History

The first origins of Art Nouveau architecture in Catalonia are in the new Escola Provincial d’Arquitectura (Provincial Architecture school), created in Barcelona in 1871 and leaded by the architect Elies Rogent i Amat (1821-1897).
Before the foundation of that school, the tendencies to the Art Nouveau had been present in the works of architects as Josep Domènech i Estapà who, instead of his eclectic orientation and his explicit refuse of Art Nouveau, he mustn’t avoid the influences of that style with shapes remembering the Austrian Sezessionstyl. 
The tendencies to recovery the medieval heritage started by Viollet-le-Duc had been followed in Catalonia, and completed with the exotic Islamic art and other contributions.
The role of Domènech i Montaner (1849-1923) was essential to define the "Modernisme arquitectonic" (architectonic Art Nouveau) in Catalonia. His article "En busca d’una arquitectura nacional" (In search of a national architecture), published in the review "La Renaixença", reflexes the way to attempt a modern architecture reflexing the national Catalan character.
Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch, Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia, Rubió i Bellver and a big group of excellent Catalan architects – some of them related in the next column – fill Catalonia with lots of marvellous buildings.
Using traditional building materials as brick, and new materials (at that time) as iron, the Art Nouveau Catalan architects had been developed new technologies (see the lofts and balconies of La Pedrera, the lofts of Bellesguard, the Palau de la Música, or later the interior of cellars in Pinell de Brai-examples on how far the constructive technologies in brick or ornamentation in iron must come-).
Nevertheless, the Art Nouveau is a style basically oriented to a big development of ornamentation both in façades and interiors. The Art Nouveau produced a huge development of decorative arts helped by the "horror vacui", forcing to decorate any surface (see the Garí House in Argentona or the Macaya House in Barcelona as examples).
The Art Nouveau architecture in Catalonia was developed not only in residential buildings, but also in institutional, religious, sanitary and welfare, educative, industrial and offices buildings.

 

Examples

Residential individual buildings: Vicens House, Navàs House, Arnús HouseMacaya House, Roviralta House.

Residential collective buildings: Calvet House, Pons i Pascual House, Malagrida House, La Pedrera, Batlló House all in Barcelona, Magí Llorenç House in Lleida.

Institutional buildings: Palau de Justicia, Palau de la Música Catalana and Duana (Customs) in Barcelona, Town Hall of Les Franqueses del Vallès.

Religious buildings: La Sagrada Família, Valldonzella Convent in Barcelona, Crypt of la Colonia Güell.

Sanitary and welfare buildings: Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, Pere Mata Institute in Reus, Sitges Hospital, Granollers Hospital, Asylum of Sant Crist in Igualada.

Educative bulidings: Santa Teresa School and Jesús and Mary School in Barcelona, Public school in Sant Pol de Mar.

Industrial buildings: Casaramona factory and Hidroelectrica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Isidre Jover factory in Canet de Mar, Aymerich factory, Amat i Jover factory in Terrassa, Brillas & Pagans factory in Celrà.

Offices buildings: Catalana de Gas, Caixa de Pensions in Barcelona, Caixa de Sabadell.

       ….and lots of other marvellous buildings.

The development of Art Nouveau in Catalan architecture was enormous and is today present all around Catalonia. Following that site it will be possible to know how that interesting and beautiful richness remain in that country.

We will progressively increase the information on the architects and his works.

