Ongoing project 16.06.26

Building Barcelona’s new Ciutadella of Knowledge

The new buildings for the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva will form part of one of Europe’s most important scientific and research hubs currently under development.

The Ciutadella of Knowledge will transform the site of the former Mercat del Peix into a new scientific, academic and innovation ecosystem designed to position Barcelona as an international benchmark in research and knowledge transfer.

With an investment of €37 million and a total built area of 14,400 m², the project will help consolidate Barcelona as one of the leading international hubs for research, innovation and knowledge transfer.

Located next to the Ciutadella campus of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Parc de la Ciutadella, the new development has been conceived as a flagship scientific ecosystem focused on biodiversity, biomedicine, life sciences and planetary well-being research—key fields for the scientific development of the future.

The project includes the construction of two new facilities for the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (IBE-CSIC), two leading institutions in the academic and scientific fields that will become key components of an internationally oriented campus designed to foster synergies between universities, research centres, companies and public institutions.

The works will be carried out by a joint venture led by Constructora del Cardoner, together with Sogesa and Constructora d’Aro, responsible for delivering both buildings, with a combined built area of 14,400 m² and a total investment of €37 million.

The development has been designed by the international team formed by ZGF Architects, MIRAG Architecture and Double Twist Architects, winners of the international competition organised by UPF and the CSIC. The project incorporates advanced sustainability and energy-efficiency criteria with the objective of achieving LEED Platinum certification.

For Constructora del Cardoner, this development represents one of the company’s most strategic projects in the coming years, both in terms of scale and scientific, institutional and urban significance, positioning it among the group’s landmark projects alongside other flagship developments delivered in Barcelona.