Sagrera landmark buildings face demolition in early 2026 unless a last-minute political intervention succeeds.

According to a report from Tot Barcelona, the historic goods station and the Nau Bostik cultural centre could be lost to make way for the new intermodal station and surrounding development.

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Consequently, ERC councillors are preparing what they call the “last bullet” to save these structures.

The party will present a proposal at Tuesday’s Urban Planning Commission meeting. They aim to revise the pending planning for the Sant Andreu-Sagrera area. This area is affected by the station works and the surrounding urban transformation project.

Sagrera Landmark Buildings Represent Community Heritage

Rosa Surinyach, ERC councillor and president of the Sant Andreu district, argues the current planning is “outdated.” She states it was approved nearly 30 years ago and fails to meet current neighbourhood needs. “The neighbourhood has been demanding more spaces for community life and cultural development for years,” she explained. Furthermore, the plan does not guarantee “preserving heritage that forms part of the collective memory of Sant Andreu and Barcelona.”

The Nau Bostik is a community-managed cultural space celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Surinyach describes it as a crucial hub for cultural creation and community dynamisation. Meanwhile, the old railway station is a building of “great architectural and memorial value” that inexplicably lacks any protection.

ERC’s proposal calls for a rigorous and transparent revision process. They want a working table established with residents and local organisations. The goal is a new framework that preserves both the Nau Bostik and the old goods station. Additionally, they prioritise the real recovery of the Rec Comtal watercourse.

Xavier Basiana, the architect who founded Nau Bostik, warns that demolishing it would be a “mistake.” He hopes it can become a municipal artistic creation space under the Institute of Barcelona Culture (ICUB). “The council will not find another cultural facility as large and already operational anywhere in Barcelona,” he cautioned. Basiana has previous success with similar projects, having helped establish the municipal Nau Ivanow and Espai 30-Ateneu Sagrerenc.

However, the Barcelona Sagrera Alta Velocitat (BSAV) consortium has expressed difficulty in saving the old goods station. They state its removal is a necessary step to transform a degraded space into a new residential neighbourhood. The consortium, comprising the State, the Generalitat, and Barcelona City Council, emphasises the project will revitalise and integrate an area long marked by obsolete railway infrastructure.

The Sagrera station project began in 2010. Railway works will finish by late 2026, though trains already pass through without stopping. The station itself will take another seven to eight years to complete. The total project cost is estimated at €1.27 billion.

Two entities, Public Transport Promotion (PTP) and Terminus, have requested an independent technical evaluation. They seek alternatives for preservation and reuse compatible with the new intermodal station and linear park. The historical value of the station is now compounded by the recent discovery of a well-preserved Civil War refuge on the site. This previously unknown private shelter, built in a “bunker-type” style, features graffiti with CNT and FAI initials.

The goods station, the last remaining building of the old railway complex, began construction in 1918. It entered service in 1922, centralising goods traffic for seven decades. The Nau Bostik building dates from 1960, originally a factory for The Boston Blacking Company. It closed in 2006 and was saved from demolition for housing by Basiana and local residents in 2014. It has since become a focal point for social transformation initiatives.

This struggle reflects wider tensions in Barcelona between new development and preserving community spaces, a theme also seen in the ongoing restaurant crisis where iconic eateries are closing. The vote on Tuesday could determine the final fate of these Sagrera landmark buildings.

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