Barcelona's architecture beyond Gaudí

Barcelona is one of the richest cities in the world for architecture. The Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló rightly take the limelight, but the city is full of lesser-known buildings that deserve just as much attention. Away from the usual routes there's Modernisme, eclecticism, rationalism and contemporary architecture to spare.

These are some of our favourites, the ones many people walk straight past.

1. Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

Architect: Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Style: Catalan Modernisme

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, just like several of Gaudí's works. The former hospital is a complex of pavilions with domes, colourful mosaics and peaceful gardens. Far fewer people than at other monuments, and nothing to envy them for. It's at the end of Avinguda de Gaudí, a short walk from the Sagrada Família.

2. Casa Planells

Architect: Josep Maria Jujol

Style: organic Modernisme

On Avinguda Diagonal, this small 1924 block of flats plays with curves, space and perspective in a way that recalls Gaudí. That makes sense: Jujol was one of his closest collaborators.

3. Palau de les Heures

Architect: August Font i Carreras

Style: French-inspired eclecticism

In Vall d'Hebron, in the Horta-Guinardó district, this late 19th-century mansion, with four cylindrical towers topped by conical roofs, looks like a French château. It's surrounded by terraced, Renaissance-inspired gardens that are open to the public. Today the palace belongs to a foundation linked to the University of Barcelona.

4. Torre Bellesguard

Architect: Antoni Gaudí

Style: neo-Gothic with Modernista touches

Yes, it's by Gaudí, but we've included it because it's one of his least-visited works. Inspired by a medieval castle, it stands on the slopes of Collserola, on the site where King Martí l'Humà had his residence, and it blends history, geometry and legend.

5. Escola Industrial

Where: Eixample Esquerra

Style: industrial architecture

It was once the Can Batlló textile factory and is now a large educational campus. Its red-brick façades, towers and tree-lined courtyards make it a surprisingly lovely walk in the middle of the city.

6. La Ricarda

Architect: Antoni Bonet i Castellana

Style: mid-20th-century rationalism

It's in El Prat de Llobregat, next to the airport, just outside Barcelona. Casa Gomis, on the La Ricarda estate, is one of the finest examples of rationalist architecture in Spain. In early 2025 it was bought by the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of turning it into a cultural centre open to the public. Until now visits have been very limited, so check whether any are available.

7. Casa Ramos

Architect: Jaume Torres i Grau

Style: Modernisme

On Plaça de Lesseps, in Gràcia. It's actually three buildings joined behind a single façade, built between 1905 and 1908, and it's considered the first Modernista building in Gràcia. Look out for the yellow and orange sgraffito and the wrought-iron bees on the central balcony.

8. Mercat de Sant Antoni

Architects: Antoni Rovira i Trias (original), Pere Joan Ravetllat and Carme Ribas (restoration)

Style: iron architecture

A huge 19th-century market that reopened in 2018 after a long restoration. It keeps its original iron structure, and in the basement you can see remains of the city's old fortifications that were uncovered during the works. You don't just come here to shop: come to look up, too.

Tips

• Many of these places are best enjoyed on foot or by bike, away from the crowds.
• Look up: some of the most interesting façades are above eye level.
• Weekday mornings are the best time to take photos without rushing.

Barcelona's architecture goes far beyond Gaudí. If you're interested in design, these buildings show you another side of the city, just as inspiring and often almost all to yourself. From our apartments you can reach nearly all of them by metro or on foot.