Work of the architects Francesc Cavaller and Josep Soteras, the Palau It cost 135 million pesetas, about 800,000 euros, and the works lasted little more than a year since the first stone was laid on September 24, 1970 under the presidency of Agustí Montal.
The large reinforced concrete dome, one of the secrets of its special acoustics, the electronic scoreboard suspended over the track and the heating system, among other things, made the Palau one of the leading pavilions in Europe.
‘Dream Team’, five Champions in a row
The five consecutive Champions League for Valero Rivera’s ‘Dream Team’ (1996-2000) continue to be the greatest milestone in the history of world club handball and perhaps the greatest Barça feat at the Palau. “It’s a milestone that I don’t think will happen again,” says Valero. In 2000, Barça closed that European ‘little hand’ by appealing one more day to the magic of the Palau to overcome the three goals against the first leg (28-25) against THW Kiel (29-24). Carlos Ortega, the current coach, scored the decisive goal that day 30 “from the end.
On the opening day, players from the different sections marched past, highlighting Barça’s multisport nature. The Palau debuted with two provincial volleyball matches before the great first match, the Catalan derby Barça-Granollers of the Honor Division handball that was played at night and ended with a tie and low score (10-10). The next day, for example, a Barça-Reus of roller hockey with local victory (5-2).
50 years of the Palau
That was the starting gun for a successful adventure that helped reaffirm the motto ‘more than a club’ so emblematic of the Barça, capable of winning 382 titles –37 European Cups– In these 50 years of alliance between its four professional sections and the Palau: handball (150), roller hockey (124), basketball (74) and futsal (34). At the moment, 13 athletes have their jersey removed.
Emotional headquarters of Barcelona’92
The Palau also joined the party that the 1992 Games represented for Barcelona as it was the venue for judo and the scene of two enormous joys for home athletes, with the golds of Miriam Blasco (-56 kgs) and Almudena Muñoz (- 52 kgs). Especially emotional was Blasco’s victory because just two months earlier his coach and friend Sergio Cardell had died in a traffic accident. The Palau also hosted the Olympic competition of two exhibition sports, taekwondo and roller hockey.
The initial capacity of the Palau was 5,696 spectators, but the successes of the sections in the 80s made it small and the 1994 remodeling increased its capacity to 7,334 people. The last reform of 2007 left its capacity in the current 7,585 spectators.
The Palau celebrates 50 years
When the end comes, it will be impossible not to miss the current Palau, but the wrinkles of age do not forgive and the construction of a modern pavilion with capacity in accordance with the demands of the Euroleague basketball and a club with such repercussion is imposed.
The 1972 tennis Masters, unique in Spain
The Palau hosted the 1972 Tennis Masters, its first major international echo event. Ilie Nastase won the final against Stan Smith in five sets (6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6 and 6-3) with Tom Gorman, Manuel Orantes, Bob Hewitt, Jimmy Connors, Jan Kodes and Andrés Gimeno completing the list of participants. Pau Llorens was the architect of that great success broadcast on color television through the efforts of the then president of the Spanish Federation. It is still the only Masters played in Spain.
The Nou Palau presented in its day by the previous board of Josep Maria Bartomeu It should be a reality in 2020, but social and economic contingencies have lengthened those terms and the new plans of the current president, Joan Laporta, indicate that the new pavilion, with 15,000 spectators, will cost more than 300 million euros and will not be ready until 2026, according to forecasts on the works of the Espai Barça yet to be ratified.
