La Ciutadella will recover its historic entrance through the Zoo

The Ciutadella needed a shake-up and, little by little, it is moving forward with projects to catch up. After the renovation of the Martorell Museum, now Centre Martorell d'Exposicions, and the Hivernacle, the Barcelona City Council is getting to work to be able to cross the park from side to side with a new promenade, a historical demand from residents who had to go too far around.

The new promenade will connect Wellington Street with Paseo de Picasso inside the park, thus linking the neighborhoods of Vila Olímpica and El Born. Access will be created right next to the Zoo entrance, so passers-by will be able to reach its interior sooner from nearby stops on the yellow metro line or the tram.

A section of the path will pass over the zoo, allowing its inhabitants to be observed from above, without any mobility restrictions for its visitors. During the works, a dozen animal installations will be moved and located in the old Aquarama area. In addition, the available parking spaces within the park will be reduced, mainly used by deputies and Parliament workers.

With an investment of 13 million euros, the drafting of the executive project will begin this January, with the forecast of tendering the works in autumn. The calendar the consistory is working with involves starting the works during the first quarter of 2026. They will have an approximate duration of one year.

This will recover access on the Besòs side of the Ciutadella, a project stalled for more than a decade. It existed since the birth of the park at the end of the 19th century and was maintained in the different reforms that were made, until it was suppressed in the 50s. During the time of the Francoist mayor Josep Maria Porcioles, it was replaced by the entrance to the zoo. In the future, the consistory plans to open more accesses on Wellington Street and Paseo de la Circumval·lació.

With an eye on the Ciutadella del Coneixement, the promenade will strengthen the connectivity of the scientific and cultural complex that is emerging around the park. Next to the Ciutadella campus of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), different research centers are being built in the old Central Fish Market, promoted by the university itself, the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

With a global investment of 290 million euros, it will be complemented by the rehabilitation of the Umbracle and the Castell dels Tres Dragons, as well as the future Central Library of Barcelona. It is expected that 80% of the project will be finished in this term.