Opening of the Exhibition 'The Old Fish Market: Past and Future' at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica Metro Station
Opening of the Exhibition 'The Old Fish Market: Past and Future' at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica Metro Station
Opening of the Exhibition 'The Old Fish Market: Past and Future' at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica Metro Station
A new exhibition in the Barcelona metro commemorates the past and future of the Old Fish Market, projected for 2026 as a research complex in biomedicine, biodiversity and planetary well-being, and where the new headquarters of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF) are being built.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the relocation of the Fish Market from the building on Wellington Street to Mercabarna, on the night of October 3rd to 4th, 1983, Pompeu Fabra University and Mercabarna, in collaboration with Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), inaugurated the exhibition 'The Old Fish Market: Past and Future' at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica metro station in Barcelona on Friday, October 6th, at 12:00.
The exhibition comprises nine large panels that recall the history of the Old Fish Market in its commercial use through images provided by Mercabarna. It also presents, through rendered images, the future research complex being developed on the site. Additionally, it visually explains the research in biomedicine, biodiversity, and planetary well-being that the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF), and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) will respectively undertake at the new complex.
The exhibition explains the research in biomedicine, biodiversity, and planetary well-being that the BIST, the IBE, and the UPF will respectively undertake at the new complex of "Mercat del Peix".
The event featured speeches by the rector of Pompeu Fabra University, Laia de Nadal; the president of Mercabarna, Jordi Valls; and the CEO of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, Gerardo Lertxundi. Following the speeches, the exhibition was visited and commented on by Francesc Subirada, director of the UPF Initiative for the Ciutadella del Coneixement.
The Old Fish Market, located on Wellington Street, was the city's first permanent wholesale fish market. It opened in 1931, was renovated and expanded in 1953, and remained active until 1983 when, with the market's relocation to the new Mercabarna facilities in the Zona Franca, it fell into disuse. After being used as a municipal vehicle depot for a period and, since 1996, as a public parking lot, it is now being remodeled to house the new scientific complex of the Old Fish Market.
The new complex, promoted by Pompeu Fabra University, the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF), will span 45,000 square meters and will accommodate 1,400 researchers focused on precision medicine, biodiversity, and planetary well-being research. The construction, which includes building foundations and the parking facility managed by BSM, is expected to be completed by 2026 and will become a prominent feature of the existing biomedical hub along the city's waterfront.
The exhibition will be on display at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica metro station from October 6th to November 15th.