One of the actions that should play in favor of the revaluation of Via Laietana has taken the first step. Barcelona City Council has begun work to rehabilitate the three upper floors of the building located at numbers 8 and 10 of this avenue with the expectation that, starting in the second half of 2026, they can begin to house municipal services that now function. in six different locations in Ciutat Vella. In the first phase, 220 workers will be transferred to the new offices and, in a future to be determined, this number will reach 700.
This operation pursues a triple objective. On the one hand, unify administrative departments in an enclave destined to become the second great house of the City Council; allocate five of the six buildings that will be empty after the transfer of staff to social housing, and contribute to the revitalization of Via Laietana. “The economic reactivation of the center involves recovering Via Laietana and reconnecting the surrounding neighborhoods,” the mayor, Jaume Collboni, commented this morning during a visit to this colossal mass classified as well protected at level C for its architectural value.
The City Council acquired part of the building from the Generalitat in 2014 and now shares the property with the Ministry of Finance. Currently, only offices of the National Statistics Institute (INE) operate there.
Activity in this part of Via Laietana, on the corner with Joan Massana Street, declined in 2009, when Barcelona's first instance courts were transferred to the Ciutat de la Justícia. Going up the stairs you can still read the signs indicating the courtrooms and other judicial departments. On the upper floors abandonment and decay reign. The trail of pigeons can be seen around every corner. The immense terrace that crowns the building is a privileged viewpoint of the city, from the sea to the mountains of Montjuïc and Collserola.
During this morning's visit, it was recalled that the Tobacco Tenant Company bought the site to commission the architect Francesc Guardia Vial, collaborator and son-in-law of Domènech i Montaner, to build the block, in 1923. The Ministry of Finance later acquired it. . At the end of the last century, INE offices were installed and then the courts until 2009.
The works that start these days will involve an investment of 18.7 million euros. In an initial phase, lasting 16 months, work will be carried out on the sixth and seventh floors and in the attic, which is where the municipal offices will be located. Likewise, the renovation and consolidation of the structure of the second to fifth floors will also be addressed, in addition to updating common spaces, such as the entrance, lobby and roof. Of the 20,000 square meters built, it is planned to intervene in about 6,000.
It should be remembered that the Ministry of Finance owns the underground, the first floor, the second and half of the third, while the rest up to the attic belong to the City Council.
The works will last up to a total of 30 months to adapt the offices and leave them ready for the entry of 220 people starting in the second half of 2026. Subsequently, other spaces will continue to be enabled to receive nearly 500 more workers. These personnel are assigned to the areas of Resources, Digital Transformation, Economy and Promotion, which currently occupy 5,600 square meters in five properties on Avinyó, Ciutat and Paradís streets. Once empty, they will be able to house 70 public housing and commercial premises.
The operation will be completed with the relocation to Via Laietana of the management of the Security, Prevention and Coexistence area. In this way, its current location, in Pi Sunyer square, will be free for CatSalut to proceed with the construction of the claimed CAP Gòtic.
Jaume Collboni has stated that, at this time, there are no plans to negotiate with the Government on the acquisition of more floors to assume ownership of the entire building.
