Barcelona Barcelona Design and architecture— —Design and architecture
Modernisme Urban fairytales Design and architecture — The built environment
Few cities in the world are as architecturally rich as Barcelona. The beguiling fairytale structures of Antoni Gaudí and his modernistes contemporaries defined the city’s visual identity and have inspired more than a century of imaginative, and at times surreal, architecture. But this is also a city that has refused to rest on its laurels. Look no further than the 1992 Olympics for proof: the Casa Comalat, Dreta de Recinte Modernista de Sant Catalan capital reinvented l’Eixample Pau, Guinardó itself with an explosion of Double the appeal Healing environment cutting-edge creations, celebrating the games Architect Salvador Valeri i This 27-pavilion complex with innovative structures Pupurull’s 1911 creation sits suffers from sitting behind La and a trailblazing tradition on a triangular plot of land that Sagrada Família (see page 111), of both graphic and affords it two different façades. which inevitably steals some industrial design. The main view on Avinguda of its thunder. But this work of So while we explore the Diagonal is symmetrical and modernisme is not to be missed. marvels of modernisme majestic, with a romantic The former hospital was we also delve deep into flourish: the banisters on the designed by Lluís Domènech Barcelona’s architectural balconies resemble the grille i Montaner, who died seven landscape, unlocking on a knight’s helmet and echo years before it was finished in its lesser-known gems. Gaudí’s nearby Casa Batlló, 1930. He believed in the healing There are modernist the epitome of modernisme. nature of beauty so he decked masterpieces that defied The side facing Carrer the grounds with stained glass, the monotony of the de Còrsega is more magical: ornate façades, allegorical fascist period, sci-fi-style colourful, irregular bay statues and all the other proper social housing projects windows curve around like a touches of modernisme. Indeed, and residential curios colourful tree and the ceramic if Gaudí’s works celebrate dotting the Eixample glaze patterning that adorns the the style, this is its carnival. It neighbourhood, not full façade further underlines was awarded Unesco World to mention the awe- Pupurull’s unique style. Sadly Heritage status in 1997. inspiring skyscrapers and the building isn’t open to the 167 Carrer de Sant Antoni contemporary wonders public but there’s more than Maria Claret, 08025 on the city’s skyline. enough to admire outside. 134 93 553 7801 442 Avinguda Diagonal, 08037 santpaubarcelona.org
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Early 20th century Casa de les Punxes, Dreta Modernisme Post modernisme de l’Eixample Dragon layered Modernisme is often referred to as Catalan art nouveau but This fanciful house by such a proxy epithet doesn’t modernista architect Josep Puig i do the style justice. All eight BBVA Bank, Barri Gòtic Cadafalch embodies the story of Barcelona’s World Heritage Conspicuous wealth of Sant Jordi (Saint George), Unesco-listed buildings are Catalonia’s patron saint. products of the movement. A muscular structure that Cadafalch’s main influence Modernisme was born in screams prosperity and was Neuschwanstein Castle in the 1870s when Barcelona modernity – or it did in 1939, Bavaria, as seen in the casa’s was enjoying industrial when Barcelona was booming soaring, conical spires. prosperity and had recently – this art deco building by On the roof are four expanded beyond its medieval architect José Yárnoz Larrosa plaques: three pay homage walls. This afforded architects and painter Luis Menéndez to the sisters of the Terradas such as Antoni Gaudí and Pidal seems more fitting for family, for whom the house Josep Puig i Cadafalch a Wall Street than Barcelona. was built, and one depicts Sant torrent of commissions and Once the regional HQ of the Jordi, invoking him to guard the new neighbourhoods in which Bank of Spain, today it houses building. It’s a place steeped in to erect the structures of their the offices ofbbva bank. Left allegory and fairytale romance dreams. This historic period of and right of the entrance are Casa Xina, L’Antiga Esquerra – even the bright shingles on flourishes was known as the two statues, one holding the de l’Eixample the roof resemble the reddish- renaixença (renaissance) and cog of industry and the other Fine China green scales of the dragon that brought with it a resurgence the crest of Catalonia: an the saint vanquished. of Catalan identity, which unambiguous statement of When Valencian architect Joan 420 Avinguda Diagonal, 08036 modernisme sought to the building’s purpose. Guardiola unveiled Casa Xina 134 93 016 0128 manifest in architectural form. 6 Plaça d’Antoni Maura, 08003 in 1930, writer Manuel Brunet casadelespunxes.es In homage to Catalan labelled it “a new milestone history, gothic, Moorish for the museum of horrors”, and medieval styles were a ridiculous offshoot of