Casa Coll i Regàs facts for kids
The Coll i Regàs house is a special building in Mataró, Barcelona. It was designed in 1898 by a famous Catalan architect named Josep Puig i Cadafalch. A textile businessman, Joaquim Coll i Regas, asked him to build it. This house shows many important parts of the Modernist art style. Because it's so important, it was named a Cultural Interest historical monument in 2000. Today, the Fundació Iluro of Mataró owns it.
What is Modernism?
Modernism was a popular art and design style in Europe around the late 1800s and early 1900s. It wasn't just about art; it was a whole new way of thinking about life and design. Modernism mixed old Catalan building traditions with new ideas. It used sculpture, beautiful crafts, and new materials like iron.
Modernist designs often feature plant shapes, like flowers and leaves. They also like things that are not perfectly balanced (called asymmetry) and designs that show movement. In Mataró, Josep Puig i Cadafalch was the most important Modernist architect. He designed many buildings and was a big part of the city's culture. This is why Joaquim Coll i Regàs likely chose him to design his home, which is now a symbol of Mataró.
About the House
The Coll i Regàs house was built between 1897 and 1898. It was a big project to completely change two old houses into one grand home. This was common for wealthy families in Mataró at the time. It's the only large house built in the city during the Modernist period.
The front of the house, facing the street, has many special features. The bottom part, the entrance, a large balcony on the ground floor, and all the windows are made from stone. This stone came from Montjuïc, a mountain near Barcelona. A sculptor named Eusebi Arnau carved the stone. He was a friend and often worked with Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Special Details
One of the most famous parts of the house is "The spinner" sculpture. It sits above the main entrance and has become a symbol for the city of Mataró. The outside walls of the house are decorated with a special technique called sgraffito. This involves scratching designs into plaster to show different colors underneath. There are also many colorful tiles. A large triangular shape above the balcony is especially noticeable.
The roof of the building has traditional Catalan eaves, which are parts of the roof that hang over the walls. Look closely at the iron bars on the ground floor windows. They were probably made in Barcelona. These bars include designs that look like parts of textile machines. This was a clever way for the architect to show that Joaquim Coll i Regàs was a textile manufacturer. You can also find cotton flowers and gear-like shapes in the sgraffito and stained-glass windows. These designs are a nod to the owner's business.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Coll i Regàs para niños
