Terrassa a Modernist gem

January 3, 2010 by Admin
Filed under Activities, History and culture

Terrassa is only 28 kms from Barcelona and close to Sabadell which also developed in a similar way at the start of the Catalan Industrial revolution in the mid 19th Century.

Both these cities were at the vanguard of textile manufacture and as such the legacy they have left us is visible as textile mills, houses built for industrialists of the time and public buildings using architects that tried to reflect the new materials at their disposal (bricks, ironwork, glass, tiles) in a style which was collectively known as Modernism.

Terrassa has managed to preserve and re-use some of these buildings, turning them into wonderful public spaces like museums, art galleries and schools while others are protected but used as private dwellings or business premises. The tourist information offices have a map that highlights the main buildings and routes around town, all of which are marked with a signpost.

I will try to reflect the variety of buildings and capture some of the beauty of the details in the pictures below: