KAITEK leads the full renovation of the changing rooms and toilets at CEM Mar Bella
The works, commissioned by the Institut Barcelona Esports, are entering their final stage and will soon give users fully renovated facilities.
In this article
Barcelona, October 2026. KAITEK is acting as site management team for the refurbishment of the changing rooms at the Mar Bella Municipal Sports Centre (CEM Mar Bella), one of Barcelona’s leading sports facilities. Commissioned by Barcelona City Council through the Institut Barcelona Esports (IBE), the project involves the full renovation of the changing rooms, toilets and service areas located beneath the stands of the main sports hall.
CEM Mar Bella is an Olympic venue, designed by architects Manuel Ruisánchez and Xavier Vendrell and opened in 1992. Its sports hall, with a multi-sport court of around 2,400 m² and seating for 925 spectators, hosts futsal, basketball, handball and volleyball every day, as well as a busy programme of school sport for the city. After more than three decades of use, the changing rooms were in need of a thorough upgrade, both in finishes and in building services.
A large-scale intervention
Work began at the end of November 2025, with a contract value of just over one million euros (VAT included), and covers an area of around 1,500 m². The project includes:
- Complete renewal of the ceramic wall tiling, shower floors and drainage channels, with a new colour scheme for all the changing rooms.
- Replacement of doors, joinery and timber linings with phenolic panels, which are more resistant to moisture.
- New showers, taps, flush valves and sanitary fittings, and improved accessible toilets.
- Upgrading of the domestic hot water network to every outlet, as a Legionella prevention measure.
- New fan-coil heating and a new mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, to improve comfort and control humidity.
- Renewal of the electrical installation and lighting, with new low-energy LED fittings.
- Reorganisation of auxiliary and staff areas: staff changing rooms, staff kitchen and storerooms.
Works with the centre in operation
One of the main challenges has been carrying out the works alongside the centre’s daily activity, as it has remained open throughout. The works have been organised in phases and in small groups of changing rooms, in close coordination with the IBE, the management of CEM Mar Bella and the contractor. This has ensured continued service for users and safety at all times.
As a result of this planning, the members’ changing rooms, several team changing rooms and the court-side toilets have been back in use since the summer, while work is completed in the remaining areas.
The final stage
With the works now in their final phase, the outstanding tasks are expected to be completed in the coming weeks, and users of CEM Mar Bella will soon be able to enjoy fully renovated changing rooms and toilets: more comfortable, accessible, efficient and easier to maintain.
The KAITEK team is responsible for site management, construction supervision and health and safety coordination, working with BILT Arquitectura Técnica on construction supervision and OTG3 Studio on building services engineering. At KAITEK we would like to thank the Institut Barcelona Esports and the CEM Mar Bella team for their trust, as well as everyone involved in the works for their collaboration.
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