CASA BATLL

The colour and fantasy of the Casa Batll captivates passers-by on the Passeig de Grcia. Standing halfway up
this elegant boulevard and in a strongly contrasting style to the neighbouring houses, the Casa Amatller and Casa
Lle Morera, Gauds building reveals the splendour of an architect who was able to work on this project with total
creative freedom, Antoni Gaud.
The architect Antoni Gaud undertook a radical refurbishment of a building in Barcelonas Passeig de
Grcia dating from 1875 to create one of his boldest works. Gauds imaginative efforts were key to the
development of the project, as was the decorative work of the artisans who collaborated with him between1904
and 1906. A simple glance gives rise to myriad interpretations. The discs of multicoloured glazed-ceramics and
broken shards of stained glass, placed with precision, depict flowers and water lilies and play with the reflections
of the sunlight. This vast impressionist painting is often interpreted as the surface of the rolling sea in the heart of
Passeig de Grcia.
On the first floor of the Casa Batll, a long sandstone balcony allows us to look inside the elegant mezzanine,
while the other floors have balconies in the shape of masks. And at the top, a scaly ceramic skin and turret
crowned by a four-armed cross remind us of the legend of Saint George. Inside the Casa Batll, you can visit the
mezzanine, see the ceramic skylight, the double attic space with its sequence of catenary arches, and the rooftop
with its colourful mosaiced chimneys. An explosion of creative freedom where Gaud spared no effort in creating a
functional and modern house.
General details
Address: Pg. de Grcia, 43 (08007). Barcelona
Phone: 932 160 306
How to get there: Metro: L2, L3 and L4 stop Passeig de Grcia.| Bus: 7, 16, 17, 22 and 24.| Barcelona Bus
Turstic: stop Casa Batll-Fundaci Antoni Tpies.
Web site: www.casabatllo.cat
E-mail: infovisites@casabatllo.cat
Opening time: Daily, from 9am to 9pm.

Accessibility details

Gauds Casa Batll is almost fully accessible to the physically impaired, and also provides models and
information that are accessible to the visually and hearing-impaired.

Ticket holders can request audioguides in English, Catalan, Spanish, German and Italian.
Youll find the Casa Batll on the left-hand side of the Passeig de Grcia, as you walk in the direction of the
mountain, from the Plaa Catalunya. Its just a few metres away from Passeig de Grcia railway station.


GOTHIC QUARTER

The centre of the Roman city, todays Gothic Quarter, was marked by the point where the two main streets, the
Cardo and Decumanus, converged. Today the Carrer del Bisbe and Carrer Llibreteria stand on this site. Nearby,
we can still see the remains of the Roman temple of Augustus. In fact, the original centre of Roman and
medieval Barcelona still forms the core of 21st-century Barcelona. Its maze of narrow streets and squares is
steeped in the citys past and present.
Here, in the Gothic Quarter, we find the City Hall and the seat of the Catalan Government, the Palau de
laGeneralitat, the Cathedral and other Gothic churches, including Santa Maria del Pi and Sants Just i Pastor.
Very near the Plaa de Sant Jaume, right in the middle of this Barcelona neighbourhood, is the old Jewish
Quarter, the Call Jueu, with its endless narrow streets, where some remains of the ancient synagogue still
survive.
In the Gothic Quarter, the Plaa del Rei proudly showcases the architectural ensemble made up of the royal
residences of the Catalan-Aragonese monarchs. Below the square, you can visit the impressivearchaeological
remains of Roman Barcino. Behind the Cathedral stands the beautiful Plaa de Sant Felip Neri, with its
baroque church. The square is surrounded by narrow streets in a Barcelona neighbourhood suffused with history
which comes to life when you go there.
Accessibility details
The Palau Gell provides special assistance for people with special needs and offers information about any
questions concerning their visit. Phone 934 725 775 or 934 725 771.

