Catalan literature prepares a new chapter in the heart of the Gòtic. The Palau Requesens, hidden in the narrow alley of Bisbe Caçador, begins the process to transform into the Casa de les Lletres, which will open before the summer of 2028. Although it will be a year later than initially planned, it will do so as a space conceived to be the nerve center of the country's literary system and a meeting point open to citizens.
The transformation will be carried out by Brullet De Luna and Taller d'Arquitectura les Golfes, responsible for the architectural project that will carry out the rehabilitation. The proposal will materialize a long-awaited demand by the literary sector, as highlighted by the Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández, accompanied by the director of the Institució de les Lletres Catalanes (ILC), Eduard Escoffet, and the architect Martina Fabré.
The reform represents "one more step towards a new scenario for Catalan literature," Hernández emphasized, and the Casa de les Lletres will act as "the head of the country's literary system." So much so that it will precisely be the new headquarters of the ILC, and will also host the main professional entities of the sector: the Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana (AELC), PEN Català, and l'Associació Col·legial d'Escriptors de Catalunya (ACEC). In addition, Espais Escrits, the Xarxa del Patrimoni Literari Català, IBBYcat, and the Consell Català del Llibre Infantil i Juvenil will be integrated. All of this will coexist with the Reial Acadèmia de les Bones Lletres, which will maintain its location in the Palau Requesens and continue to occupy the main floor.
In this way, the facility will represent a "boost for Catalan letters," according to Escoffet. For the director of the ILC, the Casa de les Lletres will allow valuing, updating, and opening to the public a heritage building that has been a direct witness to the country's history: "The past will coexist with the present and future of literature."
Reform without altering the essence
The architectural intervention starts from thepreservationof the Palau Requesens, a complex of medieval origin that has been incorporating Gothic and neoclassical layers throughout the centuries. The project seeks to adapt it to new uses without altering its essence or heritage value, integrating functional improvements and new spaces. On the ground floor, a unique central lobby will centralize access to the multipurpose auditorium, offices, and a new bar open to the public, connected to the courtyard, considered the most emblematic space of the palace.One of the key elements of the renovation will be the new vertical communications core, which will transform the old light well into a skylight to provide natural light and articulate all levels of the building. Security will also be reinforced with a new evacuation staircase located at the back of the courtyard. The Reial Acadèmia de les Bones Lletres will be located on the first floor, where its library will be reconfigured as a large double-height space that will recover the magnitude of the Gothic arches and improve functionality without modifying the historical volumetry.
The new offices for the entities and the ILC will extend across the second and third floors, located on the facade to maximize natural light. Services and facilities will be integrated into the thickness of the walls to free up the noble spaces, in a proposal that combines the recovery of original elements with reversible and dry construction systems, and that reopens historical windows to gain clarity.
The timeline is already set. The works are expected to be tendered in mid-2026, with the goal of starting before the end of the year, with a budget of 4.8 million euros. If the deadlines are met, the Casa de les Lletres will open its doors in 2028.
Beyond architecture, the project aims to consolidate itself as a reference center for Catalan literature: a promotion hub and a physical space where creators, entities, and institutions converge. Its creation responds to a long-demanded need by the sector and included in the National Plan for Books and Reading 2023-2030. With the Casa de les Lletres, Catalan literature gains a more visible place, which aims to reinforce its recognition and projection.