Casa Batlló in Barcelona recognized by EU for pioneering neurodivergent inclusion

The European Commission and Europa Nostra announced the winners of the 2025 European Heritage Award on Thursday, with Casa Batlló in Barcelona recognized for its efforts to include neurodivergent individuals in the workplace.

The museum, in collaboration with a specialist organization, created an innovative employment model that the European Commission says sets a precedent for inclusive practices within cultural heritage in Spain and Europe.

Casa Batlló is “an excellent example of social and cultural innovation,” said European Commissioner Glenn Micallef.

For more than two decades the European Heritage Awards has annually recognized remarkable projects across 24 countries. This year it honored 30 initiatives in five categories, among which up to five received a monetary award of €10,000.

Casa Batlló was awarded in the Citizens' Engagement & Awareness-raising category recognized for its commitment to integrating neurodiversity into world heritage. 

Other award recipients include Madrid's Puerta de Alcalá in the Conservation and Adaptive Reuse category and the pan-European IS-LE project, dedicated to the Islamic legacy, in the Research category. 

The official awards ceremony will take place on October 13 at the Flagey building in Brussels.