CASA VICENS

Barcelonas Casa Vicens (1888), a unique oasis of calm with an Oriental and Moorish flavour, stands in the
peaceful neighbourhood of Grcia. The building is covered with spectacular green and white tiles and wasGauds
first major commission, which saw him following the vogue for Oriental and Eastern motifs while developing his
own unique style.
It was no coincidence that Manuel Vicens Montaner, who commissioned the building from the young Antoni
Gaud, was a tile manufacturer. These are the key elements he used combined with undressed stone and red
brick in the Casa Vicens, in Barcelonas Grcia neighbourhood. Gaud based his design for the pressed tiles on
the French marigold (Tagetes Patula) which grew in the grounds of the estate, marking the beginning of his
widespread use of nature as an inspiration and a model. If you look beyond the decoration youll see the
historicist Mudejar style as well as the forms which are Indian and Japanese in inspiration. Gaud paid particular
attention to the corners of the building, which were ridged in order to avoid the austere appearance of classical
architecture. This orientalised exoticism was greeted with enthusiasm by the elite classes at the time
in Barcelona. This is why it should come as no surprise that Gaud's first building gained a much more
enthusiastic reception than his later landmarks buildings, such as La Pedrera.
The Casa Vicens is a private building and is closed to visitors. However, you can see the exterior of the building
and admire the cast-iron railings with their plant motifs which are so characteristic of Gauds work. Gaud
designed the railings by making clay models of the resplendent leaves of the fan palm.
General details
Address: Carolines, 24 (08012). Barcelona
How to get there: Metro: L3 stop Fontana.| Bus: 22, 24, 27, 32, 87, 92 and V17.
Opening time: A consultar.

CASA COMALAT

Like a tribute to Gaud, the Casa Comalat contains many elements of Gauds architecture, and is one of the most
original examples of home-grown art nouveau in Barcelona: modernisme. Two distinct faades, both of them
showing the influence of the curve redolent of the work of the Reus-born maestro, arouse our curiosity to go and
take a closer look at this beautiful and unique building.
The architect Salvador Valeri i Pupurull worked on the Casa Comalat from 1909 to 1911, and was clearly
influenced by Gaudis organic forms. Dating from the final phase of the modernista era, this is a highly original
building comprising two faades with a common element: the Gaudiesque curve. The main faade, which
overlooks Barcelona's Avinguda Diagonal, is made of stone and is more symmetrical and regular in shape. At
street level, there is an interesting wrought-iron doorway and, above it, a central gallery surmounted by a
pinnacle. At the top, a series of openings cut into the faade and surrounded by stone garlands jut out above the
remaining curved balconies with their floral motifs.
The building is surmounted by a turret in the shape of a harlequins hat clad in glazed green ceramics. This
colourful element dominates the rear faade of the building which overlooks Carrer Rossell, and is freer and
more informal in style. The irregular wooden galleries give the faade a dynamic look, and the ceramics that
decorate the entire faade lend a splash of colour. The parabolic arches over the doors on the ground floor give
the building its Gaudiesque feel, and are just another example of the beauty of this unique building.
General details
Address: Av. Diagonal, 442 (08037). Barcelona
How to get there: Metro: L3 and L5 stop Diagonal.| Bus: 6, 22, 24, 33, 34, 39 and V17.| Barcelona Bus Turstic:
stop Pg. de Grcia-La Pedrera.
Opening time: A consultar.

Accessibility details
This is a private building, not open to visitors.

CASA BRUNO CUADROS

La Rambla is an endless box of surprises. A box that opens and allows us to glimpse jewels, including this
allegory to Orientalism, the Casa Bruno Cuadros, which used to be an umbrella shop of Barcelona in its time. Its
style, similar to modernisme with its use of colour and the delicacy of its decorations, have made the Casa Bruno
Cuadros a worthy addition to the photograph albums of many of Barcelonas visitors.
It was 1883 when the architect Josep Vilaseca undertook the refurbishment of the Casa Bruno Cuadros and the
umbrella shop on the ground floor. It was just a few years before the 1888 Universal Exhibition and Barcelona
was in the throes of expansion, with interesting buildings being built all over the city. The Catalan home-grown art-
nouveau movement, modernisme, was gaining momentum and, with it, the taste for Oriental decorations.
The Casa Bruno Cuadros of Barcelona, known by locals as the Casa dels Paraiges (House of Umbrellas) is
an example.
Vilaseca combined the prior style of modernisme with all kinds of architectural elements inspired by other cultures
in an eclectic building which amazes everyone who walks along La Rambla. The Casa Bruno Cuadross balconies
and the top-floor gallery are replete with Egyptian imagery. The faade features elaborate sgraffito work and
stained-glass windows as well as reliefs of umbrellas and fans made of cast-iron. Orientalist motifs impregnate the
outer walls which features intricate carpentry, enamelled glass and paintings of people taken from Japanese
prints. The Casa Bruno Cuadross most opulent decorative element is the ornate Chinese dragon on the corner of
the faade. It was used to advertise the shop, together with the umbrella below it. The building was refurbished in
1980, and a bank now has its premises in the stunning umbrella shop of Barcelona.
General details
Address: La Rambla, 82 (08002). Barcelona
How to get there: Metro: L3 stop Liceu.| Bus: 14, 59 and 91.
Opening time: A consultar.

