We have come to enjoy the architecture of Europe. And there are many splendid examples; e.g. Westminster Abbey in London; The Blue Mosque in Istanbul; the whole walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia; etc. Barcelona also has many fantastic structures, most of which exemplify Catalunya Modernism. One of the best examples of this type of architecture, at least in our opinion, is La Casa Lleo Morera. Situated a couple of blocks north of La Plaza Catalunya, this house is one of three within a block of each other that make up the "Block of Discord" (because of their break from traditionalism) - as you will see in our postings, we visited all three. Designed by Lluis Montaner, the most famous architect of his time, as a refurbishment of the 1864 Casa Rocomora, it is the only building in the area to have been awarded the "Arts Building Annual Award" by the Barcelona City Council. Montaner also designed the Palace of Catalan Music, about which we posted earlier. The Morera building shouts "Hey, Look at us! We are important and wealthy!" There are a number of innovations in this house that make it stand out: for instance, sliding doors (to separate larger rooms into smaller ones) that disappear into the walls; plaster ceilings decorated to simulate carved wood; and sculptures that carry a story from one area to another. For us, the most impressive area is the dining room with its semi-circular stained glass wall that opens out to the patio garden area. These folks sure knew how to live well. A bit disappointing was that no original furniture was left in the house. There were some old photos of the rooms with furniture in them, but it is just not the same .
Street view of La Casa Lleo Morera.
One of the innovations for its time, was this elevator in the vestibule.
The main reception room was one that could be divided by sliding doors.
The Moreras wanted to separate the public areas of the house from the private areas. This corridor leads to the family rooms. Notice the allegorical sculptures over the doorways. These depict a story theme that is carried throughout the house.
Our favorite room in the house - the stained glass dining room. Each glass panel depicts a family in nature.
Old photo of the dining room as it was furnished by the Moreras.
This plaque on the facade of the building signifies that the Barcelona City Council gave the "Arts Building Annual Award" for the best architectural design for 1906.
Patio with a Mulberry bush painted on the wall (Morera translates into "Mulberry" from Catalunya). The green building below the Mulberry bush was used as servant quarters.
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