Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau: main façade

The former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in the neighbourhood of El Guinardó, Barcelona, is a complex of 26 buildings, built between 1901 and 1930, designed by the Catalan modernisme architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It evolved from a medieval charitable home to a modern hospital since its founding about 600 years ago. It was a fully functioning hospital until June 2009, then underwent restoration for use as a museum and cultural centre, which opened in 2014.

The Hospital de Sant Pau complex demonstrates Lluís Domènech i Montaner's skill in combining brick and stone, and in employing ceramic decoration. The chosen building materials are made of durable building materials, which fulfil the function of a hospital. As part of modernistic architecture, we find a striking mix of brick, natural stone and ceramics. Red brick was used exclusively for façades, combined with natural stone. For all decorative, architectural elements, reliefs and sculptures stone was used. Shiny ceramic stone was applied in the cladding of the domes, roofs and mosaics, and interior ceilings.