ECE Work & Live enters Spanish market

ECE Work & Live is entering the Spanish market with its first residential development in Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona. 

Spain

Partnering with Layetana Living, the project will include about 125 apartments, 130 parking spots, and 79 storage units, aiming to provide affordable quality housing for various residents, including families.
The development will feature a central green courtyard with a pool and shared spaces to foster community, plus 1,200 m2 of commercial space on the ground floor. Located in a newly redeveloped area, it offers easy access to future green spaces and public transport, including Cornellà Riera station, connecting residents to central Barcelona.
Construction is set to begin in summer 2026 and finish by summer 2028.
Henrie W. Kötter, CEO of ECE Work & Live, said: “This project is a milestone for ECE Work & Live, as it marks our very first residential development in Spain, which is a promising and attractive market for us.”
Jan-Hendrik Walloch, managing partner of ECE Living, commented: “The project fits well into our strategic focus on developing projects in dynamic metropolises in European countries with a strong economic and demographic growth trajectory and a persistent demand for affordable state-of-the-art housing.”
James Wells, Managing Director at Layetana Living, added: "We are delighted to work alongside ECE Work & Live in bringing their first residential venture in Spain to life. Our local expertise ensures this development not only delivers high-quality housing but also integrates seamlessly into the evolving urban fabric of Cornellà."
Ashurst advised on all legal and tax aspects of the transaction.
ECE Work & Live specializes in developing, building, and managing real estate projects like residential and office buildings, logistics centers, hotels, and urban districts. The company is a hotel developer in German-speaking Europe, with over 3,500 hotel rooms completed or planned. They've also developed or planned around 40 logistics centers (totaling 2 mln m2), about 50 office buildings (over 1.2 mln m2), and have extensive experience in residential properties and urban districts, with 8,000 apartments completed, planned, or managed.
Current projects include a Ruby hotel in Rome, the "TIDE" mixed-use property in Hamburg's HafenCity (featuring apartments, student housing, and a digital museum), a sustainable logistics center in Hamburg-Billbrook, and the MesseCity Cologne district for offices and hotels.