Fundació MAPFRE – Casa Garriga-Nogués
A house with classical, Modernista and baroque elements
The Eixample district is home to a fin-de-siècle construction with an eclectic facade, sculptures by Eusebi Arnau and an interior patio with a stained glass roof. Casa Garriga-Nogués is currently home to the Fundació MAPFRE exhibition hall, which showcases early pictorial modernity and photography.
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Why visit Casa Garriga-Nogués?
This building, which was commissioned by the financier Rupert Garriga, was constructed from 1899 to 1901 in an eclectic style that combines classical, Modernista and baroque elements.
It was designed by the prolific architect Enric Sagnier, who was also responsible for the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor at Tibidabo and Barcelona Modernisme Museum, among others. Casa Garriga-Nogués, located in the Eixample district is best known for its facade, on which a protruding balcony on the main floor is supported by four female figures sculpted by Eusebi Arnau, representing the four stages of life. Inside, mention should be made of the marble staircase that runs up to the main floor and creates an interior patio covered by a stained-glass roof by Antoni Rigalt.
After the Spanish Civil War, the building was occupied by the religious school Sagrados Corazones de Jesús y de Maria (Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary) and subsequently it was the headquarters of the Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana publishing house. It was remodelled in 1987 by Jordi Bonet i Armengol and again in 2007 by Jordi Garcés. Since 2015 it has been the headquarters of Fundació MAPFRE, which has conserved the original state of the rooms, including the billiard room with a stained-glass landscape by Antoni Rigalt, the main room with rococo decoration and bucolic-themed paintings, and the large living-dining room decorated in a Neoclassical style with floral stucco friezes.
At Casa Garriga-Nogués the foundation organises exhibitions on the birth of pictorial modernity (1850-1950) and the grand masters of photography.
How do you get to Casa Garriga-Nogués?
Both the Red Route and the Blue Route of Barcelona Bus Turístic stop at Casa Batlló – Fundació Antoni Tàpies, from which Casa Garriga-Nogués is just a stone’s throw away.
For the most curious of you
- Did you know? Even though he is not as well-known as the great Modernista architects, Eusebi Arnau played a key role in this artistic movement in Catalonia. His sculptures can be found at buildings as emblematic as Casa Lleó i Morera, Casa Amatller, the Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau.
- Local’s tip: Casa Garriga-Nogués is just a few metres away from Rambla de Catalunya, which is worth taking a stroll down to discover the houses of the well-to-do from the early 20th century.
