After a long-standing demand from residents, Barcelona City Council has unblocked the restoration and opening of the Font del Carbó gardens, an area located next to Park Güell that has been closed for years. This project is expected to involve an investment of 3,6 millones de euros to transform the space into a park for everyday use and accessibility.
The enclosure, protected as asset of urban interest (level C), is located on Marianao Street, in the La Salut neighborhood, within the access area to Park Güell. The municipal objective is to open it to the neighborhood and turn it into a structured space in areas for relaxation, shade, and community activities, maintaining the identity of the place.
What the project contemplates
The design organizes the area into two large levels: one upper living area and another with shadow at the bottom, where the sidewalk will be temporarily widened and the existing fence replaced to improve visual permeability and safety.
- In the central area will be arranged urban gardens (closed) to promote sustainable and educational uses.
- A will be enabled small agora for meetings and activities community use.
- The steep slope of the terrain will be exploited by installing a toboggan, integrating play and topography.
- Unique elements will be restored: the Carbó fountain (currently in poor condition), the stone walls and chapels that accompany the stairs.
- The project is respectful of the existing trees, preserving many viable specimens and incorporating conservation criteria.
- Biodiversity zones will be created, with bee shelters and educational signage for environmental awareness.
Schedule and budget
The Government Commission has given the final approval and, according to the planned schedule, the works will begin in first quarter of 2026 and will be approximately lengthened two years, with an assigned budget of 3,6 million euros.
This performance is part of the package of Improvements to Park Güell and its surroundings (2023-27), endowed with 39 millones de euros and financed by the return of the price of the park tickets, allowing for reinvestment in the immediate surroundings and the quality of public space.
Heritage, landscape and history
The area maintains protection as an asset of urban interest, hence the project prioritizes the restoration of the original elements and landscape integrationIn addition to restoring the fountain and stone walls, work will be done on the chapels linked to the stairs and along the pathways, taking care with materials and textures.
The place has a long history of social use: from late nineteenth century It was already a meeting point around the fountain and was linked to the estate of the Cottolengo, with origins in the farmhouse area of Can XirotThere were interventions in the 40s, but at the end of the last century the site was fenced and unused, a situation that will now change with its reopening to the neighborhood.
Mobility and accessibility in La Salut
The work also aims to improve the pedestrian accessibility in the environment. They will be drawn granite sand trails that will connect the streets inside the gardens Antequera and Marianao, generating continuous and comfortable routes for daily travel.
In addition to the new internal connection, the occasional sidewalk widening at the bottom and the renovation of the fence to facilitate visibility and organize access. The intervention takes advantage of the unevenness to create safe and legible spaces, promoting pedestrian mobility in the Salut neighborhood.
With the municipal green light, the gardens of Font del Carbó are moving towards their opening as a local park next to Park Güell, combining heritage restoration, new green areas, and mobility improvements, with a defined timeline and funding to return this space to public use.
