Barcelona’s Sant Pau hospital, a modernist architectonic jewel and World Heritage site, has been chosen by UNESCO as the future headquarters for its United Nations University for southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Sant Pau’s 19 characteristic pavilions are being turned into a new centre for Mediterranean-related institutions as part of a wider project aimed at making Barcelona the capital of the Mediterranean Rim.
The city will play host to the EU’s Union for the Mediterranean, a decision-making centre addressing issues related to this region and north-south dialogue. The hospital part of Sant Pau has now moved to purpose-built buildings adjacent, leaving the modernist buildings for refurbishment.
The United Nations University, its 10th in the world, will deal with issues related to the Mediterranean and southern Europe. This new institution is expected to start its operations as from 2012.
