late 2026, the project will still need permits, fire service checks from the Bombers and approval from the Ajuntament de L'Hospitalet before the first occupation certificate is issued. If the timetable holds, Hall Zero should be fully part of the international fair circuit by 2028. For more Barcelona business and city news, see our Community coverage and Sport updates.
