Bullfighting never really caught on in Catalonia and the last bullfight took place here on June 9, 1977, leaving the Plaza de Toros Monumental as the only bullfighting arena in Barcelona. But even that arena closed in early 2012 when a bullfighting ban went into effect in Catalonia. For decades, the arenas de Barcelona stood empty and it took until 1999 before plans were launched to turn the arena into a modern shopping and entertainment center. The architectural firm of Richard Rogers was selected to design a state of the art complex, while conserving the historic red brick structure.