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Barcelona City Council has begun a new phase in the recovery of the Castell dels Tres Dragons, located in Ciutadella Park, with the tender for the interior renovation project. This action is in addition to the rehabilitation of the exterior facades, which will begin in the fall of this year. The ultimate goal is to restore this emblematic building as an open, dynamic space focused on the dissemination of scientific culture.

The project involves converting the Castell, closed to the public since 2010, into a living facility that will host exhibitions, educational and dissemination activities, an auditorium, a cafe with a scientific vocation and a library specializing in science.

Science, heritage and dissemination at the service of the city

The Castle of the Three Dragons will be a central piece within the future Ciutadella Knowledge Hub, an ambitious scientific and urban project that seeks to transform the park and its surroundings into a European hub for innovation, research and knowledge transmission.

Together with the Hivernacle, the Umbracle and the Centre Martorell d’Exposicions, it is part of the heritage axis that will shape this scientific ecosystem. Its vocation will be to connect the research that will be carried out in the surroundings —such as in the new Mercat del Peix complex or the future CSIC building— with the public, facilitating the understanding and appropriation of scientific knowledge.

Architectural renovation with heritage sensitivity

Inaugurated in 1888 during the Universal Exhibition, the Castell dels Tres Dragons has had various uses, mainly related to the natural sciences. Currently, it is one of the headquarters of the Barcelona Museum of Natural Sciences, where scientific collections of zoology and geology are preserved. With its transformation, these collections will seek new, more suitable spaces to continue contributing to research and conservation.

The intervention inside the building, planned for the next term, must respect the heritage elements of a listed building, the work of Lluís Domènech i Montaner. At the same time, a functional renovation is proposed that allows for the contemporary use of the space, with exhibition halls, cultural services and areas open to the public.

At the same time, the exterior restoration works —which will begin in November 2025 and will last until February 2027— will include the rehabilitation of the facades, roofs, balconies, stairs and porch area, as well as the incorporation of energy improvements.

A new space for science and citizens

The new Castell dels Tres Dragons is planned as a space where scientific knowledge becomes tangible and shared. Heritage memory, scientific culture and public vocation will coexist. It will be a gateway to knowledge from the heart of the city, where science will become an everyday, accessible and inspiring experience for everyone.