Palau de Gel Ice Rink Launches Tender for Major Renovation

The Palau de Gel in Canillo has launched a tender for companies to bid on a comprehensive renovation and modernization project aimed at enhancing safety and functionality for years to come. Proposals, including work plans, budgets, and technical team compositions, must be submitted by 9 March.

The works will proceed under a "unit price works with closed prices and open measurements" contract. Adserà Group will handle technical direction, while Gespro takes on delegated ownership duties. The scope covers full interventions in structure, architecture, technical systems, and exterior areas, in line with approved technical documents and plans.

Key upgrades include reinforcements to concrete and metal structures, improved waterproofing and thermal insulation on roofs and terraces, renewal of facade cladding, curtain walls, and exterior joinery, plus reconfigured interior layouts and finishes. Systems for electricity, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, telecommunications, fire protection, metalwork, railings, and outdoor spaces will also see updates.

For users, the project features an expanded reception area, upgraded changing rooms, a larger wellness zone, a relocated gym with doubled floor space, and a new rooftop terrace with a panoramic restaurant. These changes seek to align the facility with current standards in quality, safety, and energy efficiency.

Despite the technical challenges, specific measures will limit disruptions to regular operations, with the ice rink scheduled to remain open through the summer months. Works are set to begin by late April. The contract includes monitoring mechanisms, penalties for delays, and bonuses for early completion to ensure timelines are met.

Sira Puig, the centre's director, described the overhaul as essential for the facility's future. It will adapt the venue to current and emerging needs in sports, social activities, and tourism, she said, with a long-term focus on safety, energy efficiency, and high-quality spaces to keep it a key draw for residents and visitors. Puig highlighted the difficulty of coordinating construction with everyday use, noting the centre's importance to clubs, schools, and families, and affirmed that protocols will maximize service continuity, especially summer skating sessions.