Casa Thomas

The Casa Thomas stands on Carrer Mallorca. It is an example of the highly decorative, purest modernista style which is fully in keeping with the façades of the buildings in this part of Barcelona's Eixample. Despite subsequent alterations, it reflects the characteristics of its designer: Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

When the modernista master Lluís Domènech i Montaner was commissioned by the printer Josep Thomas to design the Casa Thomas he created a two-storey building which housed the owner's workshop on the ground floor, and the Thomas family's home on the top floor. He also imbued the building with some of the most characteristic elements of his architecture. The neo-Gothic façade, the use of bluish tones in the markedly floral decorative elements, and the figures of reptiles in the main lobby which bear the architect's hallmark.

Domènech i Montaner's son-in-law, Francesc Guàrdia, completed the renovation of the house. He added the three upper storeys, raising the height of the turrets at the side, and placed a gallery along the front of the top storey, following the form of the protruding balcony on the first floor. The entire refurbishment was carried out in keeping with the original style, and retains a formal coherence which can still be seen today when we view the Casa Thomas from the outside. The hall is an ornamental gem featuring plant motifs and has an outstanding wrought-iron staircase.