Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

From the World Heritage inscription for the Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona:

These are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona’s architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Palau de la Música Catalana is an exuberant steel-framed structure full of light and space and decorated by many of the leading designers of the day. The Hospital de Sant Pau is equally bold in its design and decoration, while at the same time perfectly adapted to the needs of the sick.

The building in the photo is of the Hospital de Sant Pau, which is only a few blocks away from the Sagrada Familia at the other end of Gaudi Avenue. If you are visiting Barcelona, it is well worth your time to take the walk to visit the Hospital de Sant Pau. It was under reconstruction when I was there but should be open to the public sometime in 2011.

Overview

The Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau is a property that is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain. Both of these sites are located in Barcelona within the province of Catalonia in Spain. Just like the Works of Antoni Gaudi, both of these buildings that are designed by architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner are considered Art Nouveau masterpieces.

The site was inscribed into the UNESCO list in 1997 for its cultural significance.

Palau de la Música Catalana

Palau de la Música Catalana is a concert hall located in Barcelona, Spain. This building was designed and created by famed modernist style architect, Lluis Domenech I Montaner. The concert wall was built in the early 20th century for a choral society named Orfeo Catala. This society was founded in 1891 and has been one of the prime pieces in the cultural movement in Catalan.

The project was initially funded by the government until the wealthy folks in Barcelona also made important financial contributions to the project. Architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner has won an award for his creation of this concert hall. To this day, this concert hall is still in use for musical performances and has an annual gate attendance of more than 500,000 people.

The design of Palau de la Musica Catalana exhibits the Catalan modernism architectural style. Curves are used liberally into the design of this building instead of the typical straight lines.

Hospital de Sant Pau

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau

The Hospital de Sant Pau, also known as Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, is a neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain. This complex was built in the early 20th century and is another work of Catalan modernist architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner. It is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site along with another building Barcelona, Palau de la Musica Catalana.

When it was built in the early 1900s, it was open as a hospital and it was no longer open to the public in 2009. A new hospital opened right next door to Hospital de Sant Pau in 2014. After 2009, it underwent a restoration process and converted into a cultural center and museum.


View the complete list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain.

Gary Arndt
Gary Arndt

Gary began traveling the world in 2007. His travels have taken him to over 200 countries and territories and 400 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

He is a 3x Lowell Thomas Award winner and a 3x North American Travel Photographer of the Year.