Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Lluís Domènech i Montaner ( born December 21, 1850 in Barcelona, † December 27, 1923 ) was a Catalan architect and politician. He began as a representative of historicism and was an outstanding representative of Modernism.

Life

Lluis was the second son of Pere Domènech i Salò, a publisher, and of Maria Montaner i Vila who came from a wealthy family in Canet de Mar. After a brief study of mathematics and physics, he turned to architecture, which he studied in Barcelona and in Madrid at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he acquired on December 13, 1873 his diploma. After that he traveled in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Austria in order to familiarize themselves with the current trends in architecture

1875 Domènech, was appointed together with his friend Josep Vilaseca, a professor of topography and mineralogy at the newly founded School of Architecture of Barcelona, ​​which he headed from 1900 to 1920. While Domènech exercised his seat in Madrid, served from 1901 to 1905, however, Joan Torras i Guardiola as a managing director. Through his 45 years of teaching Domènech influenced several generations of Catalan architect.

The nationally conscious but bourgeois conservative -minded architect interested intensive for archeology and especially for the early Romanesque churches in Catalonia. This pursuit of the historical heritage and the influence of tradition are felt in Domènech architecture - but at the same time the quest for structural rationality and fascination through the transparent medium of glass.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner, died on December 27, 1923 in Barcelona.

Architectural work

With the publishing house Editorial Montaner i Simón (now the Fundació Tàpies ), and for the Universal Exhibition Exposició Universal de Barcelona ( 1888) created buildings Gran Hotel Internacional, which was built in only 53 days, and the Castell dels Tres Dragons was Domènech one of the founder of the modernist architecture and art. In the said Castell he created in collaboration with the architect Antoni Gallissà a workshop for decorative and applied to the architecture of the Arts.

His most creative period were the last years of the 19th and the first of the 20th century. During this time the Institute Pere Mata emerged in Reus, Barcelona, Casa Thomas and Casa Lleó Morera, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the highlight of his work the Palau de la Música Catalana. This building is considered to be the most innovative, most daring and überraschendstes work. The Palau was in 1909 awarded by the Barcelona City Council. He was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in 1997.

Literary work

From his youth Domènech was literarily active. He wrote in the most important Catalan magazines such as La Renaixença, Lo Catalanista and Revista de Catalunya. In 1904 he founded his own weekly newspaper, El Poble Català. He also wrote books on art history and architecture, and published political essays. His article "En busca d' una arquitectura nacional " ( In Search of a National Architecture), published on 28 de February 1878 in La Renaixença, is considered the founding manifesto of modern Catalan architecture.

As a publisher and editor of the series Biblioteca Artes y Letras Domènech also promoted the Catalan literature. 1886-1897 led Domènech also the publication of a monumental art history, a task in which later Josep Puig i Cadafalch replaced him.

Political commitment

From a young age is Domènech engaged politically. In 1870 he participated in the founding of Jove Catalunya ( Catalonia Young ) and the Centre Català. Of the latter group, he separated in 1887, joined the Lliga de Catalunya, its president in 1888. In 1891 he founded the Unio Catalanista, a party which implemented the basics of Catalan autonomy. Domènech i Montaner was one of the organizers of the meeting, with the " Bases de Manresa " a first Catalan constitution project adopted in March 1892. Opposed by Francesc Cambó, who had transformed itself from a fighter to a Catalan autonomy to the conservative member of the government in Madrid, and disappointed by politics, he retired during the First World War back from her.

Works

• Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau ( Barcelona)
• Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona)
• Gran Hotel Internacional (Barcelona)
• Casa Fuster (Barcelona)
• Casa Lamadrid (Barcelona)
• Casa Lleó Morera (Barcelona)
• Casa Thomas (Barcelona)
• Castell dels Tres Dragons (Museu de Zoologia, Barcelona)
• Editorial Montaner i Simón (Barcelona)
• Ramón Palacio Montaner (Barcelona)
• Ateneu Obrer ( Canet de Mar, Barcelona)
• Castell de Santa Florentina ( Canet de Mar, Barcelona)
• Casa Roure / Ca la Bianga ( Canet de Mar, Barcelona)
• Restaurante la Misericòrdia ( Canet de Mar, Barcelona)
• Casa Solà Morales ( Olot, Barcelona)
• Casa Gasull (Reus, Tarragona Province )
• Casa Navàs (Reus, Tarragona )
• Casa Rull (Reus, Tarragona )
• Institut Pere Mata (Reus, Tarragona )
• Cementerio de Comillas ( Comillas, Cantabria )
• Fuente de los Tres Canos ( Comillas, Cantabria )
• Universidad Pontificia ( Comillas, Cantabria )