Hotel Casa Fuster

Mariano Fuster i Fuster, a high society gentleman from Mallorca, met Consuelo Fabra i Puig, daughter of the Marquis of Alella, in Barcelona. He wanted to give her a house and decided to build the building at 132 Passeig de Gràcia. Construction began in 1908 and in 1911 the Fuster i Fabra family moved into the main apartment. Domènech i Montaner worked on the project together with his son Pere Domènech i Roure. In 1911, Casa Fuster was considered the most expensive house in the city because of the materials used. In 1962, the company ENHER acquired the building with the intention of demolishing it to build a skyscraper. Barcelona society was totally opposed and, thanks to numerous protests and press articles, the catastrophe was avoided. The Hotels Center chain acquired the building in 2000 and renovated it while respecting the original features. The hotel opened in 2004.

Casa Fuster was Domènech i Montaner's last project in Barcelona, executed in a subtle neo-Gothic and modernist style. The architect designed the building with three impressive facades known for their expressiveness and striking details. The main material was white marble, in keeping with the classic characteristics of his work: sturdy columns with a red stone base, floral ornamentation inspired by nature and three-lobed windows. The façade has a cylindrical tower typical of the architect, adorned with sculptures simulating swallows' nests and a curious attic in a French style uncommon in modernist architecture. The building should have been crowned with a tower similar to that of the administration pavilion of the Hospital de Sant Pau, but it was never completed.

Hotel Casa Fuster is located on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia and Avinguda Diagonal, the point where the elegant Eixample meets the bohemian neighborhood of Gràcia. Passeig de Gràcia offers the largest collection of modernist architecture in the world, including Gaudí's Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. The Gràcia district, with its lively squares, independent stores and village atmosphere, is just a short walk away. The Sagrada Familia is a 15-minute walk away.