the woven together with the numerous modernista buildings nature-inspired motifs of art that had been similarly derided nouveau; allegorical themes two decades earlier. found expression on splendid As with modernisme, time façades; and imaginative, Barcelona Pavilion, Montjuïc has mollified the city’s opinion Casa Amatller, Dreta de colourful materials such as Reconstructed glory of Guardiola’s eccentricity. Art l’Eixample trencadís (broken ceramic deco-inspired motifs abound, Fusion of styles tiles) took centre stage. The Also known as the German with pagoda fans on the upper buildings that this period Pavilion, this gem was designed ledge and Egyptian-revivalist As the ziggurat-style roofing of produced are fairytales told by Mies van der Rohe for the graffito medallions dotting the the building suggests, architect with bricks and mortar rather 1929 Barcelona International façade. The interior is equally Josep Puig i Cadafalch drew than ink and paper. Exposition. Through green wondrous but you’ll need to on a breadth of architectural Although the movement marble, travertine, onyx, steel befriend a resident to see it. sources to design this house dwindled and finally fizzled out and glass he manifests the 54 Carrer de Muntaner, 08011 for chocolate magnate Antoni in 1911, it made an undeniable rebirth, modernity and honesty Amatller, from neo-gothic impression on the look of the that Germany sought to express to golden-age Amsterdam. city and continues to inspire after the First World War. The interior is an explosion architects in the modern era. While the furniture (including of modernisme. With twisting the white-leather Barcelona pink-marble columns, chair) is original, the structure romanesque mosaic floors and is a reconstruction. It was ornate carriage-sized fireplaces, dismantled after the exposition Casa Amatller makes as great but rebuilt in the 1980s by an impression today as it did Catalan architects. when completed in 1900. 7 Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer 41 Passeig de Gràcia, 08007 i Guàrdia, 08038 134 93 461 7460 134 93 215 1011 amatller.org miesbcn.com
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Gaudí Design pioneer Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852 to 1926) altered Barcelona’s visual identity immeasurably. Inspired by neo-gothic and oriental styles, and drawing on natural shapes and imagery, he drove the modernisme movement and left a distinct mark on the city’s urban look.
01 — 02 La Sagrada Família, Sagrada Família: Under construction from Gaudí’s blueprints since 1882; completion is slated for 2026. 03 sagradafamilia.org 03 — 05 Casa Vicens, Gràcia: The first of Gaudí’s major casas, finished in 1885. Its style fuses an array of architectural traditions such as Moorish-revival. casavicens.org 06 Palau Güell, Barri Gòtic: Designed for Gaudí’s patron, Eusebi Güell, this house is 01 02 04 05 more neo-gothic. Its wrought- iron façade is a wonder. palauguell.cat 07 Casa Milà, Dreta de l’Eixample: Also known as La Pedrera (The Stone Quarry). Its chimneys resemble veiled faces, perhaps a nod to Spain’s Islamic heritage. lapedrera.com 08 Torre Bellesguard, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi: 11 Emulates the 15th-century castle of Martin I, King of Aragón, on the site of which it’s built. 06 07 10 bellesguardgaudi.com 09 — 10 Parc Güell, Gràcia: Head here for a taste of Gaudí’s eccentric gingerbread-like houses. parkguell.cat 11 — 12 Casa Batlló, Dreta de l’Eixample: This house resembles a cross-section of a dragon: the tiled roof is the scaly skin and the skeletal balconies the creatures it has consumed. casabatllo.es
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Residential Living spaces Walden 7, Sant Just Desvern Futuristic feel
To conceive this utopian social- housing project, architect Ricardo Bofill decamped to the Algerian desert in the 1970s with a handful of poets, philosophers and sociologists in search of an architectural vision. The result is Walden 7, whose name comes from the 1948 sci-fi novelWalden Two. Inside the terracotta-hued social-housing complex are 446 apartments, as well as gardens, fountains and two rooftop swimming pools (complete with a nudist section). The structure is also modular: the ceramic-tiled walls can be manipulated to add an extra window or join two apartments together for more space. It’s a grand utopian experiment La Ricarda, El Prat that, since 1975, has drawn as de Llobregat many intellectuals enamoured Smart home by Walden 7’s idealist design as working-class families wanting For decades La Ricarda better living standards. was a haven for Barcelona’s 106 Carretera Reial, 08960 intelligentsia, from Joan 134 93 371 8063 Miró to Josep Lluís Sert. walden7.com Catalan architect Antoni Bonet designed the modernist masterpiece as a country house for close friend Ricardo Gomis in 1963; the planning and construction took more than a decade, with Bonet scrapping an initial design in favour of the current style. Gomis’ daughter Marita describes the house as “an undulating roof floating in the air”, in reference to the series of concrete-roofed pavilions that make up the complex. Bonet even designed a collection of avant garde furniture to suit the home, pairing his pieces with finds from Japan and Scandinavia, such as Hans J Wegner chairs. Call ahead to arrange a visit. Finca La Ricarda, 08820 134 93 212 4582
