The Casa Gomis will be managed by the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage

BarcelonaA year ago the Ministry of Culture made a landmark acquisition with the purchase, for 7.2 million eurosof the iconic Casa Gomis, the house that architect Antonio Bonet Castellana designed for the couple Ricard Gomis and Inés Bertrand in El Prat de Llobregat. Four months later, in May, the Ministry of Culture and the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) announced that the house, threatened by the possible expansion of Josep Tarradellas Airport, would be a museum house managed by the MNACThe house, listed as a cultural asset of national interest (BCIN), was then scheduled to open in 2026, coinciding with Barcelona's designation as UNESCO World Capital of Architecture and its second hosting of the World Congress of Architecture of the International Union of Architects. The Ministry of Culture assured that it would take charge of the necessary renovations and maintenance. However, the ministry did not proceed with the project, and in December the director of the MNAC, Pepe SerraHe said in an interview that the management of the house had not yet been awarded, "beyond the fact that the museum will certainly address it." And now, as ARA has learned, the institution that will take over the management will be the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage (ACPC).

Currently, the Catalan government is working with the Ministry of Culture to finalize the transfer agreement in the form of a "deal of trust" and to develop a viability plan that will allow for cultural activities to take place in the building. Specifically, the institutions are defining "the program of public cultural activities that should establish lines of research, outreach activities, and visitor access, the building's routine maintenance program, and a program of interventions that will guarantee its conservation and security in the medium and long term," as stated in the press release issued by the Catalan Association of Cultural Heritage (ACPC). The agreement must also include "the program for the conservation and restoration of movable assets, encompassing maintenance, preventive conservation, and consolidation and restoration work, carried out through the Center for the Restoration of Movable Cultural Property of Catalonia." "The MNAC was mentioned because the idea was to expand the museum to include contemporary art, but the agency has several units within its departments that are directly responsible for monuments, and it has been determined that it is much more appropriate, much more efficient, for it to be managed through the Catalan Agency and not from the MNAC," she stated. The house was scheduled to open in February, but it will not open until the necessary work is completed to ensure an "optimal" visit, Borràs also said. "We see February as very unlikely, but Barcelona will be the world capital of architecture throughout this year," she emphasized.

According to sources at the Ministry of Culture, the change in the management of the house has slightly delayed the start of the renovation work because it has been agreed upon with the agency and the Department of Culture, but they affirm that the bidding process will begin "very soon," although they did not specify a date. "Since we bought the house, our priority has been for it to be managed from Catalonia, which is what we believe makes sense," the same sources say. Within the ACPC, Casa Gomis will join a network of 38 monuments and archaeological sites, including the house museums of Enric Prat de la Riba and Rafael Casanova, the Escaladei Charterhouse, the monasteries of Santes Creus, Sant Pere de Rodes, Vilabertran, and Sant Pere de Galligants, and the Asland Cement castles.

The fragility of an emblematic building

In any case, the state of conservation of the house worries the founder of the Iconic Houses network. Natascha DrabbeDrabbe, who attempted to include it in the program of its upcoming City Icons: Barcelona event, from May 29 to 31, has sent a letter to Carme Bergés, head of the Monuments and Sites Area of ​​the Catalan Cultural Heritage Agency, in agreement with the Iconic Houses board and the foundation's international advisory council. "It is especially worrying for the city of Barcelona that one of its most significant rationalist architectural treasures is at risk precisely in the year it holds the title of UNESCO World Capital of Architecture. Without proper oversight, the house faces a serious risk of deterioration," Drabbe warns. "The persistent rain and the original, meticulous work that the family has maintained for many years could be lost in a short time or require extensive and costly restoration." Therefore, Drabbe is calling for the authorities to act "immediately" to prevent "irreversible damage." "We fully understand that resolving this issue takes time and that the Ministry of Culture bears the primary responsibility. However, we urge that a solution be found as soon as possible. If necessary, the family could temporarily assist with their expertise in maintaining the property. They have generously shared their knowledge, and their continued presence has been essential in keeping the house in good condition. They are willing to personally assume these tasks," the letter also states. Therefore, it requests that a budget be allocated to the house to at least allow for some measures such as "placing a caretaker at the house to ensure it is heated, ventilated, and monitored daily." These measures could "significantly reduce the risk and preserve this priceless heritage." In contrast, the Ministry of Culture maintains that the house is under surveillance and "is in no way at risk of deterioration."