Catalan Modernisme: Casa Comalat

If you liked yesterday´s butterfly you surely will enjoy watching Casa Comalat, one of the most spectacular houses representing Catalan modernisme built from 1909 to 1911 by Salvador Valeri i Pupurull.

Imagine yourself walking along Avinguda Diagonal near Passeig de Gràcia, you get to number 442, come across a breathtaking building with these elaborate balconies and impossible design windows, you take some good pictures and go around the block for something to drink, let´s say at carrer Còrsega right behind. You wouldn´t believe your eyes, the same Casa Comalat appears again with a completely different look: a polychrome rear façade with wooden modernist balconies and wonderful ceramic work. There you go thirsty again for another half hour!

Check here the main façade or watch my video of Casa Comalat on instagram

See Casa Comalat Picture on a Google Earth Map

Plaça Espanya: Modernist Butterfly at Casa Fajol

Casa Fajol also known as Casa de la Papallona ("butterfly house") is located at carrer Llança just in front of Las Arenas bullring in Plaça Espanya. Built by Josep Graner i Prat in 1912 and named after the big trencadis butterfly on top, it is another great expression of Catalan Modernisme in Barcelona.

Trencadis is a variety of mosaic technique used by Gaudi and his followers during the Art Nouveau period in which broken (trencat in Catalan) painted tiles are layed in a way that differs from traditional mosaic. I would have preferred to take the picture from another angle but the fence surrounding the enormous coliseum at the construction site on my back was a big obstacle. 

See Casa Fajol Picture on a Google Earth Map

Barcelona Mou-te B Campaign: A Giant Step

This high top sneaker is part of the Mou-te B campaign promoted by the Barcelona City Council to encourage the use of public transport, bicycle, or walking through the city. There are other similar campaigns that combine Catalan word Bé and B from Barcelona, like Fem-ho B (let´s do it right) or Recicla B (recycle well). My free translation for Mou-te B would be "move properly". 

The big tennis shoe was first seen at Plaça Universitat and it was supposed to be kept somewhere safe during weekends. Now it seems to stay for good next to Picornell Olympic swimming pools where it is succumbing little by little to vandalism. Hurry up, you don´t have much time to take your picture.

See Mou-te B sneaker Picture on a Google Earth Map