1,700 new homes, extension of tram line, new park: Tres Xemeneies urban development project revealed

The urban development plan for the area surrounding the Catalunya Media City project in the Tres Xemeneies at Sant Adrià de Besòs has been unveiled. 

The future site will include a large urban park and more than 1,700 new homes, 40% of which will be officially protected.

The surroundings of the Catalunya Media City, which will be an audiovisual hub located in the former thermal power station by the coast, are beginning to take shape to transform some 183,000m2, with completion scheduled for 2032.

The project for the audiovisual hub was first announced in 2022, but on Thursday, the surrounding regeneration plan was revealed. 

Plans will also see the tram line be extended two further stations, arriving to the Port of Badalona, to strengthen the metropolitan connectivity of the new area.

As for the Nau de Turbines, the building with the iconic three chimneys that was once part of the old thermal power station, a new immersive and memory space will reinterpret the industrial history of the site.

Catalunya Media City

'Les Tres Xemeneies' is a former thermal power station built in the 1970s and closed down in 2011. The factory is located between the cities of Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona, next to the Besòs river, north of Barcelona.

For over a decade, the building has been abandoned and empty, but now, it could become a symbol of the new digital era. 

The hub will not only focus on audiovisual content but also on the videogame industry, one of the most important technological activities in Catalonia.

The hub in 'Les Tres Xemeneies' will be a production, research, training, and professional specialization on services for the audiovisual and digital content sector all combined within a next-generation technological park.

The Catalan government's plan is to set up a huge audiovisual infrastructure allowing top-notch companies to benefit from the hub and boost the use of the Catalan language in the professional cinema environment. 

Within the 'Tres Xemeneies' hub, there will be a space for production, teaching, and audiovisual research with TV sets and filming areas.

The expected investment is around €400 million from the Catalan government, the Spanish executive, and private investors.