Enric Sagnier facts for kids

Enric Sagnier, a famous architect from Barcelona.

The beautiful Sagrat Cor church on top of Tibidabo mountain.

Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia (born in Barcelona in 1858 – died in 1931) was a Spanish architect.

Even though he's not as famous as other architects from his time, like Antoni Gaudí, Enric Sagnier designed many important buildings. He was very busy and could work in many different styles, such as neo-Gothic (like old Gothic churches), neo-Baroque (like grand, fancy buildings), and Modernisme (a unique Spanish art style). He became an architect in 1882. One of his first big projects was the Palau de Justícia (Law Courts) in Barcelona, which he worked on with Josep Domènech i Estapà.

Other well-known buildings he designed in Barcelona include the Caixa de Pensions building on Via Laietana, the New Customs House, and the amazing church on Tibidabo mountain.

Life and Work

Enric Sagnier was born in Barcelona on March 21, 1858. His father, Lluís Sagnier i Nadal, was the president of a bank called Caixa d’Estalvis i Mont de Pietat de Barcelona. Enric's father was also very good at studying old Greek and Roman writings. Young Enric was a talented painter and played the violin well. He studied at the Barcelona Higher School of Architecture and finished his studies in 1882.

He started his career helping another architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano. His first job was to fix up a chapel at the Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey. His first important building was the church of Santa Engràcia de Montcada in 1886. This church was built in a neo-Gothic style, but sadly, it was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. He also built his first apartment building, Casa Cuyàs, that same year.

Enric Sagnier became very successful quickly. He received many projects from the Church and rich families in Catalonia. In 1886, when he was still in his twenties, he was asked to design Barcelona's new Law Courts with Josep Domènech i Estapà. This huge project started the next year. In the same year, Sagnier married Dolors Vidal-Ribas i Torrents. They had six children, and one of them, Josep Maria, also became an architect.

Enric Sagnier was a calm and very religious man. He spent his whole life working as an architect. He received many awards, like the Barcelona City Council's Gold Medal in 1917 for winning an architecture prize three years in a row! He was part of important art groups, like the Acadèmia de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi, and a group of Catholic artists called the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, for which he designed their symbol. He also helped manage museums and was on the board of the Caixa d’Estalvis de Barcelona bank. Sometimes, he was involved in politics, representing a Catholic group. He was very close to the Church, especially the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 1923, the Pope even made him a Marquis, which is a special title. In his later years, he worked with his son, Josep Maria Sagnier i Vidal. He passed away in Barcelona in 1931.

Architectural Styles

Enric Sagnier's buildings have three main features: he designed a lot of them, he was always open to using new building methods, and he didn't stick to just one style. Instead, he changed his designs to fit what people liked at the time. His career can be divided into three periods:

• Before 1900: His work was a mix of styles, often grand and impressive.
• 1900 to 1910: He started using softer, more decorative forms, adopting the Modernisme style.
• After 1910: He moved towards Neoclassicism, which was a return to older, simpler styles, even when other architects were doing different things.

The Palau de Justícia (law courts), one of Sagnier's early works.

Early Buildings

Besides the church of Montcada i Reixac and the Casa Cuyàs, Sagnier's early works included a plan for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) (a big exhibition), but it was never built.

In the 1890s, Sagnier mostly designed houses. The Casa Juncadella (1888–1891) was known for its beautiful sculptures and ironwork. The Pons houses (1890) were in a neo-Gothic style with two pointed towers. The Tomàs Roger house (1892–1894) mixed classic styles with sculptures.

He also designed several religious buildings for the Salesians, like the Santa Maria Auxiliadora sanctuary (1889–1901). He also designed the Jesús-Maria school (1892–1897) in a neo-Gothic style and the college of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1892–1894). He built the Centro de Nuestra Señora del Carmen y San Pedro Claver (1899–1903), which was a complex of schools and workshops for young workers, but it was destroyed in 1936.

In 1893, he built the Frontón Barcelonés, the first place in Barcelona for playing Basque pelota (a traditional ball game). This building was taken down in 1902. Between 1896 and 1902, he worked with Pere Garcia Fària to build the New Customs House in Barcelona's port. This building is a good example of his mixed-style approach.

Modernista Period

Casa Fargas, Rambla de Catalunya, 47, Barcelona (1902-4).

Around the year 1900, Sagnier started to use Modernisme styles, which were very popular then. He used a lot of sculpture and ironwork in his designs. However, he used less stained glass and wall tiles, which were common in other Modernista buildings.

One of his first Modernista-style buildings was the Garriga house (1899–1901), known for its elegant sculptures and stained-glass windows. The Juncadella house (1900–1901) had new ideas like clover-shaped openings and fancy Baroque decorations. The Carulla house (1900) had a facade topped with a sculpture representing painting. During this time, Sagnier also designed tombs for rich families.

