Avinguda de la Llum, Underground shopping center in Eixample, Spain
Avinguda de la Llum is an underground shopping complex beneath Carrer de Pelai with two rows of double columns extending about 175 meters. The structure links various key urban points and provides passage through multiple sections of the city center.
The complex opened in 1940 as Europe's first underground shopping mall, originally housing about 68 shops in its modern structure. Commercial activity at the site shifted when it closed in 1990, marking the end of its original purpose.
The name reflects Barcelona's ambition to build a modern underground commercial space that would transform daily shopping habits. Visitors can still sense this pioneering spirit in how the remaining passages integrate with contemporary shops.
The location connects to Catalunya station of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, making public transit access straightforward. Parts of the original complex are now integrated into El Triangle shopping center, situated near Plaça Catalunya.
Original structural elements remain visible inside current shops, particularly within the Sephora store, offering rare glimpses of the original commercial passages. Careful observers can spot architectural details from the pioneering underground design.
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