Palau Robert: The Rich Man Who Said No to Modernisme

Why is it significant?

Here, near the top of Passeig de Gràcia, a cream-coloured palace sits behind railings and greenery, with columns, balustrades and the calm symmetry of a Paris mansion. After the waves of La Pedrera, it looks almost like a polite rebuke. This is Palau Robert.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Here, near the top of Passeig de Gràcia, a cream-coloured palace sits behind railings and greenery, with columns, balustrades and the calm symmetry of a Paris mansion. After the waves of La Pedrera, it looks almost like a polite rebuke. This is Palau Robert.

It was built between 1898 and 1903 for Robert Robert i Surís, a financier and aristocrat who held the title of Marquis of Robert. Yes, his name really was Robert Robert. While others on this avenue were hiring Gaudí and Domènech, he turned to a French architect, Henri Grandpierre, and asked for something classical, elegant and very much in the taste of Paris.

That choice tells you something important. Modernisme was never the only fashion in Barcelona, and it was never uncontroversial. For part of the establishment, all those curves and ceramic flowers were vulgar, even a little mad. Within a few years a new movement, Noucentisme, would call Modernisme old-fashioned and demand order, clarity and Mediterranean classicism. In a way, Palau Robert was simply ahead of the backlash.

Now the hidden gift. Behind the palace lies a garden with tall palms and shady paths, open to the public, one of the very few green refuges on this avenue of shop windows. Most people stream past without suspecting it is there. Today the palace belongs to the Catalan government and hosts an information centre and exhibitions, so you can often wander in, sit under the trees and let the traffic noise fade away.

From the gate you can see the Avinguda Diagonal, the great avenue Cerdà drew at an angle right across his grid, cutting blocks into odd triangles and wedges. Those awkward plots produced some of the most inventive houses in the city. Follow the Diagonal eastwards for a couple of minutes, keeping your eyes on the buildings across the road.