Unique buildings
CaixaForum, the Cultural Centre of "La Caixa" Foundation, is housed in one of Barcelona's landmark buildings, the Casaramona textile mill, a jewel of industrial modernista architecture designed by
Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
This amazing building, the Casa Amatller by
Puig i Cadafalch, a contemporary of Gaudí, which combines the neo-Gothic style with a ridged façade inspired by houses in the Netherlands, is part of the block known as the "mansana de la discòrdia" 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 colour and fantasy of the Casa Batlló captivates passers-by on the Passeig de Gràcia. Standing halfway up this elegant boulevard and in a strongly contrasting style to the neighbouring houses, the Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera, this building reveals the splendour of an architect who was able to work on this project with total creative freedom, Antoni Gaudí.
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 Barcelona’s visitors.
The Casa Calvet de Barcelona (1899) is one of Antoni Gaudí"s earliest buildings. Some people consider it his most conservative work but it also contains markedly modernista elements, such as the façade which terminates in a curve and the attic balconies, which look like something from a fairy tale. The ground floor now houses the restaurant
China Crown Barcelona.