Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
Barcelona's first major indoor arena, host of 1992 Olympic events.
The Palau dels Esports de Barcelona is a multi-purpose indoor arena located on Lleida Street on the slopes of Montjuïc in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was inaugurated in 1955 for the Mediterranean Games and was the only indoor arena of its type in Barcelona until 1971. The venue hosted rhythmic gymnastics and the preliminary phase of volleyball for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Opened
- 1955
- Renovated
- 1986, 2000
- Architect
- Josep Soteras (1955); Francesc Labastida (1986)
- Former names
- Palau dels Esports de Barcelona (1955–2000)
- Tenants
- RCD Espanyol basketball team (1980s)
- Capacity
- 8,000 (1955–1999); 3,500 (2000–present)
Facts from the source article.
History
Inaugurated in 1955 for the Mediterranean Games, the arena was designed by architect Josep Soteras. It remained the only indoor arena of its type in Barcelona until the Palau Blaugrana opened in 1971, and continued as the only publicly owned indoor arena, hosting major sporting, social, cultural, and musical events. During the 1980s it was home to the RCD Espanyol basketball team, which competed in the ACB for several seasons. The venue was remodelled in 1986 by architect Francesc Labastida for the group E games of the 1986 World Basketball Championship. Activity began to diminish in the early 1990s after the basketball team disappeared and the Palau Sant Jordi opened in 1990, drawing top events. The arena hosted rhythmic gymnastics and the preliminary phase of volleyball for the 1992 Summer Olympics, after which it shifted focus to drama, music, and comedy from the mid-1990s.
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