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Contemporary Repurposed New and exciting New uses for old buildings
Ciutat de la Justícia, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat The law in order
The palaces of justice used to be scattered across Barcelona in 17 different buildings. To make the system more efficient, the city brought the entire department together near the barri of La Bordeta – and invited David Chipperfield to add a splash of elegance and colour to the results. Erected in 2009, the complex comprises eight Porta Fira Towers, L’Hospitalet Las Arenas, La Nova Esquerra lattice-like buildings. Thanks de Llobregat de l’Eixample to the varying soft palettes Sibling structures No-bull enterprise there’s something of a cheerful Lego-block feel about These two towers – completed The city is divided over the them, albeit mixed with the in 2010 by Japanese architect aesthetic value of this former menacing austerity of uniform Toyo Ito and Barcelona bullring but everyone agrees appearance appropriate to studio b720 Fermín Vázquez on its symbolic importance. the courts of law. The buildings Arquitectos – are an inevitable Catalonia officially banned are best viewed from a sight en route to the airport. bullfighting in 2010 but Las Casa Bloc, Sant Andreu distance; if you do get up close One is the twisting, mushroom- Arenas hadn’t held a fight Improved housing to them, we hope it’s of your like Hotel Porta Fira, its since 1977, with the practice own accord. furrowed exterior a sea of long in decline. Rather than In the early 20th century, 111 Gran Via de les Corts red-aluminium rods fastened demolish the impressive fin- Barcelona’s central barris were Catalanes, 08075 by ball-joints, giving the de-siècle stadium – a gem of often cramped and ill suited 134 93 554 8600 Diagonal ZeroZero, El Besòs building a shimmering form. the Moorish-revival style – to modern standards of living. ciutatdelajusticia.com i el Maresme Its neighbour, the Torre Realia architects Richard Rogers and Casa Bloc was an early attempt Shining example bcn office building, may Alonso y Balaguer repurposed at intelligent social housing, seem sombre and proud by it in 2011 to create a shopping built in 1939 by a group of With its distinctive futuristic comparison but note the red centre and symbol of how the Catalan architects (Josep appearance, this skyscraper “H” writhing down its centre, city has moved on. Lluís Sert among them) and by architecture firmemba was echoing the hotel’s organic The duo replaced the plinth inspired by the European constructed in just over three form and creating a dialogue that once underpinned the bauhaus movement. years and completed in 2011. between the structures. structure with a reinforced The “two-shape” design It’s a structure seemingly tense 45 Plaça d’Europa, 08908 concrete-and-metal footing, meant that all apartments faced with energy, a trapezoidal 134 93 297 3500 (Hotel necessary to support the east or southeast for maximum prism covered in an irregular Porta Fira) added mass of shops and sunlight. Living quarters were diamond lattice whose edges hotelbarcelonaportafira.com restaurants. At the top of laid out to accommodate protrude beyond the surface the ring is a 300-metre-long modern amenities – such as of the glass. Late-night revellers viewing promenade circling If you ask a separate toilet, shower and returning from Primavera me it’s all a 76-metre-wide dome, one kitchen – and the balcony doors Sound (see page 83) at Parc about Miró of the largest in Europe. could be folded to extend the del Fòrum should steal a look 373-385 Gran Via de les Corts living room onto the terrace. in its direction: the building is Catalanes, 08015 95-101 Passeig de Torras even more of a sight to behold 134 93 289 0244 i Bages, 08030 when illuminated. arenasdebarcelona.com 134 93 256 6800 5 Plaça d’Ernest Lluch museudeldisseny.cat i Martin, 08019
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Surreal Weird and wonderful
