Casa Terrades

A large Gothic castle standing in the middle of Barcelona’s Avinguda Diagonal catches the eye of any visitor to the city. The “Casa de les Punxes” (House of Spikes) is really a residential block built in the shape of medieval castle which is one of the most recognisable modernista landmarks on the Barcelona skyline.

The Terrades sisters owned three buildings standing between the Avinguda Diagonal, Carrer Rosselló and Carrer Bruc. Josep Puig i Cadafalch was commissioned to redevelop the buildings and linked them together on one site behind a vast brick façade. His project, which was completed in 1905, resulted in an imposing triangular structure which rises up like a grand medieval castle. The nickname, “Casa de les Punxes”, comes from the conical roofs, which end in a spike.

With a striking and characteristic silhouette, Casa de les Punxes is one of the most famous Modernista works. 
In its construction, Puig i Cadafalch exaggerated his highly stylised traditional medieval elements to the point that the building looks like a castle. It has four round towers crowned by conical turrets, a main tower with a dome and a host of bay windows and belvederes in Flamboyant Gothic style. The Australian writer Robert Hughes described it in his book Barcelona as “a cross between a Flemish guildhall and a medievalising Mad Ludwig (referring to Louis 2nd, King of Bavaria) schloss”.

Its spectacular facade is clad in brick, except on the ground floor where stone is used, and it features neo-Gothic style sculptural reliefs by Alfons Juyol, stained-glass windows by Eduard Amigó, wrought iron work, balconies, designed by Manuel Ballarín, and ceramic panels depicting patriotic motifs. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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One of these, the largest and best-known, represents Saint George and proudly bears the following legend: “Sant Patró de Catalunya, torneu-nos la llibertat” (“Holy Patron of Catalonia, give us back our freedom”) which at the time was considered by some to be a provocation.

The fiery politician Alejandro Lerroux called it “a crime against the nation” (the Spanish nation, in this case), but art prevailed over politics and the panel was preserved -even during fascism and with a police station in front of it! Another example of the nationalism that often imbues Catalan modernisme.

The house is privately owned and not open to visitors, but the exterior delights anyone who goes to take a closer look.

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