Central Antituberculosis Clinic
The first Rationalist building built in Barcelona
An L-shaped set of three cement buildings constitutes one of the milestones of Rationalist architecture in Catalonia. This construction, which was built in the 1930s and was one of the first to be built expressly to treat tuberculosis, employed innovative technical solutions that were so effective that they continued to be used at later hospitals.
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Why visit the Tuberculosis Dispensary?
One of the architects that designed the building, Josep Lluís Sert, nephew of the famous painter Josep Maria Sert, was one of the main advocates of rationalism, a movement that turned its back on the more traditional forms of architecture and ushered in the beginning of the contemporary architectural period. Josep Lluís Sert, a disciple of Le Corbusier, was also responsible for the Fundació Miró, and during his post-Civil War exile in the United States, he was dean of Harvard’s School of Design.
Josep Lluís Sert was a founder member of GATCPAC (Group of Catalan Architects and Technicians for the Progress of Contemporary Architecture), and together with Joan Baptista Subirana and Josep Torres Clavé, they designed three simple buildings with straight lines and pure forms located behind the church of Sant Pere Nolasc in the Raval district of Barcelona, close to Plaça Universitat. These buildings represent a milestone for rationalist architecture, a style that prioritises functionality.
The clinic, built between 1934 and 1937, is a collection of three cement buildings, each with four floors in an “L” shape, thus providing the correct ventilation and exposure to sunlight for the treatment of patients, following the recommendations of Doctor Lluís Sayé.
The building, which since 1992 has been protected as a cultural asset of national importance, is a synthesis of all of the ideological postulations and expectations which, up until that point, the collaborating architects had theorised about individually. Thus, the clinic combines the use of new materials with a respect for the constructive tradition and is a prime example of a modern work of official hospital architecture.
How to get to the Antituberculosis Clinic
The Antituberculosis Clinic is located in the Plaça de Castella, which can be reached from the stop in Plaça de Catalunya, at the starting point of both the Blue Route and the Red Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic.
For the more curious
- Did you know that... GATCPAC architects also built the Casa Bloc, a residential building in the district of Sant Andreu that is considered to be a symbol of rationalist architecture in Barcelona. It was promoted by the Catalan Government during the Second Republic as being functional dwellings considered to be of the minimum acceptable standard for workers employed in an urban setting.
- Local insider's tip: If you like vintage clothes and vinyl records, you'll find plenty of shops that sell them in Carrer Tallers!
- Essential for: Lovers of contemporary architecture.
