The Fundació Barcelona Olímpica held the public launch of the book Espais esportius que han fet història a Barcelona at the Biblioteca Josefina Castellví de Bon Pastor. The event took place in the context of 2026, the year Barcelona holds the distinction of World Capital of Architecture, and highlighted the connection between sport, heritage and urban transformation in the city.
Nuria Ruíz, director of the Biblioteca Josefina Castellví de Bon Pastor, and Francesc Terrón, director of the Fundació Barcelona Olímpica, welcomed the audience. Each of the five authors then took the floor to share their part of the work and the discoveries they made throughout the research process.
Joan Manuel Surroca, Juli Pernas, Pedro Hernández, Luis Sánchez and Raül Vázquez underlined the collaborative effort as a key element of the project. The authors explained how working as a team allowed them to cross-reference and contextualise the different chapters, enriching each section through mutual support and contributions that ensured the coherence and rigour of the work.
The publication, produced by the Centre d’Estudis Olímpics Joan Antoni Samaranch, offers a unique journey through time, uncovering more than 130 spaces linked to sporting activity in Barcelona — including gymnasiums, pavilions, facilities and urban spaces — from the late nineteenth century to the present day.
The work is the result of extensive research that sheds light on the evolution of sport in Barcelona and its close relationship with the social and urban transformation of the city. Much of this heritage has long gone unnoticed by the general public; this book gives it back its memory and visibility.
The book is now available at the shop of the Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch.
