Between Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona, a major transformation is underway in the industrial area surrounding the former Tres Xemeneies thermal power plant. This coastal area, until now characterized by concrete and large infrastructure projects, is slated to undergo a significant redevelopment. large coastal park capable of dealing with floods, storms and extreme heat, while opening the space to citizen use.
The new park, promoted by the Consorci del Besòs and the Generalitat, is conceived as a key piece to balance nature, city and infrastructure at the mouth of the BesòsWith an area of approximately 90.000 square meters, the site will be located directly opposite the future Catalunya Media City, the major audiovisual and video game hub that will occupy the turbine hall of the old power plant.
A winning project to reimagine the Besòs delta
The competition to define the future Parque Litoral del Front de les Tres Xemeneies The proposal has won. Verd i Blau: resilient infrastructuresPresented by a temporary joint venture formed by the landscape design firms Landlab and Aldayjover, along with the engineering firm Aquatica. Their proposal focuses on convert the Besòs delta into an engine of ecological and urban balance, instead of treating it merely as a residual space on the edge of the metropolitan area.
The proposal outlines a park of Sqm 89.502 occupying the coastal strip next to the river mouth, on the seafront and opposite the iconic three chimneys. The aim is not so much to create a conventional “large urban park” as a space that combines civic uses with the active protection of the river and coastal ecosystemintegrating the river, the beach and the city into a single system of open spaces.
The administrations involved emphasize that the design “reimagine the delta” of Besòs as an area where riverine, marine, and urban habitats overlap, with special attention to biodiversity and the natural functioning of water. The park is conceived as ecological infrastructure, but also as an urban element that will connect Barcelona with the Maresme region through a large-scale coastal green corridor.
Behind the design lies a distinctly metropolitan vision: the new park is situated at a strategic point, right where they converge the seafront, the river outlet and the future Catalunya Media Cityenvisioned as an internationally renowned audiovisual innovation hub, the result should be a public space that serves both as a green lung and a gateway to the new creative district.
Ecological infrastructure in the face of floods and climate change
One of the central challenges of the project is to respond to an environment particularly exposed to rising sea levels, maritime storms and flash floods of the Besòs RiverThe recent episode of torrential rains that flooded the area has reinforced the idea that the Tres Xemeneies front should work in favor of water, not against it.
To that end, the park is designed as a large-scale ecological infrastructurewhich acts as a sponge and water regulation system. The project incorporates elements such as a promenade with a sponge-like berm function, coastal dunes, small lagoons, and various sustainable urban drainage systems that allow rainwater to infiltrate, laminate, and retain, reducing the risk of flooding.
This set of nature-based solutions has a dual objective: manage the water cycle in a comprehensive manner And, at the same time, to offer pleasant spaces for strolling, relaxing, and meeting. Thus, infrastructures that were traditionally resolved in a strictly technical way become here elements of landscape design, visible and usable by the public.
The Government emphasizes that the park aspires to be an example of a public space resilient, inclusive and ecologicalcapable of turning climate risks into opportunities. The topography, vegetation, and pathways are organized to accompany the movement of water and soften the impacts of extreme events, instead of trying to stop them with walls or rigid solutions.
All this deployment adds to the will of improve air quality and environmental conditions in an area historically marked by industrial presence. With the creation of a large green corridor, it is hoped that summer temperatures will be lowered, shaded areas will be increased, and the presence of fauna associated with river and coastal habitats will be encouraged.
Reorganization of infrastructure and connection with Catalunya Media City
The area of the Tres Xemeneies park is also a node of key infrastructures of the Barcelona metropolitan areaAmong them, the Llevant interceptor collector stands out, managed by the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), a large pipeline that collects wastewater and rainwater to take it for treatment.
Currently, this sewer line runs along the coastal zone, on the shoreline. The winning project proposes move it to the interior of the new parkto the space reserved by the Urban Development Plan (PDU) for the sector. In this way, the strip closest to the sea is freed up, allowing the waterfront to gain accessibility and become more naturalized, without losing the service capacity of the sanitation network.
The integration of this type of infrastructure into the landscape is one of the strengths of the proposal: the collector and other technical elements will be camouflaged under pedestrian walkways, green slopes or structures with vegetation, so that the visitor perceives a continuous park and not a succession of technical easements.
