Casa Batlló is unquestionably one of the great treasures of Barcelona. Created by Antoni Gaudí in 1906, it is one of the most visited monuments in Barcelona –it had almost a million annual visits before the pandemic– and a masterpiece of Catalan modernism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
There are plenty of reasons to visit it, but now Cartier has given us a very special one: the Maison today opens a temporary boutique within its walls that will remain open until June 2022, how long the renovation of the Barcelona boutique located on Paseo de Gracia will last.
Casa Batlló, one of the monumental jewels of Barcelona.
“More than a year ago, Cartier contacted us proposing his temporary stay at Casa Batlló, with the aim of finding an emblematic space that would bring him closer to the city while he was renovating his store also located on Paseo de Gracia ”, the Casa Batlló communication team explains to Condé Nast Traveler.
The temporary boutique, with about 300 square meters, It is located on the first floor of the building, with its own access from number 43 Paseo de Gracia. It has two spaces: one for the Maison's collections, whose windows overlook the Paseo de Gracia façade, and another dedicated to cultural encounters through which a conversation will be established between the different sources of inspiration that unite Cartier with Casa Batlló.
Also, this space will offer a virtual reality experience that will surprise all visitors to the boutique.
Cartier's ephemeral boutique, until June at Casa Batlló.
It is not the first time that Casa Batlló hosts a project of these characteristics. “We have resumed the wonderful tradition of having artistic and creative neighbors, as was the case of coexistence with the French film company Pathé Freres since 1907, or the passage in the decade of the 40s and 50s of Chamartín animation studios, creators of the popular Zipi and Zape, or the syra gallery point from the communication team of the monument.
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
Who is this ephemeral space intended for? To lovers and curious who want to witness how Cartier crafts his creations, of course, but it also represents a different way of discovering an emblematic place and "a unique and unrepeatable opportunity to discover how a brand has been inspired by the work of Gaudí, enabling a temporary space that highlights the qualities of the House and the pieces of the Maison Cartier, creating a dialogue between the two”, comment from Casa Batlló.
“We believe that this unique and incomparable space will motivate the visitor to know the museum proposal of this World Heritage work”, they add.
The organic forms and natural geometries in Casa Batlló are present through ceramics, wrought iron, colored glass, mosaic and marquetry.
Originally, the building was built in 1877 within the new expansion of Barcelona, and was acquired by the textile industrialist Josep Batlló in 1903, who hired Antoni Gaudí to reform it, granting him a complete creative freedom.
The works culminated in 1906 with a complete change of the façade, a redistribution of the interiors, an additional floor and the extension of the courtyard of lights, turning it into a true work of art.
Casa Batlló ceased to belong to the Batlló family in the 1950s. After welcoming different companies and individuals, since the 1990s the building has been in the hands of the current owners, the Bernat family, who have completely restored the building and, since 1995, have kept it open to show this architectural jewel to the world.
Entrance to the ephemeral Cartier boutique in Casa Batlló.
CASA BATLLÓ AND CARTIER: A COMMON SPIRIT
“Since the beginning of this collaboration, we have found synergies between both brands –the Casa Batlló communication team tells us–: from the principles of innovation and design shared by Gaudí and the Maison, to the fascination and understanding that the entire Cartier team has shown us towards Gaudí's heritage and legacy. It has certainly been a very enriching collaboration”.
About this established synergy, the Casa Batlló team points out “on the one hand, the craft that share the work of Gaudí and Cartier jewels and, on the other, the innovative spirit that both brands have and pursue in each of the design and creation processes, introducing the latest and most novel materials or techniques”.
“It should be noted – they add – that in the interior design proposal of the new Cartier boutique a clear dialogue is generated between both brands, where Casa Batlló has been a source of inspiration for the Maison's decorators, who have collected botanical and animalistic creations to offer a journey through nature”.
The interior of the ephemeral boutique merges with the style of Gaudí.
“The spirit of Maison Cartier evokes art, functionality and innovation, ingredients with which Gaudí also composed his work. It is beautiful to see the parallelism between both brands through the fusion of organic forms and innovations at the service of art”, declares Gary Gautier, director of Casa Batlló. A) Yes, the boutique décor blends naturally into the building and with total respect for the work of Antoni Gaudí.
“For Maison Cartier it is a real honor to open this temporary boutique in one of the most emblematic and iconic buildings of the city of Barcelona. It is the meeting between two great creators, as they were Antoni Gaudi and Louis Cartier, who developed their own style and were true pioneers for their time," said Nicolas Helly, general manager of Cartier Iberia.
And he ends: "This ephemeral intervention will constitute the prologue for the design of the new boutique in Barcelona that will open its doors to the public in the summer of 2022”.
Facade of Casa Batllo.