 

Architects

Antoni GAUDÍ i Cornet 
Lluís DOMÈNECH i MONTANER 
Josep PUIG i CADAFALCH 
Antoni M. GALLISSÀ i Soqué
Josep Maria JUJOL i Gibert
Cèsar MARTINELL i Brunet 
Manel Joaquim RASPALL i Mallol
JoanRUBIÓ i BELLVER 
EnricSAGNIER i VILLAVECCHIA
Salvador VALERI i Pupurull 

Other architects:
Joan Abril
Antoni Alabern i Pomar  (Building master)
Josep Amargós  (Building master)
Joan Amigó
Andreu Audet i Puig
Maurici Augé i Robert
Josep Azemar i Pont
Eduard Maria Balcells i Buigues
Domènech Balet i Nadal  (Building master)
Josep Barenys i Gambús
Bonaventura Bassegoda i Amigó
Joaquim Bassegoda i Amigó
Pere Bassegoda i Mateu
Pere Bassegoda i Munné
Juli Batllevell i Arús
Francesc Berenguer i Mestres 
Joan Bergós
Domènech Boada i Piera
Jeroni Boada
Rafael Bolet
Eusebi Bona i Puig
Lluís Bonet i Garí
Francesc Borràs
Gabriel Borrell i Cardona
Isidre Bosch i Bataller (*)
Gaietà Buigues i Monravà (*)
Arnau Calvet i Peyronill 
J. L. Calvo
Fèlix Cardellach i Alivès
Pere Caselles i Tarrats
Joaquim Codina i Matalí
Josep Coll i Vilaclara
Manuel Comas i Thos
Bonaventura Conill i Montobbio
Roc Cot i Cot
Josep Deulofeu i Floriach (Building master)
Josep Domènech i Estapà
Pere Domènech i Roura (*)
Antoni de Falguera i Sivilla
Pere Falqués i Urpí
Francesc Fargas i Margenat
Enric Fatjó i Torras
Telm Fernández i Janot
Eduard Ferrés i Puig
Francesc Ferriol i Carreras 
Josep Firmat
Josep Font i Gumà (*)
Juli Maria Fossas i Martínez
Isidre Gili
Josep Goday i Casals
Jeroni F. Granell i Manresa
Josep Graner  (Building master)
Josep Grases i Riera
G. Guitart i Lostaló
Jaume Gustá i Bondia
Joan Hervàs i Arizmendi 
Francesc Lamolla i Morante
Josep Lubietas
Miquel Madurell i Rius
Josep Majó i Ribas 
Josep Maria Martino
Joan Martorell i Montells
Bernardí Martorell i Puig
Ignasi Mas i Morell (*)
Josep Masdéu i Puigdemasa
Rafael Massó
Joan Maymó i Cabanellas
Eduard Mercader i Sacanella
Antoni Millàs i Figuerola 
Gaietà Miret i Raventós
Pau Monguió i Segura
Francesc de Paula Morera i Gatell
Lluís Muncunill i Parellada
Enric Nieto 
Ignasi Oms
Melcior de Palau i Simón
Bonaventura Pallés i Vivó
Miquel Pascual i Tintorer 
Bernat Pejoan
Josep Pérez i Terraza
Josep Maria Pericas
Enric Pi (Building master) 
L. Planas i Calvet
Josep Plantada i Artigas
Joan B. Pons i Trabal 
Joaquim Porqueres
Isidre Puig i Boada
Josep Maria Pujol i de Barberi
Josep Pujol i Brull
Isidre Reventós i Amiguet  (Building master)
Demetri Ribas
Ramon Ribera i Rodríguez
Ramon Maria Riudor i Capella
Francesc Roca i Simó
Francesc Rogent i Pedrosa
Ferran Romeu i Ribot
Antoni Rovira i Rabassa
Antoni Rovira i Trias
Adolf Ruiz i Casamitjana 
J. Sala i Comas
Emili Sala i Cortès
Pau Salvat i Espasa
Manuel Sayrach i Carreras
Salvador Sellés
Antoni Serra i Pujals
Antoni Serrallach
Alexandre Soler i March
Salvador Soteras i Taberner 
Jaume Sunyé i Juncosa
Jaume Torres i Grau 
Miquel Utrillo i Morlius (Engineer)
Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas
Francesc de Paula del Villar i Carmona
Ramon Vinyals i Guitart (Building master)
Melcior Vinyals i Muñoz
Salvador Vinyals i Sabaté
Joan Vinyals i Solà (Building master)
Ramon Vinyolas i Llosas