History of Port Vell

From the search for shelter to the modern port

Barcelona had used its coastline for fishing and maritime trade, but with the difficulty of not having natural safeguards. The first port works started at the end of the 15th century and were developed with many difficulties during the following centuries.

The constitution of the Junta de Obras del Port de Barcelona in 1869 gave a decisive boost to the project of the engineer Josep Rafo, started in 1860 but somewhat stagnated. The breakwaters and the first docks considered "modern" were developed: de la Muralla, Drassanes and Sant Bertran.

In 1900, a more ambitious project took over, led by Carlos de Angulo . Among other advances, the docks were equipped with electric cranes, railways and customs services, which boosted the port business and supported the industrial revolution, but kept the city separated from the sea. The works of the first years of the 20th century shaped what has been the structure of Port Vell until incorporating the area of Nova Bocana.

El Moll de la Fusta: the city looks out to sea

Virtually none of the facilities built at the beginning of the 20th century in what we know today as Port Vell was fully operational in 1980. In addition, political shifts and the new democratic government had brought changes to port management, now in charge of the Autonomous Port.

Thus, on the occasion of the celebration of the Armed Forces in 1981, the Administration Council of the Autonomous Port decided to allow citizens access to the Bosch i Alsina dock (formerly the Wall quay). Also known today as Moll de la Fusta, it was at that time free of buildings and facilities. It was the first time after more than 70 years that the port had been opened to the city.

The following year, the port and the City Council commissioned a project to organize the quay and its urban environment developed by the architect Manuel de Solà-Morales, which also included the reorganisation of traffic on Paseo de Colom. The works on the dock were carried out between 1983 and 1985 and turned it into an open-plan promenade along the water's edge, bordered by palm trees.

The Special Plan of Port Vell

The idea of transforming Port Vell was reinforced by three issues: the experience of Moll de la Fusta; the designation in 1986 of Barcelona as the organizer of the 1992 Olympic Games, which reinforced the city's urban renewal process; and the first experiences of reconversion of port spaces for urban uses in cities such as San Francisco, Baltimore, Liverpool or London.

In 1988 the Port 2000 Urban Development Management, was established which, together with the Technical Services of the port, drew up the Special Plan for Port Vell, approved in 1989. This intended to maintain the port character of the spaces, but promoting uses that would improve the relationship with the city and diversify them. The urban model for the citizen port consisted of:

• Concentrating new commercial, tourist, cultural and service uses at the ends of the docks in Spain (shopping centre, cinemas and aquarium) and Barcelona (World Trade Centre and, later, a hotel).
• Reconvert what we know today as Palau de Mar.
• Maintain the facilities of the Nou and Catalunya docks dedicated to the repair and maintenance of large yachts.
• Having large public spaces in the Moll de la Fusta, Barceloneta dock and others.

The plan underwent modifications, implied the signing of specific agreements and has been the subject of public and media attention and debate from the beginning.

Even closer to the sea: Nova Bocana

After more than 30 years, what is now called Gerencia Urbanística Port Vell continues to manage the city port and promote new projects, which in many cases involve rethinking uses and spaces.

The expansion of the Port of Barcelona to the south made it necessary to open a second mouth, the Bocana Nord, which in turn generated a new land surface and water sheet. To define the uses and activities that these spaces would house, the Special Plan for Nova Bocana, was approved in 2001, which underwent modifications in 2006, 2011 and 2018.

In addition to a large marina, the Marina Vela, with all kinds of services and equipment, the area of the Nova Bocana has generated many new hectares of public spaces for citizen enjoyment, which will allow a better knowledge of the port and a closer approach to the sea.