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Historical Archive which, thanks to its documental richness, provides a large amount of valuable –and in some cases unpublished– graphic documentation.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.
Religious building.
The school has a rectangular ground plan, with a horizontally elongated central body and two bodies at each end with a vertical layout. The one on the left corresponds to the porter's lodge and the one on the right to the chapel. On the left side there is an annexe that forms a kind of tower with battlements, which served as an observatory.
The opening systems are different, they do not follow any pattern (rectangular, arched, etc.), and opposite this building there is another one used as a storehouse with similar construction characteristics.
The materials used are very varied: stone, red brick, mosaic, stained glass and iron.
Josep Puig i Cuyer, born in Breda, spent his summer holidays in Sant Julià de Vilatorta and, with the desire to carry out charitable work, had the orphan school built, which was inaugurated in 1894.
Three years later, a meteorological observatory was installed, which was the first in the region. An interesting natural science museum was also created. These two tasks were carried out by Father Cazador.
In 1958, a fire destroyed the museum and the library.
In 1972, the internal structure of the school was partially modified.
Roser School is a Catalan Art Nouveau style building, made up of different rectangular bodies: an elongated central body and two lateral bodies with a vertical layout.
The façades are masonry with ornamentation in a variety of materials (stone, red brick, iron, ceramic mosaic and stained glass).
On the left-hand side there is the school porter's lodge, and on the right-hand side the chapel.
Attached to the left wing there is a kind of tower topped with battlements. In front of this building there is another one with similar characteristics, which is used as a storehouse.
As for the openings, they do not follow any pattern and use a variety of forms and systems.
The Orphan School was inaugurated in 1897 and was designed by the architect Manuel Vega i March. It was built thanks to the charitable work of Josep Puig i Cunyer, managed by his brother-in-law Francisco de Paula Benessat.
The congregation of the order of the Sons of the Holy Family, founded by Father Manyanet in 1864, ran the school.
Josep Puig i Cunyer conceived the idea of building a farm school for poor orphans, providing the necessary financial resources.
His brother-in-law, Francesc de Paula Benessat Folch, who was the one who materialised his plan, commissioned the architect Manuel Vega i March (1871-1931) to design the building and entrusted the direction of the school's education to the Order of the Sons of the Holy Family. Finally, in 1894, the Orphan School was inaugurated.
One of these educators, Father Manuel Cazador i López, set up a meteorological observatory and, some time later, a natural science museum.
The building of the Orphan School facilitated the construction of avenues and streets in the northern part of the municipality, which was occupied by country houses and villas with large gardens – the result of Sant Julià de Vilatorta's tradition as a summer resort during the 19th century.
In 1958, a fire destroyed part of the school premises, but former pupil Conrat Vilarrubia managed to save some pieces from the museum and some data from the meteorological observatory.
Finally, in 1972, the school underwent renovation work, which partially modified its internal structure.