In parallel, the project is clearly structured around the future Catalunya Media CityThe complex dedicated to the audiovisual and video game industry will be located in the former turbine hall of the thermal power plant. The park will serve as a prelude and expansion space for this innovation hub, connecting the new facilities with the river, the beach, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The urban planning for the area, which also includes the creation of a new neighborhood with thousands of homes and various amenities, is still pending developments and legal challenges, so There is still no firm timetable for the construction of the park.The implementation will depend, among other factors, on the effective relocation of the collector and the processing of the PDU and the derived projects.
Social uses, sport and new natural habitats
Beyond its ecological role, the Tres Xemeneies park is designed as a large public space on the seafrontThe winning proposal reserves the areas closest to the chimneys and the new facilities for social and sporting activities, taking advantage of the existing facilities and those planned in the development plan.
The plans include wide pedestrian walkways, seating areas, shaded zones, and flexible spaces where everything from informal activities to cultural events linked to the future audiovisual hub can take place. The goal is for the park to function as meeting point between the population of Sant Adrià, Badalona and the entire metropolitan areaand not only as a backdrop for Catalunya Media City.
In the areas furthest from the buildings and closest to the river and the beach, the design prioritizes the creation of riverine, marine and urban habitats with varying degrees of naturalization. Areas of dense vegetation, bodies of water, dune transition zones, and spaces of direct contact with the river are combined, favoring the presence of fauna and connecting with the ecological dynamics of the delta.
This mix of uses allows for the coexistence of different uses within the same park. spaces of high social intensity with quieter and ecologically sensitive areasalways with the idea that the user can understand how the landscape they are walking on works: where the water comes from, how it infiltrates, what vegetation accompanies it and what role all of this plays in a context of climate emergency.
The new green space is also conceived as another link in the network of river and coastal parks in the Barcelona area, extending the naturalization dynamics already initiated in sections of the Besòs and reinforcing the continuity between river and sea, something especially relevant in a mouth so pressured by urbanization.
Mediterranean vegetation and climate refuges in the metropolitan area
The park's vegetation strategy is based primarily on Mediterranean species adapted to the coastal climate, with a starring role for coastal pine forestThese wooded areas combine with scrubland, meadows and riparian vegetation, creating different environments depending on the proximity to the sea, the river or urban areas.
One of the stated objectives of the project is create climate refuges These areas are designed to provide shade, reduce temperatures, and enhance comfort on increasingly frequent days of extreme heat. To achieve this, zones with a continuous vegetation canopy are planned, where the combination of trees and undergrowth will reduce direct radiation and improve the perceived temperature.
Vegetation is not just considered as decoration, but as green infrastructure at the service of the citizensIt filters pollutants, reduces the urban heat island effect, stabilizes the soil against erosion, and supports biodiversity. At the same time, careful consideration is given to selecting species capable of adapting to saline soils, marine winds, and prolonged periods of drought.
With this approach, the Tres Xemeneies park aspires to become one of the largest climate shelters in the metropolitan area, in line with European strategies that promote the renaturalization of cities as a priority tool against climate change.
The design of the paths and rest areas takes these conditions into account: they are favored routes under treesRest areas protected from the sun and areas where proximity to water and dense vegetation provide a feeling of coolness that is highly valued in increasingly long and hot summers.
Participatory process and inclusive approach to design
The final draft of the project will not remain confined to the offices. The administrations involved have announced that A participatory process will be opened to finalize the design of different areas of the park, especially those linked to social uses and coexistence with natural habitats.
This process aims to incorporate the neighborhood perspective, local entities and groups linked to BesòsThe aim is for the park to better meet the real needs of the community. According to reports, the work will be carried out with a focus on gender, diversity, and inclusion, striving to make the space safe, accessible, and welcoming for all types of users.
Among the topics to be discussed during this phase are the location of certain sports areas, the preferred uses in the rest areas, the coexistence between people and wildlife, and how to explain through design the industrial past and the new role of the landscape in the surroundings of the Tres Xemeneies.
The intention is that the final result will not be a park "closed" from day one, but a flexible infrastructure that can be adapted and adjusted over time as Catalunya Media City, new neighborhoods, and changes in climate and coastal uses become established.
With all these pieces on the table, the future Tres Xemeneies park is shaping up to be a A full-scale laboratory for how European industrial waterfronts can be transformed in resilient green spaces, connected to the city and prepared for the climate emergency, without losing sight of their role as a daily meeting place for thousands of people.
