Castell dels Tres Dragons

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The Castell dels Tres Dragons in Barcelona

The Castell dels Tres Dragons ( Catalan for "Castle of the Three Dragons") is a building in the style of Modernism in Barcelona . It was designed by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the Exposition Universelle Universal de Barcelona of 1888 in Barcelona.

The castell

Painted ceramic plates as an all-round decoration

The Castell dels Tres Dragons is in the Parc de la Ciutadella on the west side. The entrance is on Passeig de Picasso. It is one of the numerous buildings of Modernism in Barcelona, ​​the Catalan variant of Art Nouveau. Alongside Antonio Gaudi , the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner is one of the main representatives of this style, some of his buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites .

The castell was built from brick in 1887. The optimal use of the expressive possibilities of new building materials such as brick, iron, glass and ceramics as well as the new building techniques were in the foreground during the planning. Different architectural styles and techniques were combined. With this iron skeleton and brick building, Domènech anticipated Berlage's Amsterdam Stock Exchange .

There are four massive towers at the corners. Like the battlements, they cite the Moorish architectural style and tower above it. Two towers are square and the other two are octagonal.

Painted ceramics were used to decorate the simple wall facade. The surrounding frieze of large ceramic coats of arms comes from Alexandre de Riquer and Joan Llimona . The stained glass windows were created by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch , they were partially destroyed in the Spanish Civil War.

The great hall of the Castell dels Tres Dragons is in the tradition of the Catalan Gothic. The walls are smooth, with arches, pilasters and capitals integrated. The coffered ceiling customary at the time was replaced by visible main beams and iron girders.

use

Interior view with zoological collection (2009)

During the World Exhibition in 1888, the Castell dels Tres Dragons served as a coffee house and restaurant.

After the end of the world exhibition, it initially housed an atelier for applied arts, which Domènech himself ran together with Antoni Maria Gallissà , then a historical museum and a music school.

The Zoological Museum of Barcelona has been housed there since 1920 . The collection contained prepared mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds, a collection of insects as well as a whale and a mammoth skeleton. The Museu de Zoologia , along with the nearby Geological Museum and the Botanical Garden on Montjuïc, was part of the Museu de Ciències Naturals complex . The building is currently closed to the public; after the renovation and redesign it will house the Laboratori de Natura .

literature

  • David Mackay: Modern architecture in Barcelona, ​​1854–1939 . Rizzoli, New York 1989.
  • Lluís Domènech i Girbau: Domènech i Montaner . Ediciones Polígrafa, Barcelona, ​​1994.

Web links

Commons : Castell dels Tres Dragons  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ These are the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana , see there, World Heritage since 1997.
  2. ^ David Mackay: Modern architecture in Barcelona, ​​1854-1939 . Rizzoli, New York 1989, p. 30.
  3. ^ Achim Bourmer, Peter Nahm: Barcelona . 8th edition, Baedeker, Ostfildern 2007, p. 195.
  4. ^ Helmuth Bischoff: Barcelona . 2nd ed., DuMont, Ostfildern 2011, p. 211.
  5. ↑ Laboratori de Natura de Barcelona , accessed September 5, 2012.

Coordinates: 41 ° 23 '17 "  N , 2 ° 11' 0.2"  E