Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez

The Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez is a public library in the Sant Martí de Provençals neighbourhood, on the edge of La Verneda i la Pau. It opened on 28 May 2022 and is named after the Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author, who lived in Barcelona between 1967 and 1975 and wrote El otoño del patriarca there. The library is specialised in Latin American literature and also houses a dedicated space for comic artist Francisco Ibáñez. The building, designed by SUMA Arquitectura (Elena Orte and Guillermo Sevillano), is one of the most awarded public libraries in the world. It won the IFLA Award for Best New Public Library in 2023, the Mies van der Rohe Award for Emerging Architecture in 2024, the FAD Architecture Prize in 2023, and the Ciutat de Barcelona Architecture Prize in 2022. The jury highlighted how the library "goes beyond its architecture and acts at the scale of the city, contributing to the transformation of the neighbourhood". The building has six floors, a visible timber structure, and nearly 4,000 m² of floor space. A central courtyard brings natural light into the heart of the building. The interior combines monumental and domestic spaces, creating comfortable environments for learning, teamwork, and quiet study. The library is also a climate refuge and a wifi point, and it functions as a community hub with courses, workshops, and historical archives. It is fully accessible for people with physical disabilities.