Accessibility details
This is a private building, not open to visitors.

CASA LLE MORERA

Some people say that the Casa Lle Morera is a family-size version of the Palau de la Msica. Although the
Palau is considered the epitome of modernista architecture due to its elaborate decorative elements, the artistic
splendour of this house is also beyond dispute. Both landmarks were designed by the brilliant architect Llus
Domnech i Montaner.
The Casa Lle Morera stands on the southern corner of the block known as the "mansana de la discrdia"
(block of discord), where the Casa Amatller, by Puig i Cadafalch, and the Casa Batll, by Antoni Gaud, are
also located. The locals gave this prime property in the heart of the Eixample the name due to the disparate styles
of the three outstanding buildings. Today, everyone agrees that it is this disparity which makes one
of Barcelonas major Modernisme landmarks great.
In 1905, the Lle Morera family commissioned the architect Llus Domnech i Montaner to totally refurbish their
home which had stood on the Passeig de Grcia since 1864. The creative endeavours of a considerable number
of artists and artisans, who worked closely together under the supervision of the architect, resulted in an
ensemble of outstanding quality. The sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Alfons Juyol, the stained-glass artists Rigalt and
Granell, and the mosaicists Mario Maragliano and Llus Bru were just some of the people who brought their
creative talents to the project. Guided tours of the building allow you to discover all the secrets of this modernista
masterpiece.
General details
Address: Pg. de Grcia, 35 (08007). Barcelona
Phone: 936 762 733
How to get there: Metro: L2, L3 and L4 stop Passeig de Grcia.| Bus: 7, 16, 17, 22 and 24.| Barcelona Bus
Turstic: stop Casa Batll-Fundaci Antoni Tpies.
Web site: www.casalleomorera.com
E-mail: info@casalleomorera.com
Opening time: A consultar.
Accessibility details
The first floor of this listed building has been open to visitors since January 2014

CASA AMATLLER

This amazing building, the Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch, a contemporary of Gaud, which combines the neo-
Gothic style with a ridged faade inspired by houses in the Netherlands, is part of the block known as the
mansana de la discrdia of Barcelona. The architect worked with some of the finest artists and craftsmen in
Barcelona of the modersnista times, headed by the sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Alfons Jujol.
The Casa Amatller, together with the adjacent Casa Batll, designed by Gaud, and the Casa Lle Morera,
by Domnech i Montaner, is part of the "mansana de la discrdia" or block of discord of Barcelona, so-named
because it features buildings in sharply contrasting styles. Curiously, none of these houses was newly built; all
three of them are refurbishments of already existing buildings, the Casa Amatller being the first. The original
building was constructed by Antoni Robert in 1875, and in 1898 the Amatller family commissioned the Catalan
architect and politician Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867-1956) to refurbish the building. The current building dates
from his "rose or modernista period, which includes buildings such as the Casa Macaya and the Casa de les
Punxes, the House of Spikes.
The architect based his design on the typical Catalan mansion and incorporated Germanic elements. In the case
of the Casa Amatller of Barcelona, the basic layout is the typical urban Gothic dwelling. This means that what is
really a block of flats looks like a single palazzo, an impression accentuated by the delicate porticoes on the
balconies on the first floor. The Germanic element is the bold ridged cornice, highlighted with ceramic tiles. You
can visit the caretakers office, which has survived intact and contains one of the finest stained-glass windows of
the modernista era. On the ground floor there is a gallery staging temporary exhibitions. Admission is free.
Closed for alterations and refurbishment until May 2014.
General details
Address: Pg. de Grcia, 41 (08007). Barcelona
Phone: 932 160 175
How to get there: Metro: L3 stop Passeig de Grcia.| Bus: 7, 16, 17, 22 and 24.| Barcelona Bus Turstic: stop
Casa Batll-Fundaci Antoni Tpies.
Web site: www.amatller.org
E-mail: amatller@amatller.org
Opening time: A consultar.

