For all those who do not know, Josep Lluís Sert (1902-1983) is one of the unavoidable figures of Spanish and universal architecture of the twentieth century. His life, full of travel and anecdotes, took him to Paris where he met Le Corbusier, a fact that would mark all his later work and catapult him to the forefront of architecture worldwide.
We can find works of Sert distributed throughout the world (Seville, Bagdad, Cambridge, Boston, New York …) although some of his most representative works are in Barcelona.
We invite you to know some of the most emblematic buildings of his career, which are part of the history of architecture in Barcelona.
Pavelló of the Republic (1937-1992)
Avenida Cardenal Vidal i Barraquer, 34-36 – Metro Montbau
Unfortunately, it is not the original building but a literal copy of the pavilion that republican Spain brought to Paris in 1937, which Barcelona City Council built in 1992 for the Olympic Games.
The artistic exhibition that the pavilion contained was an exceptional exhibition of paintings and sculptures, which brought together the work of the most important authors of the moment and the most important emerging figures of Spanish art: Picasso (with his famous Guernica), Miró, Alberto Sánchez u Horacio Ferrer. Located just behind the famous Mistos (matches) of Claus Oldenburg, the pavilion stands alone and worthy in a forgotten place in the district of Horta-Guinardó.
Built with cheap materials, his humility is on par with his rationalist perfection. Sert and Lacasa, collaborator of the project, had to adapt to the relief in slope, the surrounding trees and a tight budget.
In this reproduction, there is even a copy of Guernica, as it was exposed in the Universal Exposition.
Reservations of visits on the phone +34 93 428 54 57.
Fundació Miró (1972-1974)
Plaça de Neptú – Metro Paral·lel – Funicular de Montjuïc
This white building, halfway between architecture and sculpture, is probably the best known work of the architect in the city.
Designed by an explosive tandem of artists, Sert and Miró, is a clear example of a rationalist building with Mediterranean features (central courtyard, rooftop roof and skylights), the building of the Fundació Joan Miró is, above all, a work of art by itself and one of the cultural references of the city.
Do not miss this building that fuses art, architecture and landscape and see how, in this case, the continent is as important as the content.
All the information about visiting hours on the Fundació Joan Miró website Fundació Joan Miró
Casa Bloc (1932-1936)
Passeig Torras i Bages, 91-105 – Metro Torras i Bages
The influence of Le Corbusier is evident in every corner of this huge and austere block of more than a hundred houses.
It is a worker housing building built between 1932 and 1936 that is located in the district of San Andrés.
Its architects were Josep Lluís Sert, Josep Torres Clavé and Joan Baptista Subirana were members of the GATEPAC (Group of Spanish Architects and Technicians for the Progress of Contemporary Architecture).
Today, Casa Bloc is considered a symbol of rationalist architecture in Barcelona, since at the time it was an innovative social project, integrated into the urban environment and with functional homes conceived as standard minimum accommodations for workers.
The 1/11 House of the Bloc House, which is displayed just as the architects conceived them, can be visited by making a reservation on the telephone +34 93 256 34.
These are some of the most representative buildings of Sert in Barcelona, but there are many more: the Antitubercular Dispensary (Passatge Sant Bernat, 10), the Josefa López building (Calle Muntaner 342), the old Roca Jewelry (Paseo de Gracía, 18) or the residential complex Les Escales Park (Calle Sor Eulàlia de Anzizu, 24).
Do not stay without discovering them all and give a cultural touch to your stay in the city, discovering the architecture of Barcelona.
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