Thursday, April 18, 2024
BCN locations

THE THREE TOWERS. From Mansions to Apartments

Les Tres Torres was an area on the outskirts of Sant Gervasi, near the border with the municipality of Sarrià. Between 1901 and 1903, at the initiative of the brothers Romaní and Climent Mas i Soldevila, the urbanization of this land began.

The brothers built three large houses (known as towers), one for each of them, hence the name of the neighborhood, which replaced the previous name Nena Casas, which was used until the early 20th century.

Between 1906 and 1916, several railway stations were built, first Sarrià and in 1916 Les Planes.

Throughout those years, other towers and mansions were built. However, as was the case with many of the large houses in this area, in the second half of the 20th century they were replaced by luxury apartment buildings.

The urban typology of the neighborhood can be characterized by a small center of an old village and subsequent modern expansions with taller buildings. The area included Can Rabia, the stadium of the Real Club Deportivo Español, although this was demolished and the land was reclassified to build residential buildings.

Points of Interest & References:

  • Colegio de Santa Teresa: The initial plans for this modernist building (built between 1888 and 1889) were drawn up by an unknown architect, who handed over the work to Antoni Gaudí in 1889. Gaudí could not change these plans because the foundations were already built, but his unmistakable style was reflected in the interiors and facades. (Ganduxer 85)
  • Casa Muley-Afid: A modernist building commissioned by the Moroccan Sultan Muley Afid and designed by the renowned Catalan architect, Josep Puig I Cadafalch, in 1911. (Passeig Bonanova 55)