Barcelona neuroscience centre plans are set to transform a historic orphanage theatre into a world-class research facility.

The ambitious €11.8 million project will convert the long-abandoned Llars Mundet theatre into the Barcelona Center for Applied Neurosciences (BCAN).

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This significant development follows crucial European Union funding approval this month.

The Feder funds will be matched by Barcelona’s provincial council, the Diputació. Consequently, the facility aims to open its doors in 2029. The theatre, once Barcelona’s largest cinema with 1,300 seats, has stood unused for over three decades.

Barcelona Neuroscience Centre Balances Heritage With Innovation

The conversion has sparked debate about preserving architectural heritage. Architect Jaume Ratera warned of potential “patrimonial loss,” describing the 1950s building as a representative example of its era. However, project leaders strongly disagree with this assessment.

University of Barcelona infrastructure director, Andrés Lezcano, insists the works will be respectful. “We seek to fit an innovative centre into a building we all agree must be conserved,” he stated. Furthermore, the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) has endorsed the adaptive reuse plan.

The project must preserve several significant artworks within the building. These include frescoes by Josep Guinovart, a mosaic by Armand Olivé, and ceramic murals by Julio Bono. The winning architectural teams will now draft detailed plans to balance these preservation needs with modern laboratory requirements.

Eloi Juvillà, the Diputació’s logistics director, emphasised the need for practical use. “We must preserve the patrimonial values, but heritage must also have a use,” he argued. The theatre’s enormous size and steep rake, designed for children, make it unsuitable for modern cultural performances without prohibitively expensive modifications.

This transformation is part of a broader trend of repurposing historic spaces in the city. For instance, other cultural venues have also evolved, as seen when artists have used unexpected locations for performances to engage new audiences.

The central auditorium will undergo the most dramatic change, becoming research spaces and a central atrium. Meanwhile, the existing tiered seating will remain as a feature. Project officials describe the challenge as a “craftsmanship exercise” to carefully fit new pieces into the old shell.

According to the original report in El Periódico, the theatre has a notable musical history. It was used as a recording studio in the 1970s, most famously for the iconic ‘Barcelona’ anthem by Montserrat Caballé and Freddie Mercury before the 1992 Olympics.

The site itself has a complex past. The Llars Mundet colony, opened by Franco in 1957, housed up to 2,500 orphaned children. Some former residents have since testified about sexual abuse by religious figures there. The University of Barcelona began establishing a campus on the site in 1995.

This major investment in scientific infrastructure highlights the city’s growing research sector. The new Barcelona neuroscience centre aims to host groundbreaking studies on the brain, ensuring the historic building serves a vital future purpose for the community.

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