Marvel wins architectural competition in Barcelona
The Puerto Rico-based firm will help transform the Tres Xemeneies building into Catalunya Media City
San Juan-based architecture firm Marvel, in partnership with Garcés de Seta Bonet Arquitectes (GDSB), has been selected as the winner of an international design competition to renovate the iconic Tres Xemeneies building in Barcelona.
The project will convert the former thermoelectric plant into the headquarters of Catalunya Media City — a planned cultural, technological and educational hub.
Marvel’s winning proposal, titled “E la nave va,” was selected from among 26 international submissions. The design emphasizes preservation of the site’s industrial heritage while introducing sustainable and inclusive features.
“Transforming an infrastructure that once had significant environmental impact into a future-forward space for media and innovation is a key objective for the architecture of the future,” said Jonathan Marvel, founding principal of Marvel and a Puerto Rican architect who began his career in Barcelona in the 1990s.
The plan preserves the core of the original structure while integrating a new volume that extends into the surrounding urban environment. The design includes sustainability features such as 4,500 square meters of solar panels and bioclimatic strategies to improve energy efficiency.
Catalunya Media City is expected to accommodate up to 2,500 students annually and will include technology incubators, production and exhibition spaces, and state-of-the-art audiovisual facilities. One of the project’s key elements is a new public balcony facing Badalona that connects the structure to the Mediterranean Sea and creates a new communal space.
Construction is expected to begin after summer 2025. Marvel’s role in the project builds on its international portfolio and presence in Puerto Rico, New York, Virginia and Barcelona, where the firm opened an office in 2022.
“We are proud to continue leaving creative and sustainable footprints for the enjoyment of future generations,” Marvel said.
