41°23′8.3″N2°10′24.5″E / 41.385639°N 2.173472°E /41.385639; 2.173472
TheCasa Martí (Catalan pronunciation:[ˈkazəməɾˈti]) is amodernista building designed byJosep Puig i Cadafalch in 1896, having been commissioned by relatives of Francesc Vilumara, a textile magnate. It stands at Carrer Montsió, 3,Barcelona.
Striking features of the building, more northern-European than Catalan in appearance, are the large pointed arches on the ground floor containing stained-glass windows, the curious ornamentation of the upper-floor windows and the balconies inFlamboyant style. The exterior is also notable for sculptures byEusebi Arnau,wrought ironwork byManuel Ballarín and, on a pedestal on the corner, a statue ofSaint Joseph byJosep Llimona. The existing one is a reproduction of the original, which was destroyed during theCivil War and replaced by the City Council in 2000.
The building has not been preserved in its entirety. The original lintel of the door by Puig i Cadafalch disappeared in one of the modifications that the building has undergone in its more than one hundred years of history.
On the ground floor there is theQuatre Gats tavern, which was one of the artistic and cultural epicentres of Barcelona between 1897 and 1903.Ramon Casas,Santiago Rusiñol andPablo Picasso were amongst the illustrious figures who ate and drank here. The interior decor was financed by Ramon Casas, who paid for the circular chandeliers and the mediaeval furniture designed by Puig i Cadafalch. Another of his “presents” was the painting showing two men, the owner of the establishment Pere Romeu and Casas himself, pedalling a tandem; the one now in the bar is a copy, the original being in theMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
Between 1903 and 1936, Casa Martí was hosting theCercle Artístic de Sant Lluc.
The building was declared an Asset of National Cultural Interest on 9 January 1976.
· Translated from Catalan Wikipedia