Domènech i Montaner was one of the leading practitioners of Catalan Art Nouveau architecture alongside Antoni Gaudí and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, are his most iconic pieces, yet there are many more. All these unique buildings make up an enormously valuable heritage legacy for Catalonia which is well worth a visit.In his early days as an architect he blended European and medieval influences. His career later took off when the Universal Expo was hosted in Barcelona in 1888 and he designed the Castle of the Three Dragons, now closed to the public. Recognition for his professional career came with his work on building upper middle-class houses and large hospital and cultural facilities such as Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau, which he began in 1902, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, built between 1905 and 1908.Structure, construction and decoration in a single conceptDomènech i Montaner was a pioneer in artistically integrating form, function and symbolism in a building. He applied this rationalist model to upper middle-class houses and health facilities and industrial premises alike. His innovations turned into architectural trends of the time and became the unmistakable hallmark of Catalan Art Nouveau.Wrought iron structures, exposed brickwork, ceramic decoration, mosaics and multi-coloured glass which controlled and played with light and decoration inspired by the varied and exuberant forms of nature; all this was a far cry from the sobriety and straight lines of earlier architectural styles.His biographer described the architect as a professional who did things advisedly. Thus before building houses for upper middle-class families, he would spend time with the family who had commissioned the project. This was how he learned at firsthand about their preferences and needs and was able to design a house which was just right for them. It was a kind of on-demand design. The custom was also carried on by his son, architect Pere Domènech Roura.The Domènech i Montaner Barcelona routeIf you’d like to learn about Domènech i Montaner’s achievements, take a self-guided tour suggested by Turisme de Barcelona. It includes the eight buildings designed in the Catalan capital and also the memorials to poet Joan Maragall and Dr Bartolomé Robert, a Catalan nationalist member of parliament in Madrid, designed by the architect and shaped by sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Josep Llimona, respectively. You can also check the calendar of activities programmed for this year of Catalan Art Nouveau celebrations.Domènech i Montaner’s work in BarcelonaHospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant PauDecoration and iconography are two key features of this building which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Construction began in 1902 and it is a prime example of Domènech i Montaner’s artistic combination of form, function and symbolism in a building. The complex was designed following the hygienist criteria of the time to provide ventilation, plenty of sunlight and views of nature.Palau de la Música CatalanaBuilt between 1905 and 1908 as a commission from the Orfeó Català, it is the only working concert venue declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is covered with an inverted dome skylight and one of the finest examples of the integration of the arts applied to architecture; a magical music box blending sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and wrought iron. It is a major piece of architecture and also widely viewed as symbolic and emotive heritage of the people of Catalonia.Casa Lleó MoreraRefurbished by the architect in 1902 as a commission from the Lleó Morera family, this building has a front featuring allusions to the family’s surname, representing mulberry blossom with various materials and allegories of 20th century inventions.Casa ThomasBuilt between 1895 and 1898 commissioned by the printer Josep Thomas, this building is a neo-Gothic wonder which looks like something out of a fairy tale. Its front has a large number of floral decorations and reptile figures, a hallmark of Domènech i Montaner's style.Casa FusterThe architect constructed this neo-Gothic building between 1908 and 1911 with the help of his son Pere. At the time it was considered the most expensive building in Barcelona because of the materials used in its construction, including premium quality white marble, glass and slate. It was the architect’s last design in Barcelona.Editorial Montaner i SimónThis was Domènech i Montaner’s first major commission in 1879. This building was one of the first in the city to feature an iron pillar frame. Even though it was an industrial facility hiding a factory with heavy machinery where more than 240 employees worked, the front was designed as a mansion. Since 1990 it has been the home of the Fundació Antoni Tàpies.Castell dels Tres DragonsIt was originally designed to house the main restaurant for the Barcelona Universal Expo held in 1888. This exposed brickwork building was designed to imitate the structure of a military fortress. It had several uses until it was repurposed in 1920 to host the city’s Zoology Museum. Since the Museum moved to the Fòrum, the building has been closed and awaiting refurbishment.Fonda EspanyaDomènech i Montaner renovated this Catalan Art Nouveau hotel which had opened in 1859. The architect was assisted in this project by Eusebi Arnau, one of the most outstanding Catalan Art Nouveau sculptors along with Josep Llimona and Enric Clarasó, and the painter Ramon Casas, one of the most exceptional Catalan Art Nouveau artists, who is credited with a mural on a maritime theme which decorates the present-day hotel’s Mermaids’ Room.Domènech i Montaner’s work in ReusInstitut Pere MataReus’s upper middle class was the driving force behind the design of this psychiatric hospital. Construction began in 1897 and it was an example of the modernisation of health institutions of the time. The site’s most artistically valuable wing is called Dels Distingits where patients from well-to-do families lived.Casa NavàsPut up in 1901 on a commission from textile businessman Joaquim Navàs, the building features a wide range of applied arts from glasswork to furniture. Its interior decor is an explosion of colours and flourishes while its original furniture has also been preserved.Casa GasullIn 1911, olive oil merchant Fèlix Gasull commissioned this building from the architect which housed the company’s offices and storerooms on the ground floor and the family home above. Handmade ceramic mosaics and sgraffito work are the main features of its front.Domènech i Montaner’s work in Canet de MarCasa DomènechDomènech i Montaner designed it with the help of his son Pere and his son-in-law Francesc Guàrdia. Along with the 17th century Rosoca Farmhouse, this building decorated with Art Nouveau features now hosts the architect’s museum house.Ateneu de Canet de MarJacint Verdaguer’s 1877 poem L’Atlàntida inspired Domènech i Montaner to renovate this building in 1885. Only the two façades remain from the initial design, featuring a large wrought iron balcony and a stained glass rose window in various colours which lights up the inside of the building. It is now owned by Canet de Mar Town Council and houses the Municipal Library.Also in Canet de Mar, the architect renovated and extended Santa Florentina Castle owned by his uncle Ramon Montaner i Vila. The finest artists of the time worked on this 11th-century fortification under the guidance of Domènech i Montaner, adding stained-glass windows, marble floors, carved wood for the ceilings, ceramics and wrought iron. The outcome: a palace with medieval, Catalan Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic touches.Domènech i Montaner’s work outside of Catalonia, funerary art and monumentsGran Hotel Palma de MallorcaBuilt in 1903, it was the first hotel fitted with electricity and a phone on the island. It is now the headquarters of CaixaForum Palma and houses a permanent exhibition featuring the Catalan Art Nouveau painter Hermen Anglada Camarasa.Funerary art and monumentsThe architect also designed funerary art, including pantheons, crypts and tombstones, along with monuments to prominent people such as poet Joan Maragall. Domènech i Montaner is buried in the Sant Gervasi cemetery in Barcelona, even though he had wanted to be laid to rest in the family pantheon in Canet de Mar. Political circumstances following the recent establishment of Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship precluded a public funeral and burial in order to avoid demonstrations and riots.