Perched at the top of Montjuïc hill, in the heart of the Sants-Montjuïc district, stands the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, a place where history, sport, and culture come together. From hosting the unforgettable 1992 Olympic Games to becoming a stage for world-class events, this stadium has witnessed some of the greatest moments in Barcelona’s history.
The stadium through time
The stadium was inaugurated in 1929 by Alfonso XIII for the Barcelona International Exposition; since that day, it became a multi-purpose space for top-level sporting events, atheltics, football, rugby, motor events, cycling races, boxing, fencing, hockey and baseball. In 1936, 1957 and 1958, the stadium became a refugee center; in 1936 it served as a refugee for the civil war, while in 1957 and 1958 it served as a refugee because of the Barcelona floods. In 1965 it even served as a space for conducting driving license tests, and for years it was the scene of religious events.
The Montjuïc Stadium fell into disuse for many years, until a ray of hope illuminated its future in 1986, when Barcelona was declared the winner of the bid for the 1992 Olympic Games. The stadium’s remodelling works took place between 1985 and 1989. The entire stadium was rebuilt, except for its façade, which remained as a testimony to the city of Barcelona’s historic Olympic vocation. The stadium was provided with new infrastructure, top-of-the-line equipment, its capacity was increased and a natural grass pitch and an athletics track were fitted. The second inauguration of the Olympic Stadium took place on 1989 with the 5th World Cup in Athletics.
Then, by 1992, the stadium became the venue of the 1992 Olympic and Paralympic Games. After this, it became the stage for numerous events of all kinds: sports (football, rugby, atheltics, etc), major tours of international artists (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rolling Stonces, Bon Jobi, Beyoncé, Coldplay, among others), business initiatives and city events; to this day, it is a space constantly used by FC Barcelona for its games.
The stadium experience today
Although the idea of the stadium is for people to have fun, the current context of mobility around the stadium spoils the experience of all those who attend mass events at this site.
Let’s imagine that you’ve just finished the soccer game or concert you’ve been waiting for for months, you’ve just had an incredible time. It’s time to go home, it’s 11 at night and the subway closes at 12 am, so after escaping the crowd you get to the taxi area, however there are already many people waiting for one of the few offers there are, and Uber is not operating in this area due to traffic congestion.
So you decide to take a bus, but when you get to the bus stop you see that the queue is very long, so you decide to keep walking and get to the funicular, where you have to squeeze in with all the people who got there at the same time as you, until you finally get to the metro, which is also very crowded. And you were lucky, because if the funicular had been full, you would have had to walk more than 1 kilometer to get to the nearest metro station before it closed. At the end of the day you come home tired, stressed and the great day you had dissipates among the uncomfortable emotions that the Montjuic mobility options made you feel.
Why is this happening and how to change it?
Montjuïc features numerous footpaths, making navigation challenging and increasing the likelihood of getting lost; additionally, many of these pathways are not pedestrian-friendly. Furthermore, the stadium is located a considerable walking distance from the metro system. Analyzing the 5-minute isochrones around metro stations reveals that the stadium lacks efficient connectivity.
The current transportation system can only move 44.8% of the stadium’s total capacity within an hour after a game, highlighting a lack of efficiency. This issue arises not only from the long walking distances to the metro system but also from the overall experience around the stadium becoming stressful rather than enjoyable, defeating the purpose of attending an event.
To address this issue, we established a problem statement and defined a clear goal to work towards:
Attendees of mass events at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium require alternative transportation options, as the existing infrastructure and system fail to ensure efficient departures from Montjuïc. The solution should account for the stadium’s surroundings and aim to clear at least 75% of attendees from the area within the first hour after an event. The system in place only accounts for 44.8% of event attendees to exit the mountain in 1 hour.
Stadium District Masterplan
The master plan prioritizes pedestrian accessibility by enhancing pedestrian movement, separating vehicular traffic from foot traffic, and providing a diverse, multi-modal transportation network, utilizing the existing infrastructure while implementing improvements to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness.
WALKING ACCESSIBILITY
Pedestrian flow is primarily directed toward the metro stations located north of the stadium. There are two main routes connecting the stadium to the metro system, with a capacity of 9000 people per hour.
