The charm of the facades of Barcelona

On this occasion I propose a different route. It will not be a conventional route that can be visited to complete the items we'll mention.

We will move around the center of Barcelona and we will in two directions. north and south of the Plaza Urquinaona us locate there and take a walking tour recalling the history of buildings that are currently uninhabited. We will stand at the front and try to reconstruct some cuts of the past, no one has authorized entry, but who has said he can not enter our imagination?

We present the curious stories and anecdotes of Burés House, Palazzo del Cinema, the Antonia House Bures and the forecast Casal.

Forgetting the Palazzo del Cinema

Let us place ourselves: Pau Claris, 53 (antigua Via Laietana). There remains one of the charm of the city. We speak of the first cinema in town featuring a powerful orchestral body; a single screen view to some 1,700 people. It opened in 1923 with Pathe name lel Palace.

Interest centers on the time evoked the publication and distribution of material addressed documentary film genres where cities and monuments in the world were described. Also interested newsreels plus tapes of comedy and drama.

We can say that twenty years were a golden age for film in Barcelona. The Barcelona 1897-1923 production was modest, when compared with major film powers like the United States or England and France were.

At the same time it was relevant, when compared with published production in the rest of Spain. In general data, in twenty-five years they produced 680 films in Barcelona,?? of which 355 were films with a plot and history, and the remaining 325 were classified as documentaries.

2001, cinema hosted the first sign of Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and at the end of the ceremony the Pathe Palace, renamed Palazzo del Cinema, closed its doors.

This building meant for generations an important component of dissemination of culture.

Casal forecast: pure eclecticism

Before the film, we continue the route to the center of the forecast. This building was part of a set of buildings erected throughout the Catalan territory representing a financial institution. In this case the building, developed functions as Pension Fund for old age. It is an architectural emblem signed by Enric Sagnier relevant, author honored in the path of modernism of the city and in 1920.

Visual impact. Play with the variety of rounded arches of different styles that pump facade while a pair of square towers frame and contribute to the whole, the touch of scale and majesty. The composition is crowned with a spiked batons towards the sky. Luce a symbol of identity with perfectly cut silhouettes of two children holding a mural with all the territories it represents. It usually shows an eclectic architectural style makes it special.

This ship was raised on the occasion of remodeling the old Via Laietana with new buildings and is armed with stone Garraf. The same variety of limestone that is currently being used to continue the work of Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia.

The author's will was set up a network of landmarks in the urban fabric. And he succeeded, his works were built around three hundred buildings. It is, they say, the architect's works constructed across the city.

A curiosity: it was backlot together with Palazzo del Cinema film several scenes of The Last Days premiered in 2015.

Burés House: charming giant

Renowned entrepreneur and part of the Catalan bourgeoisie, Mr. Francesc Burés and Borràs was the third generation heir outstanding Manresa house textiles, Industries Bures.

In 1900 the construction of what would become the new headquarters commanded in Barcelona where the company headquarters would accommodate. There would be space to store textile production, the first floor would be restricted as private use of the family home and other studies would enable to exercise some income benefits to individuals who were interested.

The project brilliant modernist architect Barcelona, ​​Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, in 1905 the striking building in Calle Ausias March with the corner of the street Gerona, welcomed anyone walking past.

It is a natural stone building that visually looks like a medieval castle. The outer face is full of tall windows accompanied by iron balconies with decorative ornaments. The most characteristic feature is a small tower with a slate roof cone-shaped, that shapes the fourth and top floor of the whole. As a curious fact we can add that in the initial project had another tower like this but was never built.

Access to the house is restricted. When he was left without tenants were many who violated the privacy of the bures and dismantled everything they could and more. That is why the property is permanently watched by a guard who is dedicated to preserving and prowl the house at the possible invasion of strangers.

We know that behind the stately gate that guards the interior, a brown bear full scale which originally held a brass lantern-now without him defiantly, had invited us inside.

In the impasse between the door that separates us from the street and the brown bear is a hall of about fifty square meters which came to unload wagons and carts of that time with textile production that had been collected from factories Township Angles.

The house also had manufactured elements prestigious artists pictorial, sculptural and contemporary artisans. Hardwood, tile floors drew leisure of the bourgeoisie. Frescoed walls and fabrics and exclusive fabrics were displayed with pleasure.

Also boasted of having a room for children leisure, there commanded decoration romantic origin, evoked connection with nature and a mosaic of Hansel and Gretel with two wooden benches, inviting reading. The emblem with the initials FB -Francesc Burés and yarns Burés- was repeated in every room of the plant as a symbol of family pride.

Sometimes it has contributed to be studio shoot of series, movies and video clips. Cristina Rosenvinge artists and filmmakers Jaume Balagueró boast of having been inside. Also in 2005 was headquarters of the famous fair of design and decoration Home Decor. Today we find traces of different film sets, sheets stained wood, wallpaper and brooms past.

Casa Antonia Bures: the continuing saga

We see that the heritage of the Burés not end there. At the height of numbers 42 to 46 in the same street is the Casa Antonia Bures. The plot to plant one block of flats was a gift from his brother, Francesc Burés.

Juli Batllevell, architect of the twentieth century was chosen to give life and form to this modernist marvel in 1903. The outer surface is composed of majestic wrought iron balconies and large windows that fascinate the eye. The ends two viewpoints of rounded shapes and sinuous floristic details made of limestone as the main element.

The trunk and branches of two cut pine which can be seen from bottom to top of the facade, and it seems to be making an effort to hold the entire block, are the most characteristic and visual elements of the set, which were a gift to architect in question, the teacher of Antonio Gaudi.

There has always been an open debate on what is the true identity of the vegetation that pierces the house. There are positions that claim they are mulberry and others who say they belong to branches of pine morphology. From here we encourage you to reflect on the symbolism of this sculptural element while enjoying the building.