One Street and Three Architects: Barcelona’s “Block of Discord”
Close by our apartment in Barcelona’s Eixample District was the boulevard Passeig de Gràcia, filled with tourists, many of them gawking (like us) or lined up awaiting their entry at one or another of the landmark structures. Among all the significant buildings however, is one block with addresses at numbers 35, 41 and 43 Passeig de Gracia, that generates considerable interest and lots of camera clicking. Between the years 1898 and 1906 three of the era’s most important modernist architects took existing buildings on the block and refurbished them in such dissimilar visions and contrasting styles that the street is often referred to as “The Block of Discord.”
We bought tickets online for an English speaking tour given each Sunday morning and joined a surprisingly small group of four other people to visit Casa Lleo Morera, Passeig de Gràcia 35. The original structure was built in 1864 and in 1902 Francesca Morera, a widow of considerable wealth, hired the renowned architect, Lluís Domènech i Montaner to refurbish the entire building as well as design a private residence on the second floor for the Morera family.
Morera translates to mulberry tree in English and representations of the tree are found throughout the house. The home is an astonishing collaboration by leading artists and craftsmen of the day and each room seemed to outdo the one before it by upping the WOW factor with stained glass creations, sculptures, original parquet floors with the mulberry motifs, woodwork and cabinetry, sculptures, mosaics and on and on. Everywhere we looked was another detail to draw our interest away from the preceding attention grabber. It was a huge stimulus overload of art, design, color, textures. Sculptures by Eusebi Arnau tell the tale of Saint George and the dragon while elsewhere his sculptures show several objects relating to the notable technological advances of the time such as the lightbulb, gramophone and phonograph, camera and telephone. In the dining room, surprisingly small because families of the era did not dine with guests at home, are seven mosaic panels on the walls by Lluís Bru and Mario Maragliano representing country scenes with porcelain additions of faces, hands and feet by a noted ceramist.
We questioned one panel with a large patch of blue tile and where told that the mosaic was custom-made around a piece of the original furniture which was removed at a later time.
But our hands-down favorite were the huge bay windows of stained glass designed and created by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch and Jeroni F Granell with naturalistic scenes that dazzled and enchanted us.
After sticking our heads into the open ground floor door of the foyer of 41 Passeig de Gràcia (admission free for the first floor only) we bought tickets for a tour the following day for the second floor. Originally constructed in 1875 it’s called the Casa Amatller after the family who commissioned the prominent modernist Catalan architect, Joseph Puig i Cadafalch, in 1898 to refurbish both the inside and outside. The outside façade was inspired by the style of Netherlands houses with its fanciful stepped gabled roofline and the inside is a rather gloomy but fascinating combination of gothic and neo-gothic styles.
For our tour we climbed up the spectacular curving, marble staircase, donned cloth booties to protect the floors which had just been restored and stepped back in time to the previous century. We wandered among rooms furnished with early 20th century period pieces. The motto here seemed to be, “Let no surface go undecorated.” Everywhere we looked – floors, walls, windows and ceilings – were adorned.
It was a visual assault of colors, patterns, textures and light and the very definition of extravagant opulence. Here, as in the Casa Lleo Morera house, the architect had collaborated with some of the finest modernist artists and craftsmen in Barcelona, all who appeared to be in competition to show us their best, and we admired stained glass windows, mosaic walls and floors, surfaces of marble and elaborately carved wooden ceilings.
The sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Alfons Jujol, displayed their talents with an astonishing assortment of dragons and knights, damsels and classically beautiful faces as well as fanciful creatures cavorting among vines and animals.
Next door to Casa Amatller is Number 43 Passeig de Gràcia and the iconic Casa Batlló, one of the most photographed buildings in Barcelona and one of the nine structures in Barcelona declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had admired its extraordinarily over-the-top exterior on our previous strolls around the neighborhood and whenever we had walked by, there was usually a long, long line in front of it waiting for admittance. One day, with a few hours of time on our hands and without much planning, we joined the line, bought tickets (they can also be bought online to avoid the wait) and donned headsets for an audio tour.
