Barcelona Photoblog

October 21, 2006

Catalan Modernisme: Old Pharmacy and Laboratory

Modernist Lamp


It is late and I am very tired but I don't want to let my window to Barcelona closed tonight, so I leave you with this modest but beautiful sample of Catalan modernisme, a street lamp on the entrance of this old pharmacy and laboratory, near the city center. 

Pharmacy Viladot, as such is the name is located on the corner of Ronda de Sant Pere, 40 and Bruc, 8 in Barcelona. There is not much left of the once rich interior except for part of the cabinetmaking work such as the central column lined with noble wood, the small counter or the stained-glass windows that decorate the windows inside. The exterior of the building is still almost intact with these beautiful flower decorations and the modernist lamp.

Architect Felix Cardellach was commissioned by lawyer Francesc Xavier Palomas i Bons that in fact gave the indications himself of how he wanted the establishment to be, and its decoration. This was the year 1905.

But Dr. Joan Viladot i Cardona who bought the pharmacy in 1925, commissioned the renown ceramist LluĂ­s Bru, to add some panels made with ceramic mosaic, with the words "Farmacia Laboratorio" that you can read nowadays.

The business was kept by the Viladot family until 1987.

Notice the elaborate ironwork and specially those little floral adornments on the metal stems along the wall. Here are two more images, a close up of the lamp and a general view from the middle of the street. Nice weekend everybody!

October 20, 2006

Barcelona Photobloggers Opens Exhibition: De la Red a la Pared

Sculpture of Woman
© All Rights Reserved

This picture of woman sculpture, sitting and holding her knee, was part of a temporary exhibition some months ago at Illa Diagonal. I rescued it from the archives too. The anecdote here was that it was allowed to take photographs of the exhibition but not of the shopping center, thus the policeman in the background pretending not to see. He had already warned me seconds before and kept an eye on me. One of the many funny or compromised situations a photographer, amateur or pro has to experience every once in a while. I wanted to show an image of one of the many exhibitions in Barcelona this year to make a point today:
Barcelona Photobloggers , the community made up of more than 50 photographers and representing all photobloggers in Barcelona, opens an exhibition called "De la Red a La Pared", from Oct 19th to Nov 9th at Fotonauta Gallery in carrer Vic, 15 (see Google map). Admission is free. More than 300 pictures taken by 22 members will be exposed and everyone is invited (if you are in the city of course). I have to say that this author could not participate but will encourage the work of the group that represents us all. Here is a link to an article, announcing the exhibition, which appeared today in ElPais.es, the online version of one the most prestigious newspapers in Spain.

PS: Here is a last minute link to one of Barcelona Photobloggers members: Desnivell, showing a fresh image of the exhibition.

October 19, 2006

Las Arenas Bullring in Plaza Espanya, Barcelona

Las Arenas Bullring by Rogers
© All Rights Reserved

As I have not much time lately I am tidying up my archives, now that I can post bigger images. I once published a small image about Las Arenas Bullring, that mastodontic engineering work in front of Plaza Espanya. Summing up, it consists in lifting up the whole coliseum that once held the arena where bullfights took place by means of huge jacks and props to make way for an underneath path among many other things and...check full details or links in the post. Feel free to ask once you come back. Another image here, showing the left side and what used to be the main entrance in this other.

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