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Historical Archive which, thanks to its documental richness, provides a large amount of valuable –and in some cases unpublished– graphic documentation.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 Francesc Rafat Antoni López Daufí Joan Falgueras Anton Pàmies Mercè Bosch Josep Ferrando Fernando Marzá Aureli Mora Omar Ornaque

External Collaborators:

2019-2024 Lluis Andreu Sergi Ballester Helena Cepeda Inès Martinel Maria Jesús Quintero

With the support of:

Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura

Collaborating Entities:

ArquinFAD

 

Fundació Mies van der Rohe

 

Fundación DOCOMOMO Ibérico

 

Arxiu Mas

 

Basílica de la Sagrada Família

 

Museu del Disseny de Barcelona

 

EINA Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona

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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Memory

In old Barcelona, among the architectural jewels that keep the patina of the nobility, some manor houses, obeying the needs and the taste of modern life, take on the physiognomy of newer palaces, within the lines of ancient nobility.
One of them is the old Mornau house on Ample Street, owned by the heir Nadal, a descendant of the old founding family who counted among his own the wise archbishop Dr. Félix de Amat de Palou de Savall i de Montbui, who worked for the King Carlos IV.
The beautiful palace that today displays its white walls and golden balconies in the darkness of Ample Street, has been preserved by his heirs in all the purity of its lines and its vaults. It was restored on the occasion of the wedding of the Mornau heir to the beautiful daughter of the baron of Quadras; a rejuvenated marquis for the beautiful María de Cuadras who, on two other occasions, first as a maiden in her parents' palace, then as a bride, and now surrounded by a new beauty, with the noble crown of motherhood, has come to honour the pages of FEMINAL.
The photographs that we bring today reflect one of his most important spells: colour.
And you have to see the beautiful white and gold and Louis XV salons; the old chamber of pure style, with beautiful scenes of Creation painted on the walls, where Archbishop Amat died, religiously preserved by the descendants of the illustrious son of Catalonia; the old portraits, the precious tapestries, the art jewels that are everywhere, the library, in which, in addition to 5,000 volumes, the collections of the Diario de Barcelona have been religiously preserved since its first issue; modern luxury in all its refinement in the private rooms, sober, elegant, stately, well worthy of the young couple who have made their nest between those ancient walls, where today the grace of a little heir honours it.
And you have to look closely at the showcases, which keep a treasure of ancient jewels, among those that were the property of the archbishop, and they are truly remarkable.
In the chamber where Doctor Amat gave his soul to God, the Mornau, Artós and Nadal families, descendants of the illustrious man from Sabadell, piously conserve, in addition to the furniture and wall paintings (among which a very beautiful Saint Anthony must be highlighted), a Crucifix of great artistic and historical merit, as it was given as a gift by King Carlos IV to his confessor.
The oratory; the beautiful central courtyard, the hall decorated with family portraits and remarkable furniture and tapestries, are worth mentioning.
And, finally, we must justly praise the restoration works, entrusted to true artists, whom we can well call the young architect D. Manuel Raspall, to whom the delicate work was entrusted.
The little space that we have prevents us from detailing better what this Barcelona interior is that embellishes our pages today, and we are really sorry, since there is very interesting material in all concepts.

Author: Carme Karr

Source: Revista Feminal (núm. 25)

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Constellation

Chronology

  1. Palau Mornau

    autoria desconeguda

  2. Mornau Palace

    Manuel Joaquim Raspall i Mayol

    Mornau Palace

    In old Barcelona, among the architectural jewels that keep the patina of the nobility, some manor houses, obeying the needs and the taste of modern life, take on the physiognomy of newer palaces, within the lines of ancient nobility. One of them is the old Mornau house on Ample Street, owned by the heir Nadal, a descendant of the old founding family who counted among his own the wise archbishop Dr. Félix de Amat de Palou de Savall i de Montbui, who worked for the King Carlos IV. The beautiful palace that today displays its white walls and golden balconies in the darkness of Ample Street, has been preserved by his heirs in all the purity of its lines and its vaults. It was restored on the occasion of the wedding of the Mornau heir to the beautiful daughter of the baron of Quadras; a rejuvenated marquis for the beautiful María de Cuadras who, on two other occasions, first as a maiden in her parents' palace, then as a bride, and now surrounded by a new beauty, with the noble crown of motherhood, has come to honour the pages of FEMINAL. The photographs that we bring today reflect one of his most important spells: colour. And you have to see the beautiful white and gold and Louis XV salons; the old chamber of pure style, with beautiful scenes of Creation painted on the walls, where Archbishop Amat died, religiously preserved by the descendants of the illustrious son of Catalonia; the old portraits, the precious tapestries, the art jewels that are everywhere, the library, in which, in addition to 5,000 volumes, the collections of the Diario de Barcelona have been religiously preserved since its first issue; modern luxury in all its refinement in the private rooms, sober, elegant, stately, well worthy of the young couple who have made their nest between those ancient walls, where today the grace of a little heir honours it. And you have to look closely at the showcases, which keep a treasure of ancient jewels, among those that were the property of the archbishop, and they are truly remarkable. In the chamber where Doctor Amat gave his soul to God, the Mornau, Artós and Nadal families, descendants of the illustrious man from Sabadell, piously conserve, in addition to the furniture and wall paintings (among which a very beautiful Saint Anthony must be highlighted), a Crucifix of great artistic and historical merit, as it was given as a gift by King Carlos IV to his confessor. The oratory; the beautiful central courtyard, the hall decorated with family portraits and remarkable furniture and tapestries, are worth mentioning. And, finally, we must justly praise the restoration works, entrusted to true artists, whom we can well call the young architect D. Manuel Raspall, to whom the delicate work was entrusted. The little space that we have prevents us from detailing better what this Barcelona interior is that embellishes our pages today, and we are really sorry, since there is very interesting material in all concepts.

Bústia suggeriments

Et convidem a ajudar-nos a millorar la difusió de l'arquitectura catalana mitjançant aquest espai, on podràs proposar-nos obres, aportar o esmenar informació sobre obres, autors i fotògrafs, a més de fer-nos tots aquells comentaris que consideris.