○ Unique Houses
Palau de la Música Catalana
Palau de la Música, 4-6 – Barcelona
The jewel of Catalan modernism
Visit the Palau de la Música and discover its role in Catalan architecture through a guided tour of Unique Houses that explains their origin, construction and current cultural value.
History
The Palau de la Música Catalana stands as a key monument of Catalan modernism among the narrow streets of Barcelona’s Sant Pere neighbourhood. Opened in February 1908, the building was commissioned by the Orfeó Català, which needed a permanent headquarters and concert hall, and has become one of the symbols of Catalan architecture.
Despite the technical difficulties and the architect’s tight budget, Lluís Domènech i Montaner found the perfect solution thanks to his extensive technical knowledge. To do so, he combined tradition, represented by materials such as brick, with modernity, exemplified by iron, which would form the internal skeleton of the building.
Today, the Palau de la Música Catalana still retains its original appearance thanks to the restoration work carried out by Oscar Tusquets‘ team, who adapted the building to modern times without losing its original essence.
The architect, Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Domènech i Montaner was chosen as the architect to carry out this project commissioned by the Orfeó Català, not only because of his mastery as an architect, demonstrated by his appointment as a professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture, but also because of his role as a historian and lover of Catalan culture.
It should be noted that both he and the founders of the Orfeó, Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives, were products of the Renaixença, the social and cultural movement that sought this national identity. It is therefore highly significant that in 1878 the architect published En busca de una arquitectura nacional (In Search of a National Architecture), a work that perfectly reflected all the ideals of the Renaixença in the field of architecture.
What will we visit?
We do a journey into its architecture, admiring the modernist designs of Lluís Domènech i Montaner and the innovative expansions by Oscar Tusquets.