Home > References > Westfield La Maquinista

Smart Parking at Catalonia's Largest Shopping Center

As the largest and most important shopping centre in Catalonia, Westfield La Maquinista is far more than a retail destination. Deeply integrated into the urban fabric of Barcelona, it draws over one million visitors every month across its leisure, gastronomy, and shopping offering. With more than 4,800 indoor and outdoor parking spaces absorbing up to 35,000 vehicles on a busy weekend, the pressure on the parking operation is immense – and the expectations of the guests are equally high.

Project Overview

Barrierless Indoor Entry Across 8 Lanes with Front & Rear LPR

App-Based Exit Flow with Automatic 4th Hour Free via SKIDATA Connect

Reporting & Analytics to Power Smarter Offers

Flow Without Friction
With over a million monthly visitors and up to 35,000 vehicles on a single weekend, the priority was clear: from the moment a customer enters to the moment they leave, the entire parking journey had to be as fluid and frictionless as possible.

The answer was a ticketless system built around license plate recognition across 22 lanes. All eight indoor entry lanes are fully barrierless – vehicles are recognized by front and rear cameras and pass through without stopping. The 12 indoor exit lanes and the outdoor entry and exit lanes are equipped with Lite.Gate and Barrier.Gate, opening automatically based on LPR data.

For guests who need to settle a balance, ten Skiosk terminals handle payment before exit – or charges and discounts can be processed directly at the exit lane itself.

Smart Parking at Catalonia's Largest Shopping Center

Smart Parking at Catalonia's Largest Shopping Center

One System, Every Offer
Westfield La Maquinista wanted more than a parking solution – it wanted a platform.SKIDATA Connect serves as the integration layer between the parking infrastructure, the Westfield Club app, and the payment flow – ensuring that however a customer chooses to pay, the experience is as fast as possible.

The fastest path belongs to registered Westfield Club app users: they enter, park, and drive straight to the exit barrier, which opens automatically with the fourth hour already deducted from their total. No stop, no action required.

For guests who visit a Skiosk or prefer to pay directly at the exit lane, SKIDATA's Validation solution handles discount redemption in a single step: Westfield Club members scan a QR code from the app to reduce their fee on the spot. Carrefour discount tickets provide an additional redemption path for non-app users, validated at the Skiosk or exit lane and deducted immediately. A large, clearly structured screen guides customers through every step in four languages.

Parking as a Data Source
Beyond operational efficiency, the Westfield team identified a strategic opportunity: the parking system as a source of behavioural insight. SKIDATA's Reporting & Analytics solution gives the team a structured view of customer patterns and dwell times, with data exported directly to Westfield Corporate, giving the organisation a consolidated view across its portfolio.

Looking ahead, the vision extends beyond the centre itself – towards a smart parking model that integrates with the surrounding urban area, turning the car park into an active contributor to Barcelona's broader mobility infrastructure.

Smart Parking at Catalonia's Largest Shopping Center

SKIDATA was the provider selected to carry out the project at Westfield La Maquinista. From the beginning, they knew how to understand all our needs and particularities.

Jaime Tamayo, Director

Facts & Figures

Project Name	Westfield La Maquinista Parking Solution
City	Barcelona, Spain
Installation Date	2024
Capacity/Annual Visitors	4,800+ (indoor and outdoor)
Requirement	Ticketless parking with barrierless indoor entry, app-based loyalty integration, multi-path discount redemption, and structured exit flow across 22 lanes
Solution Implemented	LPR-based ticketless access (front & rear cameras), Lite.Gate, Barrier.Gate, Skiosk Lite & Skiosk Smart, SKIDATA Connect (Westfield App + Carrefour ticket integration), Validation, Reporting & Analytics, sectorization barriers
Realization/Special Features	8 barrierless indoor entry lanes; 12 indoor + 2 outdoor exit/entry lanes; 10 Skiosk terminals; 10 sectorization barriers per floor; automatic 4th hour free for Westfield Club app users; direct barrier exit without Skiosk stop for registered app users

What others Read

The Invisible Queue

Digital Parking Validation System Buyer’s Guide | RFP Checklist

SKIDATA Parking Management for Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3

Secure Digital Curbside Parking with SKIDATA Connect

SKIDATA Connect for Cities: Zone, Curb & Mobility Hub Management

Best Parking Management System Buyer Guide 2026

Mobility Hubs 3.0: UX, Certainty & Orchestration for Cities and Operators

The SKIDATA sMove Mobile Kit: Temporary Access, Permanent Reliability

SKIDATA Mobility Hubs White Paper

One Call, One Provider: The Mountain eCommerce System That Actually Works

Kia Ora Auckland Airport and SKIDATA: Revolutionising Airport Parking

NFC eTicketing: Stop Fraud, Reduce Costs, Streamline Entry

Power.Gate ‘Plus’: The Future of Parking Management

Creating Cities That Thrive: Reducing Congestion with Smart Parking Solutions

SKIDATA & Adyen: Revolutionizing Payments, Everywhere You Go

Why EV-Charging is Key to Future-Proof Parking Facilities

Let’s Welcome Emotions: SKIDATA's Leadership in Transforming Sports & Entertainment

The Revolutionary sMove Gate - A New Era of Welcoming People 

SKIDATA: From Ticket-Based Systems to AI-Based Mobility

How SKIDATA's Mobility Suite Makes Urban Parking Management Simple

SKIDATA: Leading the Way in Integrated Visitor Management Solutions

Embracing Tomorrow: SKIDATA's Role in Crafting Cutting-Edge Mobility Hubs

Transforming Parking Payments: The Power of License Plate Recognition

Smart City Parking Linköping

SKIDATA: Leading the Charge in Sustainable Access Solutions

Ticketless Parking: Leading the Charge in Modern Parking Solutions

We are ClimatePartner certified!

The Benefits of Parking Guidance for Parking Operators

Parking Management - Data security is key

Improve customer satisfaction with plausible CSR strategies

How tomorrow’s car parks benefit from smart IoT

SKIDATA is ISO 27001 certified

KitzSki's Journey to Smartphone Ski Passes [Video]

Streamline your parking operations with LPR

A piece of nature for your guests’ pocket - keycard pure

Double your guests’ convenience with parking management for ski resorts

Revenues 24/7: One-stop-shop anytime, anywhere with e-commerce

Protect your own and your customers’ valuable business data

Attract more traffic to your car park with EV-charging stations

Faster updates for faster deployment