Intro

About

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Historical Archive which, thanks to its documental richness, provides a large amount of valuable –and in some cases unpublished– graphic documentation.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.

Aureli Mora i Omar Ornaque
Directors arquitecturacatalana.cat

credits

About us

Project by:

Created by:

Directors:

2019-2024 Aureli Mora i Omar Ornaque

Documental Commission:

2019-2024 Ramon Faura Carolina B. Garcia Eduard Callís Francesc Rafat Pau Albert Antoni López Daufí Joan Falgueras Mercè Bosch Jaume Farreny Anton Pàmies Juan Manuel Zaguirre Josep Ferrando Fernando Marzá Moisés Puente Aureli Mora Omar Ornaque

Collaborators:

2019-2024 Lluis Andreu Sergi Ballester Maria Jesús Quintero Lucía M. Villodres Montse Viu

External Collaborators:

2019-2024 Helena Cepeda Inès Martinel

With the support of:

Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura

Collaborating Entities:

ArquinFAD

 

Fundació Mies van der Rohe

 

Fundación DOCOMOMO Ibérico

 

Basílica de la Sagrada Família

 

Museu del Disseny de Barcelona

 

Fomento

 

AMB

 

EINA Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona

 

IEFC

 

Fundació Domènench Montaner.

Design & Development:

edittio Nubilum
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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.

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How to get there

In Pictures

Memory

The project is the result of the merger of the Hospital de Sant Pau and the old Gothic complex of the Hospital de la Santa Creu, which created one of the elements with the greatest urban impact on the city. The hospital occupies nine blocks of houses in the Eixample Cerdà, at one end of Gaudí Avenue, with the Sagrada Família at the other end. Domènech i Montaner opts for the same organisation in pavilions rehearsed at the Institut Pere Mata, although creating an underground concentrated structure that prevents the functional dispersion of the pavilions, much criticised by some experts of the time in hospital facilities. It is a set of 46 pavilions located around an axis that crosses the large block of houses diagonally. Domènech thus operates an open and innovative reading of the island of typical houses in the Cerdà plan. The structure of the pavilions is modulated in elements that support brick vaults, favouring the adaptation of the wall system with the functionality of each pavilion. The axis formed by Gaudí Avenue represents a unique monumental ensemble, at the ends of which stand two almost antithetical conceptions of the meaning of the new architecture and its functionality in the social needs of the time.

Author: Maurici Pla

Source: Catalunya : guia d'arquitectura moderna, 1880-2007

At the end of the 19th century, the most important hospital in the city of Barcelona was the Santa Creu Hospital, located in a medieval building constructed for this purpose in Raval in 1401. It was maintained through charitable donations and support from the authorities.
It should be noted that, in those days, only the poor went to hospital, as those who could afford it would call a doctor to their home. The mortality rate among patients admitted was very high, largely due to infections and contagion.
By the end of the 19th century, the medieval hospital was inadequate for the population of Barcelona, and land was acquired in the Guinardó area to build a new hospital once sufficient funds were available.
In 1896, the Catalan banker Pau Gil died in Paris and left part of his fortune for the construction of a hospital in his native city of Barcelona. The executors held a competition to select the best project based on medical and architectural criteria. In April 1900, the architects’ jury declared the project “Salud” by Josep Domènech i Estapà, who had designed the clinical hospital, as the winner. However, the medical jury left the competition without a declared winner.
On the 19th of April 1901, at a meeting of the Administration Board of the Santa Creu, it was decided to entrust Lluís Domènech i Montaner with the joint project of two hospitals under a general plan for administration and operation, merging what was to be built with Pau Gil’s legacy and what Santa Creu needed.

