> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # UB to build twin research hubs on Diagonal by 2029 - URL: https://barna.news/ub-to-build-twin-research-hubs-on/ - Published: 2026-11-09T20:43:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-09T20:52:05.000Z - Description: Two new University of Barcelona buildings for maths, computing, economics and health sciences will rise on Avinguda Diagonal by 2029. - Author: Barna.News News Desk - Tags: Urban Development, Catalonia ## €71.5m investment to boost research corridor The University of Barcelona (UB) and the Generalitat have unveiled plans for two new research buildings on Avinguda Diagonal, with construction expected to begin at the end of 2027 and completion by 2029\. The €71.5 million project, jointly funded by the regional government and the university, aims to strengthen the Diagonal as a European hub for research and innovation. Rector Joan Guàrdia stated the buildings were not “two random pieces” but central to the university’s strategy to make the Diagonal a magnet for talent across southern Europe. The announcement was made on Monday 9 November 2026, with President of the Generalitat Salvador Illa highlighting the broader transformation of the area, anchored by the future Hospital Clínic. > We will build the most important hospital in southern Europe. Illa linked the new buildings to the wider development of the Campus Clínic, a major health and research campus, and said the area would become a knowledge focus while helping to overcome urban divides. He noted the project could support the planned extension of metro line 3 with new stations. --- ## North and south Diagonal sites to host specialist centres The first building, dedicated to the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science and research in economics and business, will be constructed north of the Diagonal, adjacent to Pedralbes Gardens and the existing Faculty of Economics and Business. Designed by Barceló-Balanzó arquitectes and Magén arquitectes, it will span 14,000 square metres across two structures: a four-storey building and a nine-storey tower. A shared courtyard and a fourth-floor elevated plaza, described by architect Toni Barceló as “the jewel in the crown”, will link the spaces while maintaining distinct entrances. South of the Diagonal, near the UB Science Park, the second building will house the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), other UB health science research groups, and the first Spanish headquarters of Fraunhofer CAT, a leading European technology transfer institution. Designed by PMMT architects, it will feature adaptable 90-square-metre laboratory modules around a naturally lit atrium. Architect Patricio Martínez said the design “does not seek to guess what the future offers us, but rather prepares to receive it in the most empathetic way possible”, allowing spaces to be reconfigured as research needs evolve. The project forms part of a wider urban and scientific renewal of the Diagonal corridor, aiming to turn it into a cohesive zone for innovation, collaboration, and urban connectivity. --- *Sources:* [*Ara*](https://en.ara.cat/society/the-ub-seals-with-two-new-buildings-its-commitment-to-the-diagonal-of-research%5F1%5F5905297.html?ref=barna.news)*.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Health Scraps Move to New Clínic Campus](https://barna.news/health-scraps-move-to-new-clinic-campus/) - [Ten Campus Clínic Projects Funded for Cancer Research](https://barna.news/ten-campus-clinic-projects-funded-for/) - [Barcelona Port Builds Tallest Warehouse for Lidl](https://barna.news/barcelona-port-builds-tallest-warehouse/)