TORRE AGBAR

This new landmark on the Barcelona skyline was added in 2003: an enormous bullet-shaped cylinder emerging
from the ground and pointing skywards, with a glass surface in which the colours of the Mediterranean are
reflected. The Agbar Tower is one of the symbols of contemporary Barcelona.
Barcelonas new iconic landmark was the result of a collaboration between the Atelier Jean Nouvel and the
Barcelona-based b720 architectural practice, and was inaugurated in the Plaa de les Glries in 2003. Like a
geyser bubbling up from the depths of the earth, the Torre Agbar, which is the headquarters of the water company
Grup Agbar, has an eye-catching outline. It stands 144 metres tall and provides an imposing observation deck
over the new Barcelona. The French architect Jean Nouvel took into account the buildings location when he
designed it, and this is why its shape is reminiscent of the mountain of Montserrat or the Gaudiesque forms of the
Sagrada Famlia. He also harnessed solar power and groundwater to reduce energy consumption.
The tower has an oval, almost circular base and the interior is spacious and open-plan without pillars. The outer
curtain wall is clad in different-coloured glass louvers which can be tilted at different angles. The colour scheme
changes from the warmer reddish tones at the base to cooler blues and whites at the top. At night, when the
tower is lit up and saturated with colour, it is a beautiful sight.
General details
Address: Av. Diagonal, 211 (08018). Barcelona
Phone: 933 422 000 (centraleta)
How to get there: Metro: L1 stop Glries.| Bus: 7, 60, 92 and H12.| Tram: T5 and T6 stop La Farinera.
Web site: www.torreagbar.com
E-mail: premsa@agbar.es
Opening time: A consultar.

LA PEDRERA

The Casa Mil, popularly known as La Pedrera (Catalan for stone quarry), is a unique building designed by the
architectural genius Antoni Gaud and represents the pinnacle of his achievements. The building was declared a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.
Known as La Pedrera due to its austere external appearance, resembling an opencast quarry, sinuous and with
forms drawn from nature, it comprises two apartment blocks connected by interior courtyards and with a shared
faade. Gaud designed the building at the age of 54, when he was at the height of his powers, and it was his last
piece of civil architecture which represented a break with the ways of perceiving architecture at the time.

You can visit La Pedrera during the day and night and see the buildings key areas:
The terrace, an unusual rooftop charged with an artistic power that has nothing to do with the
architecture of its day. Highlights include the stairwells and casings with their symbolic forms which have
become an unmistakable feature of Gauds work.
The Espai Gaud, is located in one of the most distinctive spaces designed by Gaud: the attic in La
Pedrera. It consists of 270 catenary arches made of flat brick and houses the only exhibition dedicated to
Gauds life and work. It showcases the architects creations through models and plans, objects and
designs, photographs and videos.
The Pedrera period apartment, a recreation of an early-20th century bourgeois family apartment which
gives us an insight into the way they lived, with period furniture and household equipment of the period
and decorative elements designed by Gaud.
The courtyards, which provide a focal point for the entire building and provide better lighting and
ventilation. They were one of Gauds most important innovations. The inner faades of the courtyards
ceased to be residual spaces and became a true spectacle of shapes, light and colours.
General details
Address: Provena, 261-265 (08008). Barcelona
Phone: 902 202 138
How to get there: Metro: L3 and L5 stop Diagonal.| Bus: 7, 16, 17, 22, 24, 39 and V17.| Trains FGC: stop
Provena.| Barcelona Bus Turstic: stop Pg. de Grcia-La Pedrera.
Web site: www.lapedrera.com
Opening time:
November to February:
La Pedrera by Day: daily from 9am to 6.30pm. Last admissions: 6pm.
The Secret Pedrera: Wednesday to Saturday from 7pm to 10.30pm. A variety of tours and languages.
March to October:
La Pedrera by Day: daily from 9am to 8pm. Last admissions: 7.30pm.
The Secret Pedrera: daily from 8.30pm to midnight. A variety of tours and languages.
Closed 25th December and one week in January (see dates on the website).

LA BOQUERIA MARKET
At the Boqueria people eat, shop and gossip together doing what the Spanish excel at, living life well and enjoying a sense
of community.
Thomasina Miers
Chef at the Wahaka Restaurant in London

Rambla, 91 08001 Barcelona Google Maps
Timetable:

Monday to Saturday from 08:00 - 20:30 h

LA PEDRERA
La Pedrera or Casa Mila, Located in the central Passeig de Grcia of Barcelona, is one of the most important
modernist buildings in Barcelona.

La Pedreras exhibition space was well set-out. There was the roof to wander round, then the attic (given over to
demonstrations of how Gaudis most famous buildings were constructed) and then a flat in the building was set
aside as an example of how it might have looked in the 1920s.








Structural model of the interior of the cathedral La sagrada familia