Original Project:
In his project report, Domènech made it clear that he had conducted an in-depth study of a wide variety of hospitals, listing more than 240 hospitals worldwide, mainly in Europe, arranged alphabetically by city and citing the bibliography consulted for his study.
In the archives of the Architects’ Association, there is a series of handwritten notes by Domènech with references to these hospitals and their bibliographic sources. Domènech synthesised all the proposals, adopting the layout of isolated pavilions (above ground) and underground connecting galleries, while maintaining large, generously proportioned rooms inspired by the Middle Ages, which were better suited to the Mediterranean climate than the lower, central European designs.
The chosen site was far from the urban congestion of Barcelona but well-connected, located in Guinardó, on the outskirts of the 1860 Eixample Plan. It was bordered by four streets, which were scarcely urbanised at the start of construction. The plot had a considerable slope, with a 35-metre height difference from end to end (equivalent to 12 floors) and an area equivalent to nine Eixample blocks.
The proposal included 145,500 m² for 1,000 patients, giving a ratio of 150 m² per patient, far exceeding the 130 recommended by the medical commission.
The hospital complex did not follow the alignment of the Eixample grid but was rotated 45°, ensuring the longitudinal facades of the pavilions faced perfectly north-south.
The complex envisioned a total of 48 buildings for various uses. The site was divided by two main avenues, 50 metres wide, crossing diagonally and structuring it into four quadrants. The slightly rectangular shape of the plot meant that the diagonals did not align with the four corners.
There were 21 pavilions dedicated to nursing on either side of the grand central avenue, with each pavilion dedicated to various ailments. Around the perimeter of the site were pavilions designated for services requiring independent access from the perimeter streets (dispensary, church, machine rooms, laundries, workshops, children's hospital, water distribution tower, mortuary chapel) without crossing the main complex.
All constructions demonstrated a clear unifying vision, using a rich array of glazed ceramic decorations on all exterior and interior surfaces.
If there is a distinctive element in Domènech’s project, compared to the hospital references he studied, it is precisely this decorative richness.

Administration Pavilion:
This pavilion serves as the main entrance to the complex. The building has an almost symmetrical configuration, with a central section crowned by the clock tower, two side wings encompassing the front plaza, and two perpendicular end sections reaching the boundaries of the site.
It has a ground floor, two upper floors, an attic under the roof, and a semi-basement with natural lighting and ventilation.
Originally, it housed the administrative areas of the complex, with the east wing for medical functions: patient admissions, medical offices, and a library-museum; the west wing for administrative functions: accounting rooms, offices, general archive, and secretariat; and the central section—the heart of the complex—holding the most prominent features: the entrance porch, monumental staircase, main hall and clock tower.
The representational nature of the building is accentuated by its extensive decorative programme and the superior quality of the materials used. In this regard, the Administration building is a tribute to the expressive possibilities of ceramics in architecture.
A spectacular mosaic frieze runs along the facades of the side wings of the Pavilion, illustrating the history of the hospital institution from its origins to the construction of this new facility.
Noteworthy is the use of exposed brick for the interior walls, combined with a grey block (lime mortar, not kiln-fired), without any final plaster finish, demonstrating Domènech’s emphasis on rational construction as stated in the project report.

Standard Pavilions:
On both sides of the central avenue are the nursing pavilions, of which six were built in this first phase and two more were completed in the next phase.
They all follow a similar layout, with an entrance section adjacent to the main avenue, a longitudinal ward oriented north-south, and an administrative section facing the exterior.
Domènech actually drew a single set of plans on tracing paper for the standard pavilions so that, for those positioned symmetrically, one only needed to flip the sheet.
To enter, one passed through an entrance hall with a day room and services on either side, as well as administrative and sanitary service areas at the rear. The basement floor was initially designated for services and connected to the underground galleries.
The large interior spaces, including flat-brick vaults, were fully decorated with a broad range of glazed or enamelled ceramic tiles, creating a great variety of textures and colours while ensuring hygiene.
Ventilation and natural lighting were carefully studied and described in the project report, using ducts and chimneys within the structural elements. Artificial ventilation and heating systems were also planned, adapting the principles of hospital architecture of the time to the Mediterranean climate.

Operations and Inspection Pavilion:
The Sant Jordi and Santa Apol·lònia pavilions, located behind the Administration Pavilion and near the side entrances, were intended for the initial examination of incoming cases. They were not connected to the network of underground galleries to prevent contagion in case of infectious diseases. These pavilions have a single storey and consist of a main block with four cells accessible from a covered exterior gallery, and two end sections: one for the kitchen and staff room and the other for a bathroom and cleaning area.
The final pavilion of this first phase is the operations house, which contained the operating theatres. It has a ground floor, two upper floors, and a basement connected to the site's galleries.
The most significant feature of this building is its compact volume and the presence of three apsidal spaces with glass enclosures (walls and roofs) facing north, providing optimal natural lighting with diffused light for the operating theatres.

