The Barcelona XRLAB will actively contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the sector, as well supporting new economic activity, attracting national and international investment and generating talent and quality jobs. This is a strategic project within the  Barcelona Impulsa plan, headed by Barcelona Activa, together with the alliance made up of three private companies: Lavinia, MagmaCultura and Artsmediatech.

The star feature at the facility is the XRLAB, which has a fully equipped metaverse room for multi-user virtual experiences, an immersive room with the capacity to project audiovisuals on four walls with the floor and immersive sound, plus a photogrammetry room. The lab will be available to the companies based in the co-working space and taking part in incubator programmes, as well as other companies in this sector wishing to use it.

Companies based at the site will also have access to various other installations designed for their needs, such as an auditorium, a co-working space and more.

Recovery of a singular building

The architectural project by Oriol Cusidó and Irene Marzo, from Taller 9s Arquitectes, highlights the value of the former textile factory of Palo Alto, building on the open-plan design of the original space and regaining the historical structure, the old cast iron columns, the wooden ceilings and the character of the walls.

The original materials are combined with new contemporary architectural elements designed with criteria on sustainability, modularity and minimal intervention, using materials with a low economic and environmental cost. The project uses the vegetal façade as a singular feature in the building, which takes an active role as a bioclimatic filter.

Redefining the city’s economic map

These types of economic activity hubs are municipal facilities with a public-private collaboration formula. Their aim is to define the future economic map of the city, speed up growth and position strategic sectors, generate talent and quality jobs, support entrepreneurial initiatives and promote new economic activity and interest among investors.

The winning projects and private partners to give vitality to three other hubs were announced in 2023. Located in unused industrial units in the districts of Sant Martí and Sant Andreu, and in addition to the Barcelona XRLAB, they are:

• Circular economy hub in the district of Sant Andreu, headed by the Faculty of Business Studies at Mondragon Unibertsitatea and TeamLabs.
• Urban tech hub, promoted by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IACC).
• Innovation in the care economy hub as a main meeting point for the ecosystem in this sector in the city.