RMANYER ELBA LEVICK cae ee ey ea Oe ae roe ! Us ia =BARCELONA ART NOUVEAU Londen is fimous for ig Ben; Paris for the Hel ‘Tower; Rome forthe Colesseum, Bareelens, on the fother hand, is not identified by one oF te Famoxs ‘buildings 25 these other European cies, bu ther by an entre movement of tur thecentury aehtecture Jenown sip 25 Medernine. False American 38 artpoveat, st most famous praciciener was the att and arcitet Antoni Gaud But the city fled with superb cemples of 2e¢ nouweat by many other suchitects, which ae all stead in viv color in redone Art Neuen “This bok ofers a tur of 46 hours, ple buikings, and monuments in the artnouveau se, inchading Irand.new photographs of the werk of Cau. Visit the famous Mera cafe Els Quatre Gas, wich was ence patronized by Pablo Picasso, who also designed the ‘men Loe Yours inthe whimsical carves of Caca Jesep Hal, a wonderful example of he combination of srtean tadien snd richness that exemplifies art “Thee structires fll restored to pristine condo for {he 1992 Olympic, have been recacovered by both fercigeers and Barcelonans alike, and are caprred lnside and out in thie facinating record of the adventures, undulating designs ef an exting er. Dest corer itstatons: Front: Facede of Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Saat Pau Back: Prom Casa Abert Leé i Morera, head fice ofthe Fae ld Medersime 234 fuel stations Complete with map macking the loestion of theBarcelona firt NouveauFirst published in the United States of America in 1999 by RIZZOLI INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, ING 300 Park Avenue South, New York, NY t0010 © 1999 Fdiciones Poligrafa, 8. A. © Original Spanish tet: Lis Permanyer © Photographs: Metba Levick ‘cept p. 22 at bottom: Jordi Pareto (Turisme de Barcelons) and p 99 at bottom: Pere Vivas and pp-158 and 159: Marti Gasull All rights reserved. [No pattoF this publication may be reproduced in any manner “whatsoever without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN o-8478-2220-6 LCo9-70591 Designed! by Estudi Carme Vives ‘Translated by Richard Rees Colo separations by Alfcrom, Barcelona Printed in Spair by Filabo. S.A. Sant Joan Desp (Barelona) Dep. Leg: B. 63221999Barcelona “irt Nouveau REZ scan: The Stainless Stee! Cat
é cDARACO ba & me = z ® Sseeema * ea Oa 3 pra Dirutacad . ee : o )RAN VIA DE Les CoRTs CATs FS % Sovemsncamemime rel 3 wn a 3 an : é a S é % i Cons Ausochvars 4, 2 cope PEs i Ws So Bae ee cecsur rn Cbua “enon ot SEBS . ae vicinaForeword, p.7 Jloax Ctos, Mayor of Boron arcelona fs Modernism. p. 9 Lauls Penseanven Palau Gill py ‘The Gaui Lampposts, p17 Hotel Espata, p18 Farmicia del Doctor Genové, p.2t Antiga Casa Figueras, p22 CCatalana de Gas i Electriitat 23 (Casa Francesc Marti Puig (Els Quatre Gals), p24 Palau de la Mitsica Cataana, p. 26 Casa Pons / Pascual, p34 asa Calvet, p36 ‘Forns Sarset and de ka Concepci p. 44 Casas Antoni Recamora, p45 (Casa Manuel Malagrida,p. 46 Casa Albert Hed i Movers, p48) (Casa Antoni Amat, ps4 asa josep Balls, p. 60 aitorial Nontaner i Simon, p68 (Casa Dolors Cal, p72 (Casa Doctor Miquel A. Fargas, p73 Farmicia Bolés p74 (Casa Evatt jure. p75 @ Con Josep Remon Querat, p76 @ Coss Ene atl, p78 ‘Thitty-two Bench-Lampposts, p. 80 (casa Jaume For. p51 casa Vids de Marf p84 Municipal Conseratry,p 86 (casa Manuel opis, p88 (Casa Josep Thomas. p. 90 Plat Ramon Montanet,p. 94 (Casa Pere SerraiPors, p. 106 Casa Lins Pérez Samanillo,p. 108 Casa Miquel Sayrach, p10 (Casa Bonaventura Feree,p. 122 (Casa Maria Faster i Fuster, pty (Casa Comat, png Palau Bard de Quadras, p18 ‘Casa Bartoreu Terrades i ruta, p- 120 ‘Casa Roma Macaya i Gibert,p. 122 (Casa Evel! Planells, p. 124 “Temple Expiator de l Sagrada Familia, p26 Hopital de a Santa Crew i de Sant Pau, p34 Park Goel p 142 (Casa Manuel Vieens i Montane, p.152 Alternative Buildings Route, p. 158Foreword In contrast to other cites of the worl, Barcelona isnot character- ied by any one edifice in particular, but rather bythe ample, nninetecrth-centuy city expansion that is replete with the bold, sinuous buildings of Moderniome. tt is here that Antoni Gaudi, Tosep Puig i Cadafaleh, and Lluis Domnech i Montaner, song ‘other architects, left the stamp of their creativity and seta siyle that has made the Barcelonans a people who truly appreciate architecture. “This book presents 2 lage part of eur art nouveau (oc mode rita, a8 st was called here) beritage and draws us deeply into a ‘movement that went beyond the rere cultural sphere to become fe way of life. Ie immerses us in dynamic tum-ofthe-century Barcelona, the creative city that chose to open itself to Furope rather than to lament the loss of Spin’s Ist colonies, and dis- played its ex:berance in the works of such artist 2s Isaac Albéniz ‘Ramon Casas, Pablo Picasso, Dario de Regoyos, Santiago Rus and Miquel Util. Barcelona bas preserved this heritage and strives to make it better known, Intatives such ag the Art Nouveau Route reflect this determination. In shor, this book is an indispensable tool for anyone who, in addition © appreciating the architectural gems fof Barcelona's art nouveau period, wishes to understand ‘2 movement that embedied as no other the innovating spirit of four iy. Joan Clos Mayor of BardenBARCELONA Is MODERNISME Mederniome was Barcelona's Renaissance in both senses of the teren: as a formal syle and as a societal rebirh, There ate two ‘moments in the history of the twenty centuries of Barcelona that clearly and spectacularly mark the city we admire today: the Gothic and its counterpart atthe other end of imperial Spain's rapid vise and long decline, Modernisme. It need