Tunnels, Landscaping and Completion of Works:
Beneath the entire site, a network of underground tunnels connected the different pavilions. One network connected the non-infectious area with general services, and a separate network connected the infectious area (except for isolation units).
These underground galleries were designed with natural lighting and ventilation from above and included utility ducts leading to each independent building.
The generous open spaces between buildings were designated for internal circulation routes and gardens. The landscaped areas resolved the topographical variations in an east-west direction.
These terrain variations resulted in winding paths between the pavilions, with a summer garden (cool) to the north and a winter garden (sunny) to the south, featuring plant species of scientific and pharmaceutical interest, as well as aesthetic appeal.
In 1902, the foundation stone was laid, although the project was not yet finished nor the works contracted. The bulk of the construction took place between 1905 and 1912, following the original design. By 1912, Pau Gil’s legacy was exhausted, and the executor prepared to transfer the unfinished pavilions to the Hospital of Santa Creu. While funding was sought, construction halted, leaving a high-quality architectural complex in the heart of the city, half-built and unable to function.

Continuation of Construction:
In 1914, work resumed, with significant financial difficulties, extending over 16 years as funding from the Santa Creu Board and various benefactors allowed (who would lend their names to the pavilions they helped build).
Pere Domènech i Roura began to take a more prominent role in the project, though with austerity measures due to financial constraints. Adjustments were made to the plans of some buildings to fit this austerity, diluting their grandeur and lower-quality materials and decorative elements were used.
Domènech i Montaner died on the 27th of December 1923, without seeing his work completed or in use. In the new pavilions, the ambitious initial project was abandoned, and new building types were developed in response to advances in medical science over the 20 years since the original project was drawn up.
The pavilions in this second phase include the central pavilion, Sant Manel and Sant Rafel pavilions, the church and annexes, the Resurrection pavilion, the laundry pavilion, the machine house, the brickworks extension and the Sant Carles and Santa Victòria pavilions, all respecting the unique layout and character of the initial project.
In 1930, the hospital was inaugurated as a modern facility, with 27 pavilions spread over 145,000 m². The City Council granted the title of Hospital of Santa Creu and Sant Pau in recognition of the integration of Pau Gil's legacy with that of the old medieval hospital.

Author: Clàudia Sanmartí

Source: Fundació Domènech i Montaner

Authors

How to get there

On the Map

Awarded
Cataloged
Disappeared
All works

Constellation

Chronology (10)

  1. Concurs Anual d'Edificis i Establiments Urbans

    Award-Winner / Winner
    Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Lluís Domènech i Montaner

  2. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Lluís Domènech i Montaner

    Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    The project is the result of the merger of the Hospital de Sant Pau and the old Gothic complex of the Hospital de la Santa Creu, which created one of the elements with the greatest urban impact on the city. The hospital occupies nine blocks of houses in the Eixample Cerdà, at one end of Gaudí Avenue, with the Sagrada Família at the other end. Domènech i Montaner opts for the same organisation in pavilions rehearsed at the Institut Pere Mata, although creating an underground concentrated structure that prevents the functional dispersion of the pavilions, much criticised by some experts of the time in hospital facilities. It is a set of 46 pavilions located around an axis that crosses the large block of houses diagonally. Domènech thus operates an open and innovative reading of the island of typical houses in the Cerdà plan. The structure of the pavilions is modulated in elements that support brick vaults, favouring the adaptation of the wall system with the functionality of each pavilion. The axis formed by Gaudí Avenue represents a unique monumental ensemble, at the ends of which stand two almost antithetical conceptions of the meaning of the new architecture and its functionality in the social needs of the time.
  3. Final Stage of Work on the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Pere Domènech i Roura

    Final Stage of Work on the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

  4. Restoration of the Nostra Senyora de La Mercè Pavilion at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Víctor Argentí i Salvadó, Antoni González Moreno-Navarro, Josep Lluís González Moreno-Navarro

