Las Ramblas and El Raval

The Font de Canaletes is a cast-iron fountain topped by a streetlamp, sitting at the top of La Rambla. It dates to the late nineteenth century and remains the official headquarters for celebrations by supporters of FC Barcelona. When the…

The iron entrance gate to the Mercat de la Boqueria arches over the street with a heavy, latticed presence that separates the bustle of La Rambla from the labyrinth of food stalls inside. This site served as an open-air gathering spot for…

The Gran Teatre del Liceu is identified by its wide, stone facade on La Rambla, featuring a series of tall, arched windows that have remained largely unchanged since the eighteen-sixties. While it functions as Barcelona’s premier opera…

The iron lampposts in the center of the square feature intricate winged helmets and snakes wrapped around the shafts. These were designed by a young Antoni Gaudí in eighteen seventy-nine. Before this plaza became an elegant residential…

Palau Guell features two massive, parabolic iron arches that serve as the entrance gates for carriages. Antoni Gaudi designed this urban mansion for Eusebi Guell, a wealthy industrialist who wanted a family home that doubled as a venue for…

The bronze cat in the Rambla del Raval stretches over two meters tall and nearly seven meters long, with a heavy, rounded belly and a smooth, oversized snout. Fernando Botero designed this feline to be oversized and tactile. Since its…

The Old Hospital de la Santa Creu features four long, fourteenth-century stone wings arranged around a central garden. For five hundred years, this was the primary medical center for Barcelona, where the city gathered its sick and…

The Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona features a long, white facade punctured by a distinctive glass gallery that runs the length of its front. Richard Meier designed this structure to bring stark, minimalist light into the dense, dark…