Sant Pau

The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect. I’m both inspired and in awe of this discovery.

Built between 1902 and 1930, Sant Pau was home to the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau from 1916 to2009.

Conceived as a city within a city, this project lives on as an exceptional demonstration of the creative genius of Lluis Domènech i Montaner. Montaner is remembered as one of the great European architects. This Art Nouveau Site, which served Barcelona as an innovative, cutting edge hospital, is today a knowledge centre that hosts equally innovative institutions.

In its time, Sant Pau was a landmark in hospital construction. Open spaces are punctuated by the beautiful, freestanding buildings. Connected by a network of tunnels underground, the buildings sit within sprawling gardens above ground. The entire design, both practical and aesthetic, were for the purpose of providing the greatest comfort to the sick.

UNESCO declared Sant Pau a World Heritage Site in 1997. It’s still remarkable that the announcement was 12 years before hospital operations ceased here. Today, restorations and renovations continue to rehabilitate the site that served and saved so many for nearly a century of Barcelona’s recent history.

This post explores only the highlights of Sant Pau but there is so much more to know and explore. For additional detail about some of the features of the Sant Pau site, see the following links:

The Administration Building

The centrepiece of the Sant Pau hospital complex is the striking façade and interiors of the Administration building. I am confronted by this monumental altarpiece as I approach the site but it’s not until later that the full impact of its stunning interior is revealed.

For now, the outside is dominated by various sculptural elements and topped by an unmissable clock tower. It’s a 62m high structure which has become one of Barcelona’s iconic landmarks. There are some wonderful sculptural elements by Pau Gargallo which include four angels representing the three Virtues and the Works as well as some wonderful mosaics.

The building’s lobby has a soft glow about it thanks to the stained glass that bathes the space with light and color. Enhanced by the columns, the ceiling features nine loops supported by stone and pink marble columns. The roof, decorated in mauve and pink ceramics, continues to reflect the light in the chosen pastel colour theme.

The magnificent staircase off to one side of the lobby offers a clear example of the intimate, perfect relationship between architecture and ornamentation. And this example only continues to improve as I access the first floor with its Domènech i Montaner Room which seems to be the crowning glory and continues to serve as the hospital’s function room. For more detail about Sant Pau’s Administration Building, continue here…

Hypostyle Hall

The San Pau’s Hypostyle Hall, built as part of the foundations of the Administration building, was originally a distribution space. It provided access to the underground galleries connecting the different pavilions and if necessary allow carriages in and out of the complex. Incredibly, in the 1990s it was dissected and used as the hospital’s Emergency Department.

Of note here are the imposing columns, connected by brick arches with ceramic decorations, which support vaults clad with white ceramic tile. For more detail about the Hypostyle Hall, continue here…

Tunnels

A particularly interesting feature of the Sant Pau complex is the inclusion of a series of underground tunnels that connect the Administration building to different pavilions of the complex. The tunnels stem from the Hypostyle Hall. Their primary purpose was for patients and staff to move around the complex whilst completely protected from the elements.

The inclusion of the underground network had another benefit. It allowed the gardens of San Pau to remain peaceful and a place for patients to find recuperate without the bustle of daily hospital activities. For more about the tunnels, continue here…

Sant Salvador Pavilion

The Sant Salvador pavilion was the first to become operational when the hospital opened. Today the pavilion is restored. Coming out of the tunnels, the lower floor contains an exhibition containing information about the hospital, how it came about and medical equipment of the time.

On ascending the stairs to the upper floor there are the isolation rooms and doctors offices immediately at the top of the stairs. Then the pavilion opens out to the main area where beds for 28 patients were lined up neatly along the beautifully tiled walls and looking up to the mosaic ceiling.

Second floor of the Sant Salvador Pavilion

The Sant Salvador Pavilion currently hosts an exhibition in this space dedicated to Montaner’s three specific traits: ideologist, architect and erudite.

At the front of the pavilion before exiting into the garden are the day rooms. These beautiful rooms filled with light and intricately decorated where for patients to sit and for visitors to attend.

To read about the San Salvador Pavilion in more depth, continue here…

The Gardens

The design of the gardens at San Pau was to bring its patients closer to nature. By providing shade in summer, dappled light in winter and a pleasant spot to sit and enjoy the environment and nature, the gardens support the recovery of each patient. The plants also cleanse the environment and purify the air. But even more than this, the plants were chosen for specific reasons. Aromatic plants including lavender, sage and thyme were used to make ointments. Even the fragrant bitter oranges were picked and turned into marmalade.

To read more about the hospital’s gardens continue here…

San Rafael Pavilion

Restoration of the Sant Rafael Pavilion is not yet completed. Currently, an exhibition at the front of the pavilion displays pictures with explanations of some of the daily life of the hospital. There are pictures of the area before Sant Pau was built. It’s amazing to marvel at the story of the hospital and how much has changed over the space of just over one hundred years.

Patient Room in the Sant Rafael Pavillion

At the back of the pavilion, there is an intriguing reproduction of a patient room. The beds are lined up along the walls, reflective of the room’s configuration when the hospital first opened. Again, it’s a remarkable comparison to modern day patient care, this is despite it having been cutting edge for the time.

To read some of the San Rafael stories, continue here…

The Operating Theatre

The main operating building is located in the middle of the San Pau grounds. Its remarkable operating theatre appears more suitable as a conservatory for a fancy afternoon tea than for use as an operating theatre.

Surrounded by floor to ceiling windows and with a half glass roof, the operating theatre is remarkable in its construction. Designed to allow natural light from above and around, there is also a small amphitheatre space for students and professionals. This allowed them to look on and follow the interventions. Continue to learn about the Sant Pau operating theatre and building here…

Carmen Pavilion

The Carmen Pavilion is yet to be restored. A peek into the interior gives me some idea of the level of devastation that more modern operations brought here.

A modified pavilion with ceiling tiles visible

It’s actually incredible to stand here and contemplate the activity and remarkable changes this pavilion has actively witnessed. Over the course of nearly a century it has gone from state of the art to operational to relic. Learn more about the restoration of the Carmen Pavilion here…

Good To Know

There are a limited number of tickets and guided tours. I missed booking the guided tour and ended up with an audio guide. If, like me, you miss the guided tour, it’s highly recommended to use an audio guide. This is because, although there is a lot of signage, it’s a very large site. The scale may prove difficult to take in if you’re relying on reading everything. A guided tour would be even better.

Would I Return?

Yes. Subject to further renovations. It will be interesting to see how the project evolves.