  5. FAD Award

    Award-Winner / Winner. Category: Restoration
    Restoration of the Nostra Senyora de La Mercè Pavilion at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Víctor Argentí i Salvadó, Antoni González Moreno-Navarro, Josep Lluís González Moreno-Navarro

  6. FAD Award

    Award-Winner / Winner (opinion). Category: Restoration
    Restoration of the Nostra Senyora de La Mercè Pavilion at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Víctor Argentí i Salvadó, Antoni González Moreno-Navarro, Josep Lluís González Moreno-Navarro

  7. Mostres d'Arquitectura (Barcelona)

    Shortlisted. Category: Intervencions Parcials. Inclou Intervencions de Rehabilitació
    Rehabilitation of the Administration Pavilion of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    ONL Arquitectura, Joan Nogué i Arbusà

  8. Ephemeral pavilion for the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week

    Rubén Casquero, Ana García

    Ephemeral pavilion for the 080 Barcelona Fashion Week

    The project emerged from the desire to present the new collection of the fashion brand LR3, merging virtual and digital reality with the physical one. The approach consists of creating an ephemeral space located inside the pavilion of Nuestra Señora del Carme, in the modernist complex of Sant Pau, designed by the architect Domènech i Montaner. The access to the pavilion is from the north side of the old hospital, and naked, pixelated avatars serve as a lure to the experience. The proposal for ephemeral architecture highlights the contrast between the ornamental and heavy construction of the historic heritage and the lightness of the technological environment created inside it. To achieve this, a lightweight self-supporting structure has been installed that respects the original shell without coming into contact with it, generating an interstitial space that makes evident the separation of the two constructional worlds while providing the access for the installations. This autonomous structure is made up of three different environments and has been lined on the inside with white fabric tarpaulins stretched with a system of modular canvases. The entrance to the pavilion is through a small door within the building's original abraded wooden carpentry. A bright orange curtain has been used to enhance the contrast to the delicate ornamentation of Sant Pau's floral motifs and to transmit the idea of access to the oneiric world that the LR3 invites us to. Once inside the pavilion, you enter the first space which bathes in an orange overhead lighting that tints the white tarpaulins with the representative colour of the brand. Here, you have the option to immerse yourself in the virtual experience, where the viewer is transported to the brand's universe and learns about its new collection through the marching avatars. The second room is formed by a perimeter of LED displays that form a one big screen where the avatars of the previous experience are walking on a completely white neutral background, dressed in the new collection that is being showcased. In this space, the visitor blends in as if he or she was yet another avatar, walking across the orange carpet. This so-called carpet alludes to the fashion runway that extends across the entire linear route of the installation, connecting the three environments of the pavilion. In the third room, you finally get to see the tangible and physical collection, displayed on mannequins of different shapes and sizes that are suspended from the ceiling with invisible threads. The mannequins appear to float in space, recreating the virtual experience seen in the first room. To achieve the seamless integration of the virtual, digital and physical experience across the three spaces, a dense ambiance has been created, incorporating different sensory stimuli. A hazer machine was used to achieve the thickness of the fog and natural scents were added to evoke an ecclesiastical environment. From an acoustic point of view, the space has been filled with the drony binaural sounds, which, unlike the stereo ones, produce a more enveloping feeling. These factors were in play to stimulate the different senses and create a tactile atmosphere, conveying the sensations of viscosity and texture captured by sight. This proposal for the presentation of the new LR3 collection replaces the traditional fashion show with an immersive experience in which the spectator is also the protagonist, achieving that all kinds of bodies, sizes, identities and aesthetics parade down the runway of this pavilion.

Archive

  • Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Drawing

    Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Arxiu Històric del COAC

  • Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Drawing

    Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Arxiu Històric del COAC

  • Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Drawing

    Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Arxiu Històric del COAC

  • Secció transversal del Pavelló de l'Administració de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Drawing

    Secció transversal del Pavelló de l'Administració de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

    Arxiu Històric del COAC

Audiovisual

  • Batalla del modernisme: La Pedrera-Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau - Batalla monumental

    43:06

    Batalla del modernisme: La Pedrera-Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau - Batalla monumental

Routes (1)

Related Works

Set Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

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