The Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández, explained during the Culture commission at the Parliament of Catalonia that Ministry technicians visited the building on November 28 to “assess the total use of the space,” since the second floor, where the reading room is planned, “will have to support a lot of weight.”
“"Before defining the usage plan, we must be sure that the location can technically perform this function."
Hernández defended that the Tabacalera is a “very good location” to host the facility, as it will generate a new cultural hub alongside other facilities such as the necropolis and the municipal historical archive. The new installations will occupy 10,565 square meters of the left wing, including the ground, first, and second floors.
The ground floor will be conceived as a permeable “interior boulevard,” featuring reception areas, exhibitions, and a new 250-seat auditorium. The first floor will house a “cultural laboratory” dedicated to the bibliographic collection, aiming for this heritage to “emerge from invisibility.” The functional plan for the facility is expected to be drafted in September, establishing a timeline for the bidding process for the reform works.