In 1903, Sagnier became the architect for the Benedictine abbey of Montserrat. He designed several parts of the abbey that are no longer there today. He also designed the Stations of the Cross (1904–16) on the Montserrat hillside, with sculptures by Eusebi Arnau. These sculptures had a style similar to Antoni Gaudí's, with rough surfaces and natural shapes. Because of his connection with the Benedictine order, he was asked to design a church and school in Perth (Australia) for a mission called New Norcia.

Also from this period is one of Sagnier's most important religious buildings, the Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart) on the Tibidabo mountain in Barcelona. Work on this church started in 1902 and continued until 1961, with his son Josep Maria finishing it after Enric's death. This church was built thanks to Dorotea de Chopitea and others who donated land to Saint John Bosco in 1886. They wanted to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, similar to famous churches in Rome and Paris. The first stone was laid on December 28, 1902.

The basilica has a crypt (an underground chapel) and an upper church with a large dome. The crypt, which looks a bit Byzantine, was built between 1902 and 1911. The upper church was built between 1915 and 1951. The crypt is in a neo-Romanesque style, and the upper church has tall Gothic features, topped by a statue of the Sacred Heart. The original statue was destroyed in 1936 and replaced in 1950.

El Pinar, the house built for the banker Manuel Arnús.

Another building Sagnier designed on Tibidabo from this time is the mansion for the banker Manuel Arnús (1902). This house is in a very noticeable spot on the hillside and can be seen from many parts of the city. Sagnier used stone from Montjuïc mountain, along with scratchwork and tiles. The carved stone decorations look natural, similar to those on the Sagrat Cor church nearby. The towers and clover-shaped openings give it a medieval feel, while a gallery reminds people of a traditional Catalan farmhouse called a masia.

Other buildings from this period include the Mulleras house (1903–1905) in a neo-Rococo style, and "La Pompeia" (1907–1915), a church and monastery for the Capuchin order. This church was inspired by old Catalan Gothic architecture, with features like a roof supported by arches, similar to the Santa Àgata chapel in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

Later Buildings

Real Club Marítimo.

In the years that followed, Sagnier designed fewer buildings but received many official awards. He slowly moved away from Modernisme and started using his own mix of Classical styles. In 1911, he won a competition to design the Real Club Marítimo (Royal Maritime Club) in Barcelona (built 1911–1913). It was an octagon-shaped building with a dome and a small lighthouse on top, but it was torn down in 1957. In 1912, he started building the French Chapel, which had an underground crypt and an upper church in a neo-Romanesque style. His son Josep Maria likely finished it in 1927. Also in 1912, he built a grand home for the Marquis of Alella, which had a style influenced by Plateresque art and paintings by Josep Maria Sert.

Between 1916 and 1936, Sagnier designed a group of buildings for a charity that helped children and the poor. His son Josep Maria completed these buildings. Most of this large complex was torn down in 1970, and only one part remains, which is now the Wad-Ras prison.

The Caixa de Pensions building in the Via Laietana, Barcelona, built in 1917.

Perhaps Sagnier's most important building from this time is the main office for the Caixa de Pensions de Barcelona savings bank on Via Laietana (1914–1917). It was designed with offices on the ground floor and apartments for rent on the upper floors to make money. The main entrance was on the ground floor, with large windows above for the boardroom and offices. The building was made with reinforced concrete, which was a new material then, and covered with stone. The original banking hall was beautifully decorated with paintings and marble.

The bank quickly grew too big for this building, so in 1920, they asked Sagnier to build an addition nearby. He also designed several branch offices for the Caixa bank in other cities like Igualada (1922), Sabadell (1923), Manresa (1924), and Tarragona (1929).

During the First World War, Spain was neutral, which meant it was a good time for business. Sagnier received many projects then. Between 1915 and 1926, he built the basilica of Sant Josep Oriol. This church was different from the popular medieval styles of the time. It looked more like an old Roman basilica, with aisles separated by arches. In 1915, he planned a project for the Miramar area of Montjuïc, but it wasn't used. He also worked on two buildings in Plaça de Catalunya: he rebuilt the Hotel Colón (1916) in a Classical style (it no longer exists), and he designed the Banca Arnús building (1918–1927), which is now the Banco Central Hispanoamericano, also in a Classical style.

Patronato Ribas.

After 1920, Sagnier worked a bit less. A notable project from his later years is the Patronato Ribas (1920–1930), which was an orphanage. It was a cleverly designed group of buildings, arranged symmetrically around a chapel. The decorations had a Baroque style, with clay reliefs inspired by Catalan traditions. Today, these buildings are a secondary school.

Sagnier was on the jury that chose designs for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition on Montjuïc, including the main palace, which is now the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. For the Expo, Sagnier was also asked to restore the Archbishop's Palace in Barcelona. He changed the inner courtyard, showing an old Gothic window and Romanesque arches, and built a new staircase. As the architect for the diocese (a church area), he was also asked to move the choir stalls in Barcelona cathedral, but this project was never done. As a member of the Provincial Council, he designed the Spanish Provinces pavilion for the 1929 Expo, which had a Plateresque Gothic style and a statue of Saint George. At the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in Seville, he built the pavilion for the Catalan provinces, which looked like a traditional Catalan farmhouse (masia).

