Casa de la Premsa

The Casa de la Premsa in Barcelona is a stately pavilion originally built for the 1929 International Exposition. The building stands at the corner of Avinguda Rius i Taulet and Carrer de la Guàrdia Urbana and is classified as a cultural asset of local interest. The house was designed in 1926 by Pere Domènech i Roura, son of the famous architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It served as a state-of-the-art headquarters for the international press, with space for libraries, offices, bedrooms, and even its own radio broadcasting station. Inside, you can still see historic details today, such as a magnificent staircase and numerous coats of arms of the city of Barcelona, which recall the site's importance at the time.

Architecturally, the building stands out for its eclectic style, which combines elements of Neo-Mudéjar, Neo-Romanesque, and Neo-Gothic design. The façade consists mainly of exposed brickwork, set off by a stone base. A striking feature is the triangular pediment crowned by a coat of arms with a double-headed eagle, as well as a dome at the corner of the building. Decorative ceramics, geometric patterns, and sculptural details such as dragons and winged lions adorn the exterior walls and give the building its distinctive, colorful look.

After the Exposition, the building served a variety of purposes, including as an office for the administration of Montjuïc Park and later as the headquarters of the municipal police. Although it stood empty for a time and there were plans for a museum of the performing arts that were never realized, the Casa de la Premsa remains an important historical testament to Barcelona's urban development.