Eixample

Barcelona University’s architecture is emblematic. The sturdy walls of the historic Barcelona University conceal a haven of calm and knowledge. Students, visitors and the curious find fascinating nooks and crannies among the cloistered courtyards, romantic gardens, classic lecture theatres and a library where time seems to have stood still.

The historic Barcelona University building, designed by Elies Rogent, was built between 1863 and 1882. It was the new home of the former university, the Estudis Generals, which was founded in 1450 and returned to Barcelona following the closure of the University of Cervera, in 1837. Initially, the university was housed on the premises of the former Convent del Carme and in part of the Hospital de la Santa Creu, but there wasn’t enough room. Elies Rogent designed a bold, neo-Romanesque structure which fostered the expansion of the city outside the city walls. The Barcelona’s citizens at the time were amazed at the imposing new building.

Barcelona University continues to attract students and visitors from around the world, with its welcoming spaces set out according to a neo-medieval ground plan. Two courtyards, the one on the right housing the science faculty, and the one on the left for the arts faculty, stand on either side of the central block. The two porticoed courtyards resemble Romanesque cloisters with plants, trees and cooling fountains. We find the same peace and quiet in the gardens at the rear and the magnificent rooms such as the main lecture hall, the historic auditorium and the library, which is one of the biggest in Catalonia.