Sant Pau: The Other Modernista Wonder of Barcelona

As I continued my exploration of the incredible Modernista complex of Barcelona’s Hospital Sant Pau, the Operations House was the next gorgeous building to catch my eye. Set amongst the fantastic patient pavilions and fragrant lavender gardens, it floated in the Spanish sky like a heavenly mirage when glimpsed from within the incredible Administration Pavilion.Upon closer look, I saw that the cerulean blue of that beautiful sky was reflected in the colour of the mosaics printed on its façade. And the names spelled out in these tiled artworks were those of distinguished doctors. Like the pavilions surrounding it, the Operations House is covered in a variety of symbolic stone carvings. The vast majority are angels, with the stylized skirts of two of them framing the ornate entrance, offering protection and comfort to the patients within. However, you will also find several of the more than one thousand dragons located in Barcelona, mounted on the building. All of this combines to create yet another amazing Art Nouveau masterpiece on the grounds of Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau.

I also came across a mosaic dedicated to Sant Cosme or Saint Cosmas, one of the patron saints of pharmacists, nestled into the side of this fantastic Operations House.

And a glorious angel overlooked the rear of this wonderful edifice, spreading its grace over the circular, glass-walled, operating rooms below. Strolling through the main operating room located on ground level, it was evident that these solariums, filled with natural light, were another way that architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner applied modern medical beliefs when designing this hospital. Continuing my stroll through this therapeutic garden city, I came upon several buildings that have not been renovated yet. Their beauty, however, was still very much evident. These included the convent, signs of its decay evident in the protective cloth hanging above the round window at its entrance. And the Purissima Pavilion, its star-crowned water tower set against the brightness of the sun. The grounds of this Catalan Modernista masterpiece also contain two sets of circular staircases leading underground. I descended one of these to discover that a large part of Sant Pau also exists underground.

For this staircase led me to a network of tunnels which, I soon discovered, connect all of the pavilions. This was another architectural innovation of the time, one that facilitated the movement of supplies throughout the hospital. And the beauty of its simple, white-tiled, vaulted ceilings and gleaming walls was a wonderful counterpoint to the colourful, elaborate designs above.

See my post Sant Pau: The Other Modernista Wonder of Barcelona – Part 1 to explore the gorgeous Administration Pavilion of this most beautiful hospital.

Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau C. Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167 08025 Barcelona