Built between 1875 and 1877 the structure was bought by Josep Battló i Casanovas who wanted the prestigious address and a home extraordinaire. He engaged Barcelona’s favorite son, Antoni Gaudi, the renowned modernist architect who set about the task of renovating the building, both inside and out, bottom to roofline, between 1904 and 1906. Gaudi redesigned the façade of the house with walls of stone that undulate. These were plastered and covered with trencadis, a style of mosaic used in Catalan modernism created from broken tile fragments and glass.
Often referred to as the “House of Yawns” because of its enormous, irregularly shaped windows on the lower floors resembling gaping mouths, it’s also referred to as “The House of Bones” because of the decorative bonelike pillars. Salvador Dali, after seeing the house said, “Gaudí has built a house of sea shapes, representing the waves on a stormy day.” The sinuous lines and the feeling of gliding through waves continued in the interior space of the house as straight lines and right angles were avoided by Gaudi whenever possible. This created rooms that totally delighted us with their originality, watery colors and reflected and filtered use of light.
Surrounding himself with the master artisans and craftsmen of the day the beautifully proportioned rooms are a synthesis of stained glass, burnished woodwork and floors of tile and parquet. The house is crowned by a roof terrace every bit as extravagant and dramatic as the rest of the building. Said to resemble a dragon’s back, the iridescent tiles catch your eye as the spine wends its way around chimneys and a tower topped with the cross of Saint George, the patron saint of Barcelona.
The “Block of Discord” showcases three magnificent houses designed by three men with totally diverse visions. It’s a step back to an era where all things seemed possible, new discoveries abounded and modernism symbolized wild extravagance, innovation and creativity, artistry and astonishing genius.
By Anita and Richard
Great photos! I was blown away by the quirky architecture when we went to Barcelona. Apart from being aware of personal space re pickpockets etc we loved the place
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Thank you. Barcelona remains one of our favorite cities and I would love to go back to see many of the things we missed the first time around. I’d read before our visit that it was called “the pickpocket capital of the world” but we didn’t have any problems. Unfortunately though, a friend who visited later lost both her money and passport. Best to be on your guard when in new surroundings.
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An amazing street for sure, even in a city such as Barcelona with its rich architectural legacy. Casa Battló is my favorite Gaudi designed house. Thanks for the memories!
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I have to agree with you that the Casa Battló is our favorite Gaudi residence. But we sure fell hard for the Lleo Morera house with its beautiful stained glass windows. Both are works of art and showcase architects who were sheer geniuses. And thank you for reminding us of this post. Great memories!
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Great photos. I’ve only admired the Block of Discord buildings from the outside. I think I’ll have to go back to Barcelona and take the indoor tours.
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Thanks, Donna. Seeing the three homes and vastly different architectural styles is well worth the time and very interesting as well. The first two homes only had a few people taking the time to look inside but, of course, Gaudi’s house had the crowd and we were all busy taking pictures. Did you notice our photo bomber with the selfie stick? She showed up in all our best photos!
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Talk about keeping up with the Joneses! I have never visited these 3 houses in Barcelona. Your photos make it clear that a return trip is warranted. Plus, I’ll want to see the progress on La Sagrada Familia.
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We think that almost everyone who visits Barcelona once wants to return again and again to see or do things they’ve missed or revisit favorite places like La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona is definitely on our list of favorite cities!
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Your pictures are gorgeous! Barcelona is one of my favorite cities, and this totally makes me want to go back. The architecture is amazing.
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Thanks. We want to go back, too and we were just there! We loved everything about Barcelona (excluding the crowds and prices) and still have a list of places we want to see as well as revisit. A totally amazing city and we understand why so many people love it and keep returning.
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What an incredible tour! I loved every minute of it, deliciously drowning in color and texture galore.
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We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour, Patricia! The houses were totally awesome and we had a wonderful time seeing and learning about the artists and architects as well as seeing the craftsmanship displayed in each home. How lucky we were to get a glimpse into the great beauty that resulted from the great wealth of the early twentieth century.
