Built between 1905 and 1908 by Lluis Domenech i Montaner, this building has been declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Representing a high point of the
modernista architecture, itdemostrates that Gaudi had no monopoly on fanciful
architecture. Commissioned by the Orfeo Catala choral society, the building
symbolized a reawakening in Catalan nationalism. From the outside the building is
almost too rich in detail and is difficult to appreciate in its cramped location.
Indeed many critical voices opined it was so gaudy that only the wrecking ball
could remedy the situation. Thankfully, no one paid any heed. The climax of the building is
in the sculpture that bulges from the corner, as if leaning over a balcony.
It is a modernista allegory for popular song: a nymph surrounded by the
representative of the people.
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