If there is one thing that characterises Barcelona, it is the wide variety of activities that can be done all over the city, suitable for all ages and tastes. But it should also be noted that it is a city to observe slowly, because through its bricks and walls, which might seem insignificant, it is possible to discover the buildings of unique architecture, full of art and which housed great events and revolutions of the city.
You have to know these buildings of unique architecture of the city
1. David Building (Aribau, 230-240 -Tuset, 19-21)
This is a unique building in the city of Barcelona with more than 100 years of history. It has four floors, which can be reached by car up to the attic via ramps. Take a good look at it, because this is a classicist façade from when Henry Ford was the Bill Gates of the time and created the illusion that getting everywhere by car was the most luxurious thing you could do.
It is now equipped with an indoor gym and new coworking spaces. And it’s certainly an infrastructure that hasn’t taken its toll over the years.
2. Royal Academy of Medicine (Carme, 47)
In the 18th century this building served as the anatomical amphitheatre of the Reial Acadèmia de Medicina (Royal Academy of Medicine). There the doctors sat on concentric tiers surrounding the operating table where they dismembered the fresh corpses sent directly from the Hospital de la Santa Creu.
You should know that, for decades, army surgeons were trained there, and if you take a look around, you’ll notice that everything is still intact. Of course, you have to see the marble with the drain for the viscera that will give you the shivers.
3. Buildings with unique architecture: Barceloneta Housing (Pg. Joan de Borbó, 1954)
Tired of the uniformity of the buildings of the 1950s, the renowned architect Josep Antoni Coderch wanted to go one step further than the architecture of major cities such as New York or Chandigarh. His idea was based on making peace with tradition and incorporating innovations from local architecture.
In Barceloneta, the architect in question built an unusual block of flats: an irregular floor plan and facades with folds and without holes. But he did so without having to renounce the materials of the neighbourhood, such as marine shutters, for example.
It is worth mentioning that Pepe Rubianes, the well-known Spanish actor, comedian and director, lived in these social-revolutionary dwellings for many years. He is also one of Spain’s most commercial theatre artists.
Have you seen some of these unique architectural buildings on your tours of the city?
