Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona (CCCB)

Welcome to the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, where you stand at the crossroads of past and future in the heart of the vibrant Raval district. As you face this remarkable building, you're witnessing an extraordinary architectural dialogue between centuries. The imposing stone facade before you once belonged to the Casa de la Caritat, an 18th-century almshouse that provided shelter for Barcelona's poor and destitute for over two hundred years. Look closely at the neoclassical stonework and you can almost hear the echoes of history. This complex was designed by architect Josep Mas i Vila in the 1770s, serving as both a charitable institution and a symbol of Enlightenment ideals about social responsibility. For generations, these walls witnessed the struggles of Barcelona's most vulnerable citizens, housing orphans, elderly residents, and those seeking refuge from the city's harsh realities. Now turn your attention to the stunning contrast created by the modern intervention. That gleaming glass wall rising behind the historic facade represents one of Barcelona's most successful examples of architectural recycling. When architects Albert Viaplana and Helio Piñón transformed this space in the 1990s, they made a bold decision that would define the CCCB's identity.