The Palau de Mar is the only preserved building in Barcelona's old industrial port. It now houses the headquarters of the History Museum of Catalonia, which occupies a wing of the former General Commercial Warehouses (MGC).
The MGCs were designed in 1881 by the engineer Maurici Garrán, who was inspired by the English port buildings of that era. Construction began in 1885 on the site of the old Platja dels Pescadors (Fishermen's Beach), and they officially opened on 1 July 1902. After the Civil War, the MGCs fell into further decline and ended up fulfilling various functions, including serving as a barracks for the Carabinieri.
In 1989, a citizens’ initiative called “Save the Port Vell” successfully prevented the demolition of the Palau de Mar.
