Palau Montaner: A Palace with Two Architects
Why is it significant?
Stop by the railings and take in this palace standing in its own small garden: brick and stone, a crown of colourful mosaic high under the roof, carved details around every window. On a street of apartment blocks, it is a rare thing in the Eixample, a single family's mansion.
Key Facts
| Place | Palau Montaner: A Palace with Two Architects |
|---|---|
| Address | Carrer de Mallorca 278, 08037 Barcelona, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 41.39540, 2.16510 |
| Part of Walk | The Block of Discord: Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia and the Modernista Rivalry |
| Generated | Generated |
Stop by the railings and take in this palace standing in its own small garden: brick and stone, a crown of colourful mosaic high under the roof, carved details around every window. On a street of apartment blocks, it is a rare thing in the Eixample, a single family's mansion.
It was built between 1889 and 1893 for Ramon de Montaner, the publisher whose firm, Montaner i Simon, you just saw on Carrer d'Aragó. The commission first went to Josep Domènech i Estapà, a talented architect with a taste for order and classical calm, who later designed the Fabra Observatory on the hill of Tibidabo. He built the lower part of the house... and then, the story goes, walked away after a disagreement with the owner.
The job passed to the other Domènech, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and the house changed personality halfway up. Despite the shared surname the two architects were not related, and their styles could hardly be more different. Domènech i Montaner brought in his team of craftsmen: the sculptor Eusebi Arnau, mosaic makers and glass artists, and the upper floors bloom with ornament in a way the lower ones never planned.
That was the Modernista method. An architect was the conductor of an orchestra of artisans, ironworkers, ceramicists, carpenters and stonecutters, and a house like this was a showcase of Catalan craft as much as a home. Today the palace has an unexpected tenant: it houses the Delegation of the Spanish Government in Catalonia, so the publisher's ballroom now hosts official meetings, flags and press conferences.
It is not on most visitors' maps, which is exactly why it is worth the detour. Now head back towards Passeig de Gràcia by way of Carrer de Provença. On the corner, a building that looks like a sea cliff is waiting.