In this first stage, the catalogue focuses on the modern and contemporary architecture designed and built between 1832 –year of construction of the first industrial chimney in Barcelona that we establish as the beginning of modernity– until today.
The project is born to make the architecture more accessible both to professionals and to the citizens through a website that is going to be updated and extended. Contemporary works of greater general interest will be incorporated, always with a necessary historical perspective, while gradually adding works from our past, with the ambitious objective of understanding a greater documented period.
The collection feeds from multiple sources, mainly from the generosity of architectural and photographic studios, as well as the large amount of excellent historical and reference editorial projects, such as architectural guides, magazines, monographs and other publications. It also takes into consideration all the reference sources from the various branches and associated entities with the COAC and other collaborating entities related to the architectural and design fields, in its maximum spectrum.
Special mention should be made of the incorporation of vast documentation from the COAC Historical Archive which, thanks to its documental richness, provides a large amount of valuable –and in some cases unpublished– graphic documentation.
The rigour and criteria for selection of the works has been stablished by a Documental Commission, formed by the COAC’s Culture Spokesperson, the director of the COAC Historical Archive, the directors of the COAC Digital Archive, and professionals and other external experts from all the territorial sections that look after to offer a transversal view of the current and past architectural landscape around the territory.
The determination of this project is to become the largest digital collection about Catalan architecture; a key tool of exemplar information and documentation about architecture, which turns into a local and international referent, for the way to explain and show the architectural heritage of a territory.
We kindly invite you to help us improve the dissemination of Catalan architecture through this space. Here you can propose works and provide or amend information on authors, photographers and their work, along with adding comments. The Documentary Commission will analyze all data. Please do only fill in the fields you deem necessary to add or amend the information.
The Arxiu Històric del Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya is one of the most important documentation centers in Europe, which houses the professional collections of more than 180 architects whose work is fundamental to understanding the history of Catalan architecture. By filling this form, you can request digital copies of the documents for which the Arxiu Històric del Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya manages the exploitation of the author's rights, as well as those in the public domain. Once the application has been made, the Arxiu Històric del Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya will send you an approximate budget, which varies in terms of each use and purpose.
La biblioteca Costa i Fornaguera és un edifici civil d'estil noucentista construït a principi del segle XX.
És un edifici aïllat i de planta rectangular que es composa de tres volums diferenciats. Al centre hi ha el volum principal, de planta baixa i pis i la coberta a quatre vessants, al qual s'adossa a cada costat un volum d'un sol nivell d'alçat i la coberta a tres vessants.
El frontis del volum principal s'obre a la planta baixa amb tres grans pòrtics d'arc de mig punt de pedra que descansen sobre columnes de fust llis, entre les quals hi ha una tanca amb un treball de forja destacat. Sobre del pòrtic central hi ha un escut de Calella en relleu. També es conserva la tanca amb un treball de forja destacat.
Al pis hi ha tres finestrals d'arc mixtilini amb un ampit a dos nivells amb ceràmica vidriada verda, que es repeteixen en cadascun dels volums laterals. El ràfec està acabat amb una imbricació de rajols i teules ceràmiques i sobre el carener hi sobresurten gerros de terracota. L'acabat exterior és arrebossat i pintat, amb les cantonades i el sòcol amb plafons de pedra.
La distribució interior es manté original amb un vestíbul encarat a escalinata doble d'estil imperial que permet accedir al primer pis, on hi ha la biblioteca.
La biblioteca es conserva en estat original. S'hi accedeix per un cancell de fusta, sobre del qual hi ha l'altell. És una estança àmplia amb un enteixinat enteixinat i un fris que ressegueix la part superior del mur. El paviment és de rajola hidràulica blanca i gris. Als quatre costats hi ha els prestatges de fusta originals, que també veiem sobre l'altell. També s'hi conserva en bon estat part del mobiliari original.