CaixaForum Barcelona, La Fábrica, Sant Just Desvern La Font de la Guatlla Post industrial Factory fresh In 1973 the sound of dynamite On its completion in 1911, echoed through the district of Dipòsit de les Aigües, Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s Sant Just as architect Ricardo Vila Olímpica textile factory married an Bofill transformed a former Trickle-down learning imaginative style that took its cement factory into his home cue from medieval castles with and office. Although sections The structure next to Parc de the latest standards of modern of the monstrous structure la Ciutadella has served many construction. Unlike other were torn down – you can purposes since its completion exports of modernisme, the still see the marks of the old in 1876, homeless shelter, building received instant praise perimeter from the roof of police garage and justice at a time when Barcelona was Walden 7 next door (see page archive among them. But it was expanding and industrialising. 113) – the architect preserved designed as a reservoir for the The factory stood empty the factory’s central complex park’s fountains. for decades before serving and industrial essence. Architect Josep Fontserè, as a police station for 50 The jungle of trees and the aided by a young Gaudí, years. Then, in 2002, it gained long, gothic-style windows are mimicked Roman designs and a new lease on life as a the few additions made by Bofill Casa de hollowed the interior with tall cultural centre. Owner to the six former silos. The rest Xavier Corberó arches to reduce materials La Caixa invited Japanese is an homage to the building’s — without affecting the structure. architect Arata Isozaki to past, most noticeable in La Late sculptor Xavier Corberó Now the Dipòsit regulates oversee its transformation. Catedral, the central conference left behind a labyrinthine the flow of knowledge instead While respecting the original room. It’s so called after its house of concrete arches of water: in 1999 architects structure he added modern nave-like property, where the stacked upon concrete arches, Lluís Clotet and Ignacio flourishes, such as a steel-and- conical tips of cement mixers resembling a Giorgio de Chirico Paricio repurposed it into the glass awning over the entrance. hang over parquet floors and painting. Though it's open only Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s 6-8 Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer architectural maquettes. on special occasions you can central library. Take a tour. i Guàrdia, 08038 14 Avenida de la Indústria, sneak a glimpse over the gates. 25-27 Ramon Trias Fargas, 08005 134 93 476 8600 08960 Carrer Montserrat, 08950 134 93 542 2000 caixaforum.es 134 93 499 9900 upf.edu ricardobofill.com
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Parc de l’Espanya Industrial, Sants Water feature
This little park, reminiscent of De Chirico’s “I Bagni Misteriosi”, occupies the site of the former La España Industrial textile mill, which was turned into a park after its closure in the 1970s. Though sources suggest he was inspired by ancient Roman baths, Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui must have been dreaming of a Dalí painting when drafting the designs. Nine lighthouse-like turrets crown the steps that descend past cypresses to a small artificial lake. Next to it is Andrés Nagel’s vast, abstract “El Drac”, a statue of a dragon that also serves as a children’s slide – a popular attraction Fundació Joan Miró, Montjuïc with the little ones despite its Head in the clouds terrifying appearance. 37 Carrer de Muntadas, 08014 Despite the apparent irregularity of Josep Lluís Sert’s 1975 modernist masterpiece, which seemingly rolls away to infinity like a chain of clouds, the Catalan architect applied a great deal of structure and foresight to the building’s design in order to facilitate how people engage with the art on display there. Sert organised the purpose- built complex around a central courtyard, towards which the movement of visitors spirals, meaning that you never pass the same room twice. The spiral design also affords the use of ramps, so that art-lovers may enter the galleries from above and circle down to Miró’s gigantic works, thus appreciating them from all angles. Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 134 93 443 9470 fmirobcn.org
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Olympics Markets Gold-medal structures Peix Olímpic, Barceloneta Stall stories Mercat de Santa Caterina, Maritime imagery El Born Historic location In the run up to the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona was With a site that included a Viviendas Olímpicas, blooming with design and Roman burial ground and a Vila Olímpica architecture projects. Perhaps 13th-century church in the Athletes’ village the most iconic, Frank Gehry’s historic centre, architects embt “Olympic Fish” sculpture, had their work cut out when The most noteworthy thing swum its way into the city’s they were commissioned to about Ricardo Bofill’s Olympic visual identity immediately – replace the old market in 1997. apartments, designed to and has been a much loved Fortunately, what they unveiled house the athletes of the 1992 fixture in Barcelona ever since. in 2005 won the approval of all. games, is the foresight of the The US-based architect The 100 stalls are covered design. Unlike most Olympic used layers of intertwining by 325,000 colourful ceramic complexes, which dazzle the gilded steel to create the scaly tiles in an undulating roof, the eye but seem ridiculous after skeleton, shaped