Spain, Ministry of Culture buys Casa Gomis, masterpiece of Catalan rationalism

Spain ’s Ministry of Culture has purchased Casa Gomis, also known as La Ricarda, one of the most important buildings of 20th-century architecture in the country. It is located in the town of El Prat de Llobregat, Catalonia, on the outskirts of Barcelona, within the natural area of La Ricarda, in the Delta of the Llobregat River: it is an environment of high ecological value, and Casa Gomis a clear example of the adaptation of an abstract architectural concept to a very specific place and landscape. The space will become a cultural center open to all citizens, where meetings and guided tours will be held, among other activities. The operation cost 7,249,077.26 euros.

According to the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, “this treasure of 20th century rationalist architecture will be part of the public heritage from today with the aim of protecting it, preserving it and transforming it into a large cultural center 100% open to the public.” The press conference with which the Spanish Ministry of Culture announced the purchase of the building was held at Casa Gomis itself, in the presence of the minister, members of the Gomis Bertrand family, owners of the house, the Minister of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Sònia Hernàndez, and the mayor of El Prat de Llobregat, Lluís Mijoler, “two institutions closely linked to the history and protection of this property with which we want to collaborate regarding the use and management of la Casa Gomis,” stressed the Spanish minister, who added: “our intention is that the theme of this new Casa Gomis Cultural Center will revolve around the dialogue between art and nature, since Casa Gomis is one of the great architectural examples we have in Catalonia of perfect symbiosis with the natural environment.” Urtasun explained that “just as Casa Gomis was a space for avant-garde debates in the 1960s, now in 2025 we also want to put it at the service of the great avant-garde debate that exists today, which is the relationship between art and climate.”

With the purchase of this property, the Ministry of Culture guarantees the preservation of the historic and artistic values of the complex and its maintenance. Until now, the house could be visited occasionally and was recently part of the cultural offerings of Manifesta 15, the European nomadic art biennial to be held in Barcelona and its metropolitan area in 2024. After its acquisition, the space will become a cultural center open to all citizens, where meetings and guided tours will be held, among other activities. It will also work to ensure that it plays a prominent role in Barcelona’s planning as the World Capital of Architecture in 2026 and in the World Architecture Congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA), which Barcelona will also host next year.

Gomis House. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent WangCasa Gomis. Photo: Kent Wang

What is Gomis House.

Casa Gomis, designed by Barcelona architect Antoni Bonet Castellana (Barcelona, 1913 - 1989) between 1949 and 1956 for Riccardo Gomis and Inés Bertrand, was built between 1957 and 1963. It is a clear example of the adaptation of an abstract architectural concept to a very specific place and landscape. The symbiosis between the house and the environment is developed through a one-story construction under the canopies of pine trees. The transition from the natural landscape of the rest of the property to the central area of the house is achieved through a large horizontal platform that houses the garden, treated with great restraint through grassy lawns, pathways and paved areas with orthogonal lines, which prolong the structure of the building, and a pool-pool that reflects its image.

Another uniqueness is that, after sixty years of use, the building has remained virtually intact, retaining its original features, having undergone a thorough restoration of the roofs and exterior woodwork in 1997. It also retains its furniture, designed in great detail by the architect himself, an element that is included in the declaration file as part of its history. The building was declared a Cultural Property of National Interest (BCIN) in the category of “Historic Monuments” by the Generalitat of Catalonia on March 23, 2021, which is the highest degree of protection in Catalonia’s current historical heritage legislation.

The dwelling responds to the typology of the suburban villa, common on the Catalan coast as the first or second residence of the upper middle class, but in this case with unique characteristics in terms of scale, architectural conception, and construction system. It represents an almost unique example of Catalan upper middle-class housing in the mid-20th century and a meeting place for intellectuals and artists. Its structure and organization, the result of architect Antoni Bonet’s collaboration with his client Ricardo Gomis, a person involved in the Catalan cultural avant-garde as a member of Club 49 (an artistic association founded by members of the postwar Barcelona avant-garde), incorporates spaces for daily family life and personal service, along with other multipurpose spaces for holding meetings or small cultural events. In this respect, in addition to its architectural values, it should be recognized that the house was one of the meeting places for Barcelona culture in the 1960s. Casa Gomis thus becomes not only a unique building, but also a place that allows us to understand the evolution of avant-garde cultures in Catalonia during the second half of the 20th century.

The architect who designed Casa Gomis, Antoni Bonet Castellana, was one of the most important architects of rationalism in Catalonia, a member of GATCPAC (Grupo d’Arquitectes i Tècnics Catalans per al Progrés de l’Arquitectura Contemporània) and GATEPAC (Grupo de Artistas y Técnicos Españoles para el Progreso de la Arquitectura Contemporánea). Settling in Buenos Aires after the Civil War, he developed his career in Uruguay and Argentina, although he also designed important works in several Spanish cities. Like other architects of his generation, he combined the development of the postulates of European rationalist architecture with the exploration of his roots in the indigenous language of the Mediterranean area. Evidence of this is, in some of his works, the juxtaposition of abstract forms and modern materials with references to traditional building systems.

Spain, Ministry of Culture buys Casa Gomis, masterpiece of Catalan rationalism

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