The Casa Planells, the end of an era

Halfway between modernism and architectural rationalism, the 332 in Avinguda Diagonal accommodates what is considered the last work of the Gaudi trend in Barcelona: Casa Planells. Only the ingenuity of Josep Maria Jujol was able to solve the challenge presented by the contractor Evel·lí Planells in 1923, from a plot that barely reached the 80m2, he planned majestic apartments of up to 120m2. The key was simple materials, rounded shapes, and several heights, creating duplex floors connected with a spiral staircase.

 However, Jujol conceived up to three different projects for this property. Initially, the request of Planells responded to a single-family house with a large garden. In a second term, the project evolved into a simple house for the family. But the bankruptcy of the builder forced the owner to rethink the project and, finally, he chose to build several flats for rent.

 In spite of the hustle and bustle, Jujol succeeded in creating a building that meant the end of a period: the modernism. And it is precisely that rationalist influences that emphasize Jujol’s own architectural personality. However, the façade reveals the influences of his admired Antoni Gaudí, with whom he collaborated in the chromatic design of Casa Batlló or in the ceramic coating of the emblematic wavy bench in Park Güell.