into a kink as latter’s panels so complex they the events conclude, the 113 though the giant fish is about had to be cut by hand. Viewed terracotta-hued apartments to leap into the sea. It can also from above it resembles a have remained in harmony with be said to resemble the hull of polychrome tortoise. their surroundings more than a ship: an appropriate image Torre de Comunicacions de 16 Avinguda de Francesc 25 years later. for a city of seafarers, especially Montjuïc, Montjuïc Cambó, 08003 Bofill went with ziggurat-style with the Monument a Cristòfor Variations on a theme 134 93 319 5740 steps throughout the design, Colom just along the road. affording the inhabitants of the 2 Carrer de Ramon Trias This 136-metre steel structure main tower greater privacy; for Fargas, 08005 shoots into the sky, much like an the apartments in the buildings Olympic torch. The functioning below, they meant sun-filled telecommunications tower also terraces. A recurring theme in acts as a sundial – you’ll see its Bofill’s residential buildings, gargantuan shadow creeping space was reserved for private across the Plaça d’Espanya. Mercabarna-flor, Sant Boi gardens on the interior side of It’s a tower packed with de Llobregat the ground floor, while the side competing imagery. Valencian Flower powered overlooking the street features architect Santiago Calatrava shops and communal spaces. conceived its image as an Willy Müller Architects’ Corner of Carrer del Doctor Trueta athlete kneeling to receive Mercat dels Encants, Fort Pienc gigantic flower market is a and Carrer de l’Arquitecte Sert a medal. And the pedestal Market with a twist multi-colour flash of lightning that receives the genuflecting designed to resemble rows figure? A waving crescent base This flea market dates back of flowers in bloom. But it’s of trencadís (shattered ceramic to the 13th century but its new not all just slick veneer: a series tiles): a nod to Gaudí, who home, finished in 2013 by b720 of solar panels along the angled popularised the material. Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos, roof powers three distinct Carrer Pierre de Coubertin, 08038 is grand and unique. In fact, climates within the building. it’s hardly a building at all, The first section maintains more a spiralling stairway crisp temperatures between Wild card packed with market stalls 2C and 15C for flowers with — (as well as the odd bar) and a quick turnover, while species Edgy designer Javier Mariscal crowned by a splintered awning with greater longevity are is known for his loud, colourful whose underside is made of kept between 15C and 26C. style, which he applied to stainless steel. You’ll note the The central section, for dried everything from film animation general absence of walls: a wise flowers, is designed for close to eccentric, bulbous furniture. decision from the architects for monitoring and extinguishing What really won him worldwide the design of such a crowded fires – sensible, given the old fame, however, was Cobi, the and raucous public space. market burned down in 2001. mascot of the 1992 Barcelona 158 Carrer de los 1 Carretera Antiga de Olympics (see page 76). Castillejos, 08013 València, 08830 mariscal.com 134 93 245 2299 134 93 556 8310 encantsbcn.com mercabarnaflor.com
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Visual identity The look of the city 01 The Eixample grid: In 1854 Barcelona tore down its medieval walls to expand the city boundaries. Development of new neighbourhood Eixample (literally “expansion”) fell to urban-planner Ildefons Cerdà. He designed some 500 octagonal blocks, 16 metres in height and facing northwest or southeast for maximum light. He intended only two sides of each block to be built up, with the space between reserved for parks. Sadly the blocks grew far beyond that, the open sides built up in later years. 02 — 03 Paving stones: Each 05 06 district in Barcelona has a unique panot (paving stone), designed by an eminent architect. The classic is Eixample’s Flor de Barcelona, a four-leaf flower by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Passeig de Gràcia has Gaudí’s hexagonal creation, while on Avinguda Diagonal it’s a banana leaf 01 designed in 2014 by Terradas Arquitectos. 04 — 07 Street sculptures: In the run up to the 1992 Olympics a swathe of public artwork was commissioned to brighten the streets. Some are quirky and fun (Javier Mariscal’s giant prawn statue “Gambrinus”), while others, 07 particularly Rebecca Horn’s “L’Estel ferit” (“Wounded Star”, a stack of four steel blocks on Platja de la Barceloneta), are melancholy 02 works that touch on Barcelona’s past while signalling its future. 08 — 09 Modernista doorways: During the boom of modernisme, a building’s entrance was a way to display skill (in the artist’s case) and wealth (in the patron’s). Stained glass, allegorical engravings, ceramic tiling and floral ornaments: no two are the same in shape or adornment.
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