Just over a decade ago, the Catalan Parliament voted to outlaw the long-standing Spanish tradition of bull fighting within its autonomous community, which most notably includes the city of Barcelona. In September of 2011, La Monumental — one of the bullfighting arenas located in Barcelona — held Catalonia’s final bull fight. While advocates of the ban expressed support for animal’s rights, critics argued that bullfighting is and should remain a component of Spanish culture and heritage.
Ultimately, the bullfighting ban left a vacant arena — Las Arena de Barcelona — after it hosted bullfights for nearly 80 years. The arena was originally constructed by Catalan architect August Font I Carreras with a maximum capacity of almost 15,000. In 1999, British architect Richard Rogers bought the arena’s property and designed a project to transform the arena’s interior into a versatile shopping and entertainment complex that offers a variety of clothing stores, a food court, a supermarket, a movie theater, a fitness center, an auditorium, and most notably a 360-degree rooftop terrace with restaurants and panoramic views of the city.
Rogers did not alter the arena’s exterior as it maintains its original Neo-Mudejar façade barring the addition of a massive dome and circular roof terrace. The entertainment center took eight years to complete, and it officially opened in 2011.
The mall is conveniently located on the opposite side of the roundabout where Parc de Montjuic and its marvelous fountains are positioned across the street.
While the mall’s hours are flexible and vary depending on the store or level, the rooftop deck only remains open to the public from 10 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon from Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekend. The arena keeps its doors open to the public from Monday through Saturday from 10 in the morning until 10 at night.
A visit to Barcelona should not be considered complete without making the trek to Las Arenas de Barcelona. If you enter from the ground level, you’ll be greeted with a circular, modern-looking shopping mall.
In the center, there is an interactive floor that allows children to play surrounded by a perimeter of some local artwork.
On the outskirts of this circular center of the mall, you’ll find stores like Nespresso, Tom Tailor, and Gold Elements.
If you are hungry or thirsty, make your way down the escalator to the bottom floor where you’ll find a food court with several vendors and restaurants. There is traditional Spanish cuisine such as Enrique Tomas — a jamon place — as well as a sushi bar, a gelato shop, and even a Subway chain. This floor also includes a supermarket — Mercadona — if you need to do some grocery shopping. Underneath the building, thousands of parking spaces are available to vehicles to park.
Head back up the escalator and bypass the ground floor. This will take you to the second floor, which contains a cinema offering several different movie options.
If you are not visiting to watch a movie or you simply don’t have enough time to spare, check out the next floor above, where you’ll notice members of a fitness club entering and leaving a massive gym called Metropolitan Sport Club and Spa. A Spanish man who is a member at the club described how this gym “has a great location with all the necessary equipment and spectacular views of the city outside the windows.”
Finally, take the escalator to the top floor and step outside to take in breathtaking panoramic views of nearby buildings, landmarks, and the rest of the city of Barcelona. If you’re unsure of what exactly you’re seeing from your view, signs with building and monument labels will guide you precisely in the direction you need to look.
If you’re in the mood to sit down at a restaurant, you’re in luck because the rooftop terrace offers several dining options with stunning views including La Botiga, La Lola De Las Arenas, and Quinto Quinta. A French couple dining at La Botiga called their experience “wonderful” as they enjoyed a large dish of Spanish paella. “We shared some tapas and a big plate of seafood paella, which was some of the best paella we’ve ever tasted in Spain” they said.
For little kids, the top floor also includes a pirate’s exhibition.
On your way out, you can take the escalator back to the ground level or take the outdoor elevator that is connected to the roof terrace.
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