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It should be a gem in your memory book of travel.
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I love your phrase “memory book of travel.” These houses will definitely be included!
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What a great area to explore three amazing artistic forms. The Block of Discord seems a fitting name! The bay windows of Lleo Morera are simply stunning and I could see myself spending some time there with my camera. Gaudi has always captured my attention for his unique style, and while we typically spend more time on his works, I think it may be time to explore some other amazing architecture as well.
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We’ve said many times that it would have been difficult to be a contemporary of Gaudi’s because he defines Catalan modernist architecture and truly was a genius., However, there were other renowned artists of the era who definitely deserve recognition and the two houses on the “Block of Discord” showcases their work beautifully.
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That bay window is divine and definitely my favourite too!
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What’s really awesome is that the house has four of these bay windows, one to each floor!. And we agree – they are magnificent!
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Wow, those are three masterpieces! You are right those huge stained glass bay windows are so colorfully luminescent and the two other houses have such amazing features like the “Yawns ” I would really love to visit Barcelonoa and gaze at these things you have seen!
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Barcelona is one of our favorite cities and we’re already planning a return visit to see more of her treasures. The three houses on the “Block of Discord” are great examples of the creativity that flourished in the first part of the 20th century and, luckily for us, have been preserved for the appreciation of later generations!
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The Block of Discord was one of my favorite parts of Barcelona, but I only saw these amazing buildings from the outside. So I really love your photos inside. Next time I must take a tour. The background stories about the architects are so interesting, too.
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The homes are beautiful from the outside but it was a lot of fun to take the tours and see the inside too, Gaudi is Barcelona’s favorite son but there are other renowned architects from the same era such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Joseph Puig i Cadafalch whose talents also deserve appreciation and the “Block of Discord” gave us a wonderful opportunity to contrast and compare their styles.
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It is fantastic you were able to get in all three of these Barcelona architectural masterpieces! And that they let you take pictures! All three beautiful in their own way, yet so different!
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Information and tickets for tours to all three of these houses are available online or by waiting in line. Since we were lucky enough to be in Barcelona for a month (definitely one of the best things about being slow travelers) it was just a matter of walking a few blocks and making arrangements. And we agree about how each home was uniquely beautiful. How interesting to have such very talented architects in Barcelona at the same time and that their legacy was preserved.
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Loved revisiting one of my favorite cities. I took a bus tour and drove by these architectural masterpieces. I have a great photo of a window with the green shutters of the Casa Amatller. Hands down the bay window is truly magical!
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The houses on the “Block of Discord” were completely different and Casa Amatller’s outside was really an artwork to appreciate in itself. We especially loved all of the sculptures by Eusebi Arnau and Alfons Jujol both inside and outside the house as well as the totally unique and decorative ceilings in each room.
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I so LOVE Barcelona!!! Now I am happy to see a great excuse for me to return, I missed Casa Lleo Morera and Casa Amatller, so I must go back and visit both of these places! I did visit Casa Batllo and it is my favorite of Antoni Gaudi’s work in Barcelona. Everyone else seems to love Sagrada Familia, but I found it to be meh – Casa Batllo is a gorgeous work of architecture and wonderful playful art!
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La Sagrada Familia is a place for grandeur and worship while Casa Batllo is a place to live. We too loved it best of all of Gaudi’s works. It really made us smile as we wandered from room to room looking forward to the surprises and delightful details in each airy room.
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I am dying, looking at this! First, a couple of friends just got back from Barcelona, and now I read this post. It’s been 20 years since I went there, and I cannot wait to go back. This time, it will be ALL about the architecture!
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Sounds like a return visit to Barcelona is in both our futures! We loved learning about the history of the city and the architecture was a constant source of amazement to see the creativity and genius on display in many of the landmarks. Even after spending a month in the city we left with things unseen until our next visit.