The first route provides a clear and accessible path, making it easy for attendees to navigate to and from the stadium. However, the second route requires remodeling to enhance its pedestrian-friendliness, particularly on event days. It’s in this route that we planned a series of interventions.
For Av. del Estadi, we are proposing a pedestrian plaza where people can gather and engage in activities before and after stadium events. This will provide attendees with an opportunity to relax and socialize, helping to ease flow congestion in the transportation system by encouraging a more gradual dispersal of crowds. The proposed activities include food offerings from local vendors, as well as wine and beer options. Additionally, we are considering local art exhibitions and cultural performances, such as the Castellers, a significant part of Catalan tradition.
At the same time, a tram system is integrated into the design; this element is separated from pedestrian flow, ensuring safety by reducing the risk of accidents while also allowing the tram to operate more efficiently and without disruptions.
For Pg. de L’Exposició, we are proposing a reduction in the width of vehicular lanes, reallocating one additional meter to the sidewalk. This enhances pedestrian priority while maintaining sufficient space for vehicular traffic, ensuring a balanced and efficient streetscape.
Finally, for Carrer de Radas, we propose raising the car lanes to the level of the sidewalk. On regular days, the street will function as usual, but on event days, pedestrians will be given priority. This design allows the street to seamlessly accommodate both cars and pedestrians, with an emphasis on pedestrian movement during events.
At the same time, to enhance the attendee experience around Montjuïc after events, we propose improving wayfinding along the footpaths. This includes better lighting, carefully selected materials and colors to highlight pathways, appropriate slopes, and diverse urban mobility options throughout the route.
UNDERGROUND VEHICLE ACCESSIBILITY
On game days, vehicle access around the stadium is restricted to prioritize pedestrian safety and crowd movement. However, to further enhance the experience and create a vibrant, year-round public space, we propose permanently transforming the street-level roadway into a pedestrian-only zone while diverting vehicle traffic underground via a dedicated tunnel.
A tunnel would ensure that traffic, including emergency and service vehicles, continues to flow smoothly beneath the pedestrian zone, preventing congestion in surrounding areas while maintaining essential access for stadium operations. At the surface level, eliminating vehicles would create a safe and spacious gathering zone, allowing fans to move freely before and after events without the risks of cars or buses. This transformation would also support local businesses and game day vendors, as food stalls, kiosks, and markets could operate without vehicle restrictions, turning the area into a lively public space beyond match days.
TRAM ACCESSIBILITY
We have proposed two tram options to improve connectivity to the stadium. The first is an elevated tram that provides a direct, uninterrupted route from the stadium to the Plaça Espanya and Poble Sec metro stations, ensuring high capacity and efficiency. The second option is a street-level tram that intersects with pedestrian pathways, allowing fans to hop on or off along the way, reducing the nearly 1.5 km walk to key transit points while integrating seamlessly with the surrounding urban environment.
Finally, our proposed system integrating the tram, enhancing pedestrian infrastructure, and optimizing pedestrian flow successfully clears 91.8% of attendees from the stadium area after mass events. This surpasses our target of at least 75%, making the proposal a successful and efficient solution for improving mobility in the area.
It’s beneficial that our proposal can clear almost 92% of the stadium’s capacity, as different event types, such as concerts, can increase attendance by allowing people on the field, altering the stadium’s capacity for that day. By ensuring our system can efficiently move large numbers of attendees, we move closer to providing a better and more adaptable service for various event types.
THE NEW EVERYDAY SCENARIO
Our proposal is not only beneficial on event days but also enhances daily mobility and accessibility in Montjuïc. The district should capitalize on this investment, as Montjuïc is a key tourist destination year-round.
Barcelona’s cumulative tourism figures for this year already show 6.4 million visitors and nearly 20 million overnight stays in hotels and tourist accommodations. Additionally, the Montjuïc cable car, inaugurated in 2007, is on track to set a new annual record, with 1.38 million journeys in the first eight months of 2023, compared to 1.53 million in all of 2022.
These figures highlight that Montjuïc attracts both locals and international visitors, drawn by its museums, Olympic venues, and Montjuïc Castle, among other attractions. This reinforces the rationale for investment, as a large and diverse audience will benefit from improved accessibility. In particular, wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and others requiring specialized infrastructure will find it easier to navigate Montjuïc’s slopes, which are currently challenging under existing conditions.
