Castle of the Three Dragons

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

The Castell

The Castell dels Tres Dragons is in the Parc de la Ciutadella on the west side. The entrance is located on Passeig de Picasso. It is one of the many buildings of Modernist Barcelona, the Catalan version of Art Nouveau. The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner belongs next to Antonio Gaudi of the main representatives of this style, its buildings are partly a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Castell was built in 1887 of brick. The best use of the expressive possibilities of new building materials such as brick, iron, glass and ceramics as well as the new construction techniques were in the planning in the foreground. Different styles and techniques were combined. Domènech anticipated with this iron frame and brick Berlage Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

At the corners are four massive towers. They cite as the battlements of the Moorish architecture and tower over them. Two towers have a square and the other two an octagonal floor plan.

For the decoration of the plain wall facade painted ceramics were used. The surrounding large ceramic frieze coat of arms comes from Alexandre de Riquier and Joan Llimona. The stained glass windows created Antoni Rigalt i Blanch, they were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in part.

The great hall of the Castell dels Tres Dragons is in the tradition of Catalan Gothic. The walls are smooth, there were arches, pilasters and capitals integrated. The then-common coffered ceiling was replaced by visible main beams and steel girders.

Use

During the 1888 World's Fair, the Castell dels Tres Dragons served as a cafe and restaurant.

After the end of the world exhibition it hosted first by Domènech a self-directed, together with Antoni Maria Gallissà Studio of Applied Arts, then a historical museum and a music school.

Since 1920, the Zoological Museum of Barcelona there was housed. The collection contained groomed mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds, an insect collection as well as a whale and a mammoth skeleton. The Museu de Zoologia belonged to the nearby Geological Museum and the Botanical Garden on Montjuïc to the total complex Museu de Ciències Naturals. Currently, the building is closed to the public, it is after the renovation and transformation of the Laboratori de Natura record.