Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Born in Barcelona, Lluís Domènech i Montaner (21 December 1850 - 27 December 1927) showed from a young age his passion for architecture.

He initially study Physics and Natural Sciences, but after two courses in Madrid studying Engineering, he decides to study architecture. He was titled architect in Barcelona in 1873.

From his position as Professor and director in the Escola d'Arquitectura de Barcelona (Barcelona School of Architecture), he developed a big influence to expand the Modernisme (Art Nouveau).

The role of Domènech i Montaner (1849-1923) was essential to define the "Modernisme arquitectonic" (architectonic Art Nouveau) in Catalonia. His article "En busca d'una arquitectura nacional" (In search of a national architecture), published in the review "La Renaixença", reflexes the way to attempt a modern architecture showing the national Catalan character.

His buildings shown a mixture between rationalism and a fabulous ornamentation inspired in the hispano-arab architecture and in the curvilinear design typical of Art Nouveau.

In the Restaurant of the Park de la Ciutadella of Barcelona (1888) (at present Zoological Museum), he applied very advanced solutions (iron structure and ceramics) developed later in the Palau de la Música Catalana (1908) -who has a fantastic coverage of mosaic, ceramics and polychrome glasses-, and the buildings projected since this time.

That features are also present in he's biggest architectural ensembles: The Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona and the Institut Pere Mata in Reus.

An interesting characteristic of Domènech i Montaner works was the evolution towards lightness that is evident in the Palau de la Música Catalana. That fact is opposite to the weighted structures of Gaudí.

Domènech i Montaner died in Barcelona in 1923.