The president of Maresme Circular and mayor of Mataró, David Bote, and the director of Maresme Circular, Jordi Pons, visit the construction site, where more than 50% of the work has already been completed
Maresme Circular has already awarded the tender to supply the necessary equipment for the agri-food workshop that will house the ‘Remake Area’
The building, designed in accordance with European Nearly Zero Energy Building guidelines, has achieved the highest energy rating with an A label
Construction work on the first phase of the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park is progressing at a good pace and is now more than 50% complete. The president of Maresme Circular and mayor of Mataró, David Bote, and the director of Maresme Circular, Jordi Pons, visited the future facility last week to see how the work is progressing. The first phase of the Circular Park is expected to begin operating between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027.
The president of Maresme Circular and mayor of Mataró, David Bote, the director of Maresme Circular, Jordi Pons, and JAAS architect Josep Maria Julià during their visit to the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park construction site / Marga Cruz
With the first year and two months of work since the start of construction now complete, all the foundations and structures have been built, both the concrete structures in the basement – where the bulky waste treatment plant will be located – and the wooden structures of the ‘Remake Area’. The company Vialser Edificación y Obra Civil, S.L.U., which is in charge of the work, is waterproofing all the roofs and has begun the compartmentalisation and installation work for the ‘Remake Area’, as well as the construction of the underground sanitation network. The exterior landscaping, the slabs and compartmentalisation of the basement, and the infrastructure for the various utilities are still pending.
Interior of the ‘Remake Area’ in the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park / Marga Cruz
Meanwhile, the contract to supply and commission the necessary equipment for the agri-food workshop that will be housed in the Remake Area has been awarded to the company Vidal i Porta, S.L. This will add value to the agri-food surpluses of the region’s farmers. With a contract worth €137,208.50 (excluding VAT), the planned equipment includes industrial machinery for washing, weighing, cutting, shredding and processing vegetables, vacuum packaging systems, professional kitchen equipment such as stoves, ovens, blast chillers and cold rooms, as well as hygiene, food safety and internal logistics facilities, all designed to ensure efficient, safe and high-quality agri-food processing. At the same time, throughout 2026, new tenders will be launched to contract the various activities and services to be provided in the first phase of the Circular Park.
Render of the ‘Remake Area’ / Maresme Circular
The Mataró – Maresme Circular Park
Promoted by Maresme Circular, the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park, located in the Mata-Rocafonda industrial estate in Mataró, is a pioneering project in Europe that aims to promote the repair and reuse of materials and products to reduce waste production. It also incorporates the highest sustainability standards promoted by the project itself in terms of the circular economy into both its design and construction techniques.
With a construction budget of over €8.1 million, the first phase of the project includes the ‘Remake Area’, a waste prevention “civic centre” offering a range of free services to citizens. It will have a clear focus on social integration.
What will the ‘Remake Area’ offer?
- Advice service for self-repair in different areas (computers and electronic devices, carpentry and furniture, bicycles, textiles, DIY, etc.).
- A Library of Things from which to borrow items for occasional use, such as a drill, which is used for an average of 12 minutes in a lifetime.
- A reusable tableware loan service for all kinds of parties and events with the aim of avoiding the use of disposable plates, cups and cutlery.
- A kitchen where workshops will be held to prevent food waste.
- An agri-food workshop to transform and revalue the surpluses of agricultural producers in the region, promote the consumption of local products and prevent food waste.
- A large second-hand shop.
- Talks and training sessions to learn how to throw away less and make better use of what we already have.
The first phase also includes a bulky waste treatment area connected to door-to-door collection to maximise its recovery potential. The second phase of the Park will focus on more technological and industrial activities, led by private initiative.
The future ‘Remake Area’ of the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park / Marga Cruz
Sustainable construction
The building’s design, by Julià Arquiteces Associats (JAAS), follows the European nZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) guidelines for energy efficiency in buildings with almost zero energy consumption. In this regard, the building has achieved the highest energy rating (label A), certifying its high level of efficiency and low environmental impact during its useful life.
The building incorporates passive control solutions to reduce energy consumption, such as optimal orientation, natural cross ventilation, natural lighting and solar protection systems, and integrates renewable energies through photovoltaic panels on the roof and solar systems for the production of thermal energy, which cover a significant part of its low energy demand.
The project design also addresses other key issues in terms of sustainability and the circular economy, such as water cycle control – with the collection and reuse of rainwater – and the reduction of material consumption and strategic selection, prioritising materials with low environmental impact that are recyclable, reusable or from renewable sources.
In terms of the architecture, the proposal aims to normalise the use of reclaimed and recycled materials and elements in its construction. For example, given that the project is being carried out on the former site of the Mataró Glassworks Workers’ Cooperative, the crushed glass aggregates of various colours that had accumulated on the plot as waste from the old factory will be used to colour the interior flooring.
The project also proposes a strategy of constructive circularity based on industrialised systems, dry assemblies and reversible solutions, which facilitate the dismantling, reuse and future adaptation of spaces, extending the useful life of the building and reducing the environmental impact associated with possible changes of use.
Finally, the building is committed to the educational visibility of structural, constructional and environmental systems, with the aim of clearly communicating to users and visitors how a ‘circular building’ works and what role architecture can play in the ecological transition and the fight against the climate crisis.
Render of the bulky waste plant at the Mataró-Maresme Circular Park / Maresme Circular
The location, the Mata-Rocafonda industrial estate
What makes the project disruptive is that in a single ecosystem it brings together both initiatives aimed at citizens and private initiatives aimed at implementing business activities in the field of the circular economy.
The project is promoted by the Maresme Waste Consortium, a body made up of 28 local councils in the region under the presidency of Mataró, with the participation of the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Maresme Regional Council.
The Mataró-Maresme Circular Park will generate synergies with the urban improvement and development policies of the neighbouring neighbourhoods and will revitalise the Mata-Rocafonda industrial estate as a hub for circular industries and initiatives. It will also contribute to the creation of new and better jobs, promoting social inclusion through employment opportunities for people at risk of exclusion, as well as generating economic and social resilience, territorial impact and a knock-on effect, with scalable and replicable experiences. The project will have a very positive socio-economic impact on Mataró and the Maresme region as a whole.
It is a project aligned with the European Green Deal and the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy and represents an innovative transition towards a new model of production and consumption that acts as a lever for industrial modernisation, knowledge generation and the development of new urban models. The Mataró-Maresme Circular Park is committed to Industry 4.0, the knowledge economy and digitalisation.