not surprise us that Modernisme reached such heights of specce, since it was as the manifestation of a positive, creative, andl dynamic socal expo- sion. The recent centennial ofthe disastwous Spanish-American War of i898 sharply highlighted the different atitudes that reigned in Spain on the one hand, and in Barcelona on the other, itmtoeditely allowing the less of Spain's lst colores a hundred years ago. Indeed, the despa, crisis, and depression of Spain at farge contrasted with the euphoria and ring prosperity of Barcelona. While the rest of Spain becarne disconcerted znd for- lornly inwardocking, Barcelona turned its gaze toward Europe, ‘where it found inspiration. ‘twas in Europe that Barodona discovered Modernism, a style that in each country blossomed under a different name: “art now ‘eau in Great Britain: “modern style" in France (in English. 10 refiect the stye's English roots); “Jugendstil” in Germany, “Seve sions" i: Austra; “art 1900" in Belgium; “stile Libery”in aly {after the London store prometed the syle). And in Barcelona ‘as called Medersisne, 1 term that reflected its embrace of the re century and its refction ofthe past. But wherever the move ment teok hol, it brought with it innovations and implied a way of seeing and reflecting onthe past and the present that devisted from orthodenes of ll types, and pariclznly. the Catholic cou ‘ries, ftom the line dicated by the Vatican. Indeed, the pope sav nev ideas a s radical that he went sofa as to conderon them as dangerous. But in Barcelona the movement could not be limited toanew style in the decorative ars. Modernity was its essence: the adoption of the narse Mederisne lft ro doubt as othe nature of the Catalan ambitions. It'was nothing new that Barcelona should admire Europe. since far from adopting a stance of introversion and isolation, throughout ex history the city had invariably looked beyond her frontiers. Her geographical position—on the Mediterranean and near the border with the rest of Europe—and leek of natural resources led to the need for commerce and the readiness. to make deals and be a cosmopolitan. Thus itis understandable that ‘Modernism should have been ctitivated only in Barcelona ard in those areas where Barcelona exercised influence: Catalonia, Valencia andthe Balearic Islarls. And even in Melilla it was in thi North Aftican city thatthe architect Nieto, highly influenced by Antoni Gault dd his military service, subsequently remain- ing there and introducing medertisa architect, cultivated also by other professionals and today considered a proud sign of local identity. Modersisme represented the crystallization of mary uends in Catalan society atthe end of the nineteenth century. The decs- dence that had fienly set in over many centuries was finally dying and political national'sm was beginning to beat fruit, The Catalan ‘economy was enjoying a period of exceptional prosperity, and large arsounts of capitl froe abread and from the rural areas sought refuge in. Barcelona. As the biggest and best planned ‘ucban expansion i Europe (the Fixample) was being developed, the city was beginning to recover a sprit of confidence in her immediate future. The elite were convinced that they would seon be the protagonists ofa historic moment. All these elements cor- verged atthe ene time and in the same dvection, and the major, ‘original, and creative architectural style that came to predor wat a firther reflection of this erucial moment. It would have ‘been unthinkable a the tizne to continue with something as neu- twa, insipid, and banal 2s the architectural eclecticism that had ‘been the style for rach of the nineteenth century, frat ofits period of recession, wth nothing better to do than turn its gaze toward the past in order to recover its funilar symbols: elurars, pediments, moldings, and so on, ‘The signs of the movement went far beyond characteristic styles—of architecture, sculpture, painting, poetry, theater, and the decorative arts—to be evident in the artists themselves. How ‘ever, the moverrent went far beyond! this, was much deeper and wider in scope: The moderns creator was immediately ecogniz- able as such, since he let is hai and beard grow Tong. dressed in ‘ack, and irwarishly wore a wide brimmed lat. He would sinoke tobacco and other mere potent drugs that would trarsporthian to artificial paradise. He was an impassioned bohemian, enamored ‘of everything new. There was therefore a modernisa way of under- standing and experiencing lie At the close of the 1888 Barcelora Universal Exposition, 2 rpumber of key madernisias met at the exposition’s Café-Restau- rant designed by Huis Doménech i Montaner, to reflect on the ‘main principles that were to inform the style that was emerging ‘with such suggestive force. Such was the spirit ofthat coterie that they engaged in long discussions not only on architecture and ‘afismanship but also on polities and rationalism. “What forms for sources of inspization are we to cultivate? these commited men eagerly asked themselves. They were aware that destiny had provided thern with the opportunity to if not construct, atleast to reconstruct the city and their homeland and provide them with an image to shew the worl. They were convinced that they were the ‘protagonists and creators ofa historical moment. Such poiticiza ‘hon induced them to turn theie gaze tothe pst beyond the cen: es of decline to the ea when Barcelona and Catalonia were @ power or even the imperial Mediterranean power, which at that time meant the world, since the course of Western history unfolded around that sea of civilization. Hence the Romanesque