Demolition work on the old La Sagrera freight station in Barcelona began this Thursday, despite prior announcements from Adif stating that it would not start until next week. The process is advancing at a rapid pace, suggesting that the century-old building will soon be reduced to rubble.
The demolition started on the facade opposite the main street, Gran de la Sagrera, making it not immediately noticeable from the public road. Even from the Calatrava bridge, the building appears intact, while on the other side, it is being dismantled. Sources familiar with the work explain that this entry point allows trucks to access and remove the debris.
Despite the initial discretion, a large amount of dust rises several meters each time a part of the structure falls, making the activity evident from the entire surroundings. The building, located on Baixada de la Sagrera street, was a key center for receiving and sending parcels in Barcelona until 1990. Until last December, it housed Adif offices that coordinated the construction of the new La Sagrera high-speed station.
“"What a shame. They could have renovated it inside."
Pere Giménez, a retiree who worked for the Comas customs agency and had visited the station for freight procedures, expresses his nostalgia. He came specifically to witness the demolition and laments the loss of a building he remembers as "very elegant, with offices inside all made of wood." According to him, starting the demolition from the rear might be to avoid public visibility, contrasting with past eras when people mobilized more to prevent such events.
Olaguer Méndez, from the La Sagrera Neighborhood Association, also visited the site. Unlike Giménez, he does not lament the building's disappearance as much, as he eagerly awaits the new La Sagrera neighborhood to take shape after many years of construction. However, he expresses concern about the large dust cloud and the possible presence of asbestos remnants, a material that workers have been removing in the preceding days. Méndez announced a meeting with the City Council at the Table for the Eradication of Asbestos next week.
The new project will completely transform the street where the old station stands, with the construction of buildings up to twenty stories high. Méndez highlights that the initial plan included a hotel that has been converted into public housing, a fact he considers little known and defends as part of the plans for the new neighborhood.
