Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia

Enric Sagnier was born in Barcelona in 1858. He received solid artistic training and earned a degree in Architecture in 1882. From a young age, he received numerous commissions from the civil society, the City Council and the Church. His work is abundant and varied. In 1887, he married Dolors Vidal i Torrents, with whom he had five children.

 

In the course of his life, he was granted several honours such as the Barcelona City Council’s Gold Medal awarded in 1921 after obtaining for the third time, the annual award for the best erected building in the city. Enric Sagnier died in Barcelona in 1931.

More than 300 works in Barcelona

The most prolific modernist architect

At the start of his career in the late 19th century, Enric Sagnier mainly worked on residential buildings, among them the Casa Dolors Vidal de Sagnier. Built between 1892 and 1894, it was used as a family home and as an architect’s studio. Today, this building is home to the Casa Sagnier Hotel. In his late period, his most important work was the Caja de Pensiones de Barcelona headquarters.

 

In the religious sphere, Sagnier received several commissions from the Salesians, which culminated in his most important work, the Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) on Mount Tibidabo, a project completed by his son in 1961. In the institutional sphere, Sagnier also designed numerous official buildings in Barcelona such as the Palacio de Justicia (Law Courts) and the Nueva Aduana (New Customs House) building in the Port.

A distinctive and eclectic style

Sagnier’s work reflects more than 50 years of his life in Barcelona

Enric Sagnier’s style could be defined as eclectic and characterised by his personal interpretation of Catalan Modernism. Artistically speaking, there are three stages in his career: during his beginnings before 1900, Sagnier was known for his imposing and extravagant style. Between 1900 and 1910, he used more subdued decorative forms in his designs, bringing his style closer to Modernism, and from 1910 onwards, his works show a simpler and more Classical style.

El Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón (Mount Tibidabo)
Palacio de la Justicia
Nueva Aduana 
Caja de Pensiones de Barcelona
Casa El Pinar
Casa Manuel Doncel 

SagnieR's Barcelona

Enric Sagnier is the architect who designed the largest number of Modernist buildings in Barcelona, with a total of 380 works listed. He also happens to be one of the most important architects of the Modernist movement, together with famous architects such Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch and Domènech i Montaner. With an extensive professional career spanning 50 years, Sagnier is the mastermind behind some of the city’s most iconic public buildings, as well as churches, sumptuous detached houses, schools and housing blocks.

 

With his eclectic style and decidedly Classical leanings, Sagnier interpreted the Modernist style of the time in a simpler and more functional manner. His main source of inspiration was Mediaeval architecture. Get to know this architect’s six most famous works through this self-guided tour of Sagnier’s Barcelona.

Start tour
El Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón (Mount Tibidabo)
Mask slider
Palacio de la Justicia
Mask slider
Nueva Aduana 
Mask slider
Caja de Pensiones de Barcelona
Mask slider
Casa El Pinar
Mask slider
Casa Manuel Doncel 
Mask slider
Hotel Casa Sagnier
+34 935 959 545
08008 Barcelona
Rambla de Catalunya 104
Rambla de Catalunya 104
reservas@hotelcasasagnier.com
logo-casa-sagnier
Done