Barcelona is famous for its striking Art Nouveau architecture, which attracts millions of tourists every year to visit iconic landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and Casa Batlló.
Apart from these well-known sites, which are open to the public, hundreds, if not thousands, of other Art Nouveau buildings are scattered throughout the city, many of which are private homes or office spaces.
One such building is a small green-and-red house located at 75 Pàdua Street in the Sant Gervasi neighbourhood, often referred to as Casa Pàdua, although, as I’ll explain later, that name may not be entirely accurate.
History of Casa Pàdua
There’s not much information online about Casa Pàdua, except that it dates back to 1903 and was designed by Jeroni Granell i Manresa, who also designed several other Art Nouveau buildings in Barcelona and worked on the Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau.
As I said earlier, Casa Pàdua may be a misnomer because most of the emblematic buildings in Barcelona are named after their original owners. For example, Casa Milà (La Pedrera) was built for Pere Milà, and Casa Batlló belonged to Josep Batlló. In this case, since the original owner is unknown, the name Casa Pádua simply refers to the fact that the building stands at number seventy-five Pàdua Street, or Carrer de Pàdua, 75 in Catalan.
The building’s striking green and red exterior was created using a technique called sgraffito, whereby a surface is successively painted with two contrasting colours, and then the outer layer is scraped back to reveal the colour below. The technique is commonly applied to stucco, and its use is widespread in Barcelona.
The building’s façade also features an enclosed balcony with stained windows, twisted wrought iron grilles, and other organically inspired features typical of Modernista buildings.
By the nineteen seventies, the house had become the headquarters of perfume manufacturer Essencias Buil, who presumably chose the property due to its floral exterior. Then, after a period of disuse, in 1989, the building was restored and converted into apartments by Alonso Balaguer Arquitectes Associates, who transformed the building’s interior, adding a covered swimming pool.
Location
Casa Pàdua is located in the Sant Gervasi neighbourhood.
Address: Carrer de Pàdua, 75.
How to get there
The nearest metro stations are Lesseps, on Line 3, the green line, and Pàdua, on FGC line 6.
Other attractions nearby
- Casa Vicens
- La Vila de Gràcia
- Park Güell
- La Pedrera
- La Sagrada Familia
Map
Carrer de Pàdua, 75, Barcelona