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What a fun tour you gave us!. We’ve been by that building on at least three different visits and keep saying we should go inside sometime and today I did. Absolutely love Barcelona!
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So glad you enjoyed the tour. Once we read the phrase “Block of Discord” we put the houses on our list of places to see. Luckily we had the time to take each tour on different days so that we could absorb the details of each house and compare the architect’s styles. Well worth the time!
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These buildings are so like museums. I wonder if the occupants saw them with the same sense of awe that we do~
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I imagine at the beginning when the family first moved in they exclaimed over all the beauty that surrounded them (and who wouldn’t!) but as time passed it probably faded into the background as their everyday surroundings. Sad how we can get used to even the most extraordinary things when we see them often enough!
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I haven’t spent much time in Barcelona but would love to do this tour. Those huge bay windows of stained glass by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch and Jeroni F Granell are incredible. I’ve pinned them so I don’t forget to get there and see them!
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The stained glass windows were amazing and it was interesting to see that each level of the building had one of its own. I loved the bay windows so much that I used the photo for my computer’s desktop background so I can see it every day! Anita
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I’ve always loved visiting this area and block and surprisingly never visited the inside so thanks for taking me there. That first structure and amazing details including the stained glass panels is simply outstanding Anita
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Thanks Noel. Casa Lleo Morera’s was one of our favorite houses and we loved seeing the result of the architect’s vision synergized with the artisans and craftsmen. Outstanding is a terrific way to describe it!
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It’s amazing how personalized these homes are. Here. we think of houses that are 50 years old as ancient. I love the ‘paint around the couch’ blue in the mosaic!
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We laughed at your phrase “paint around the couch” because that’s exactly what was done with the mosaic and whatever built-in piece of furniture it was pieced around. It’s wonderful to enjoy things that are perfectly preserved but the wear and imperfections of an object often have interesting stories behind them too!
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Barcelona is so rich in architectural treasure. I loved being able to visit these interiors with you. I think my favorite is the magnificent bay window, too. Can you believe people actually lived in these rooms? What a life!
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So many of the houses and buildings had impressive stained glass windows but Casa Lleo Morera’s bay window was over-the-top. What was really amazing is that there are 4 bay windows in all built one atop the other for the additional levels. It’s fun to imagine living in these kind of places, isn’t it? So glad we had a chance to peek at “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” from another era!
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How stunning are these architects efforts. The Block of Discord showcases so much of Barcelona.
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We have to agree with you that the legacies these architects left behind are pretty amazing and appreciated by a great many people. It’ was really fun to see the different ideas, innovations and art displayed in these three houses.
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Hi Anita and Dick. What astounding beauty! Love your blog and can’t wait till we share another trip.
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Wherever we end up Jeannie, we’ll be active in or will have to start a group like the Granada Travel Club. So much fun and a great chance to see new places as well as make new friends. We miss y’all and hope that we travel together again too!
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Very interesting. I love a variety of architecture. I was just visiting with some friends who lived in Barcelona for several years, and now thinking of moving back there 🙂
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Thanks Ann. We can see why living in Barcelona would appeal to your friends and we certainly wouldn’t have minded staying longer. As it is we’ll just have to plan to return to enjoy it further!
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I was there once many years ago for a day and a half, but didn’t see very much, only some of the downtown area.
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I think that Barcelona might be a “timeless” city in the sense that it’s so old that many things change slowly. That’ll be great If you return to walk around areas and revisit places you remember and when we return we’ll be able to navigate easily and explore more!
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Nice post Anita. Hopefully next time we’re there we’ll have time to explore those beautiful buildings.
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These homes are definitely worth the time and effort to visit and see what each architect has accomplished. There’s so much to see in this city that we’ll be making a return visit too!
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Pretty amazing architecture. I love all the colorful glass. And, as always, beautiful pictures.
Suzi
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Thanks Suzi. Each of these houses had some gorgeous stained glass windows and we spent a lot of time admiring them. It would be fun to go back at different times during the day to see how the light and colors change. And you’re right, the architecture was amazing!
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