List of Principal Works

Barcelona

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1887–1911	Palau de Justícia de Barcelona	Passeig Lluís Companys	Law courts building, designed with Josep Domènech i Estapà.	Good
1888–1890	Casa Antoni Roger Vidal	C/ Ausiàs Marc, 33-35/Girona, 20	House for Antoni Roger Vidal, in a mix of styles.	Good
1888–1891	Casa Rodolf Juncadella	Rambla Catalunya, 33	House for Rodolf Juncadella, known for its carvings and ironwork.	Good
1890–1891	Cases Pons	Passeig de Gràcia, 2 i 4	Houses for Alexandre Pons Serra and Isidra Pons de Pascual, in a neo-Gothic style.	Good
1892–1897	Jesús-Maria school	Passeig de Sant Gervasi, 15	Neo-Gothic school for the Salesian order.	Good
1893	Frontó Barceloní	C/ Diputació, 415	Building for playing Basque pelota.	No longer exists
1896–1902	Customs house in the Port de Barcelona	Passeig Josep Carner, 29	New customs house, built with Pere Garcia i Fària.	Good
1899–1901	Casa Garriga Nogués	C/ Diputació, 250	House for Rupert Garriga, with stained-glass windows and carvings.	Excellent
1902–1904	House for Manuel Arnús, known as "El Pinar"	Plaça del Doctor Andreu (Tibidabo)	House for Manuel Arnús, in a neo-Gothic style with Catalan country house elements.	Good
1902–1961	Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor	Tibidabo	Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, started by Dorotea de Chopitea.	Good
1904	Triumphal arch in honour of Alfonso XIII	Passeig de Gràcia	Arch built for King Alfonso XIII's visit to Barcelona.	No longer exists
1905	Quinta Regina	C/ Plantada 1-5	House in Sant Gervasi, with a historicist style and Nordic influences.	Fair
1907–1915	"Pompeia" church and convent	Av. Diagonal, 450	Church and convent for the Capuchins, inspired by Catalan Gothic architecture.	Good
1910–1911	Casa Ramon Mulleras	Passeig de Gràcia, 37	House part of the "Block of Disharmony" with other famous Modernista buildings.	Good
1911	Casa Doctor Genové	la Rambla, 77	Building for a pharmacy and laboratory, known for its unique arch and sculptures.	Good
1911–1913	Reial Club Marítim de Barcelona	Port of Barcelona	Octagonal building with a dome and lighthouse.	Demolished in 1957
1910/1914	Enric Cera House	Carrer Or, 38-40 Gracia	Mansion in a historicist style, with two square towers.	Excellent
1914–1917	Head office for the Caixa de Pensions de Barcelona	Via Laietana, 56-58	Main office for the Caixa de Pensions bank, with offices and apartments.	Good
1915–1916	Casa Salvador Andreu	Av. Tibidabo, 21	Noucentista-style summer home for Doctor Andreu.	Excellent
1915–1926	Basílica de Sant Josep Oriol	C/ Diputació, 141	Church commissioned by Magdalena Modolell.	Good
1916	Hotel Colón	Plaça de Catalunya	Hotel rebuilt in a Classical style.	No longer exists
1916–1936	Junta Provincial de Protecció a la Infància i Repressió de la Mendicitat	Bogatell	Buildings for a charity helping children.	Mostly demolished in 1970, only one part remains (Wad-Ras prison).
1918	Casa de J. Pujol	Psg. Bonanova, 64	Modernista detached house.	Good
1918–1927	Banca Arnús	Plaça de Catalunya	Classical-style bank building, now Banco Central Hispanoamericano.	Good
1920–1930	Patronat Ribas	Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 93-103	Orphanage, now a secondary school.	Good
1929	Palau de les Diputacions	Av. Marquès de Comillas/Montanyans	Pavilion for the Provincial authorities at the 1929 International Exposition.	No longer exists

Castelldefels

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1903–1909	Parish church of Santa Maria	Plaça de l'Església	Church built to replace an older Romanesque one.	Good
1897	Castelldefels Castle	Castillo de Castelldefels	Restoration work on the castle ruins.

Monistrol de Montserrat

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1904–1916	Via Crucis de Montserrat	Montserrat	Series of 14 sculptures about the Passion of Christ.	Destroyed in 1936

Montcada i Reixac

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1888–1928	Church of Santa Engràcia	C/ Major	Neo-Gothic church.	Destroyed in 1936

Perth (Australia)

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1904–1906	Church and school of Santa Gertrudis	Perth	Church and school for the Benedictine mission of New Norcia.	Good

Sabadell

Sant Pere de Ribes

San Sebastián

Seville

Sitges

Year	Name	Location	Description	Condition
1899	Casa Isabel Ferret	C/Ribera, 29	Detached house for Isabel Ferret.	Good

Valencia

Vic

See also

In Spanish: Enric Sagnier para niños