Casa Batlló celebrated the presentation of the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2025 on Monday night in Brussels, a recognition awarded for its pioneering inclusive heritage management model and commitment to neurodiversity.
The award, granted by Europa Nostra and the European Commission under the Creative Europe program, recognizes exemplary projects in the conservation, management, and dissemination of European cultural heritage. Casa Batlló was awarded in the Citizen Engagement & Awareness Raising category for its initiative “Integrating Neurodiversity in World Heritage.”
During the ceremony, held at the historic Flagey building in Brussels, representatives from European cultural institutions and leaders in the heritage sector highlighted the transformative value of the project driven by Casa Batlló.
“True inclusion is about respecting each other as individuals and valuing difference as a gift. Only by being unique do we add value to institutions, society, and the world,” stated Ana María Acosta, project leader.
“When we started, many thought it was crazy to integrate neurodiversity into the management of a World Heritage site. Today, this award proves that bold projects can transform realities. This recognition is not just for Casa Batlló, but also, and above all, for all the neurodivergent individuals who make our day-to-day operations possible,” added Ana María Acosta, who accepted the award on behalf of the team in Brussels.
Since 2021, Casa Batlló has been developing a workplace inclusion project with Specialisterne, an organization specializing in employment for neurodivergent individuals. Currently, more than 100 neurodivergent individuals work alongside 60 neurotypical individuals in public-facing roles, in a model that has transformed the museum experience and strengthened team cohesion.
Casa Batlló’s inclusive approach redefines heritage management: adapting roles and environments to individual strengths, revising training and support processes, and generating measurable impacts on service quality and public awareness.
“This recognition reaffirms our commitment to a more human and inclusive culture. It’s an opportunity to rethink the essential relationship between heritage and the people who work with it,” said Gary Gautier, CEO of Casa Batlló.
The initiative has been accompanied by awareness campaigns such as “Neurodiversity With New Eyes” which remains active on social media and aims to promote a more empathetic and diverse perspective in the cultural and educational fields.
This international recognition consolidates Casa Batlló as a European leader in inclusion and accessibility within World Heritage and encourages the cultural sector to move towards more human, representative, and sustainable models.
Image credits: Europa Nostra / Krzysztof Radoszek.