Lluís Domènech i Montaner was a Catalan architect born in 1850 in Barcelona who is considered essential in defining Modernismo architecture in Catalonia. His most notable works included the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, completed between 1905-1910, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, completed in 1908. Domènech i Montaner's style was influenced by his studies in Germany and combined rationality and ornamentation inspired by Hispano-Arabic architecture, using materials like brick, iron, glass and ceramics. His buildings evolved separately from Gaudi's to be increasingly lighter and less solid structures.

1. Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Barcelona 1850 - 1923
Born in Barcelona on the 21st of December 1850,
Lluís Domènech i Montaner showed his passion
for architecture since young.
His work was essential to define Modernismo in
architecture in Catalonia.
His article “Searching for a national
architecture", published in the magazine
"La Renaixença", is about how to show a
national identity in architecture .
After his studies, he went to Prussia with
another architect, Josep Vilaseca.
The German architecture and its geometrical
style was a big influence to his work.

2. Main characteristics
Rationality, from his admiration for the German architecture .
Ornamentation inspired in Hispano-Arabic architecture .
Use of curvy patterns typical of Modernismo.
Decoration with: mosaic, sculptures and stained glass windows.
Materials: ceramics, brick, iron, glass..
His buildings evolve separately from Gaudí’s: they are increasingly
lighter and not as solid as La Pedrera.

3. Pre-Modernist style
Editorial Montaner i Simón . 1879

5. Modernismo: World Fair of 1888
He got a lot of assignments thanks to a his friendship with Elies Rogent, head of The School of
Architecture and the works in the fair.
Picture of the
International Hotel
designed by Domech i
Montaner

7. The Cafè-Restaurant of the fair was popularly known as The Castle of the Three Dragons” .

8. This building was finished after the fair and reused since 1891, as a History Museum, and as a
Zoology Museum since 1920.

9. The big projects
HOSPITAL DE SANT PAU I DE LA SANTA CREU (1905-10)
Monumental setting which was originally designed to take nine blocks of the Eixample.
This building substituted the Hospital de la Santa Creu in El Raval.

10. The origin of the project is the donation
(4 million pesetas) the banker Pau Gil The initial project consisted on
48 pavilions but only 27 were
had given to build up a hospital which finally built.
was fully equiped.

11. The main entrance is 45
degrees from the Eixample
in direction to La Sagrada
Familia.
This orientation was to use
the wind from the sea to
air the hospital.
Among all the pavilions, the administration one stands out.
In a separated area there is the impressive church.
The hospital was designed to separate men and women patients. On the right there are the
men pavilions, with names of saints, and on the left, the women pavilions, with names of
women saints or virgins.

14. On the main facade there are 4 sculptures by Pablo Gargallo which represent the three
virtues: faith, hope and charity.

15. Central pavilion

16. Sant Manuel pavilion

18. Palau de la música catalana (1908)
It holds the Orfeó Català, which has had an important role in the defense of Catalan culture
values since its foundation, by Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives, in 1891.

22. Mataró 1867- Barcelona 1956 JosepPuig i Cadafalch
Still being a student, he joined the Centre Escolar
Catalanista in 1887 and was part of the group of La
Renaixença (Renaissance), and started to work in his
home town.
Later he moved to Barcelona, where he finished his
studies in architecture in 1891.
Besides his work as an architect, he developed an
important political career for Catalan nationalism.
He also was an Art historian. He wrote a very
important book about Romanesque, "L'arquitectura
romànica a Catalunya“, and many others.

23. Pink period (Modernismo)
Casa Ametller 1898-1900