It is said that a monument will be erected to Ildefons Cerdà, in Plaça Universitat, which is the place where the monument to Doctor Robert would be most fitting to return (because it is where it was located before the dictatorships). Cerdà would live better in Plaça Tetuan, with an absurd name but perfect confluence amidst his grids. Or in Plaça de les Glòries, his failed new Barcelona centrality, where they have now made a “park” that, as is customary in this “green” conscious city, only has 30% grass. And marking centralities cannot be done from planning artificiality, nor can well-being be imposed by decree, and therefore, Cerdà's genius always ends up failing somewhere. This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of his death, but also the centenary of Gaudí's, and in fact this coincidence coincides with my growing conviction that it would have been reckless to leave Cerdà alone.His contribution to the city is more than remarkable: hygiene, the foresight of the automobile and the train, the 45-degree cut of the chamfers, the scalability of the grid. And yet, I perfectly understand that the Barcelona council (which had to comply with Madrid's decision) would have wanted to opt for other proposals: that large expanse of uniform squares, between the demolished walls and the surrounding villages, ignored the layout of paths and rivers pre-existing for centuries and, when it did, it gave them the robotic name of Diagonal, Paral·lel or Meridiana. If we had left Barcelona in Cerdà's hands, we would basically be a correct and orderly city. More rational and rationalist than modern or modernist, indeed eliminating inequalities and exceptions, but at the evident price of foregoing exceptionalities. Everyone with their little garden inside, which in the end we haven't ended up having either: New York, like Cerdà, also names (so to speak) its streets with numbers and letters, but they, at least, have skyscrapers and a large central park. We, at most, have superblock concrete and large extensions of dog parks.

It's cold in the storage room of the Historical Archive of the Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, located in the same modernist complex, below the lobby, the old hub of the hospital center, where admission records were once kept and where carts carrying patients passed on their way to their respective wards: women with infectious diseases, women with non-infectious diseases... (and the same for men). The temperature inside is always low to properly preserve the invaluable documents it houses (on a series of compact discs).

Following the announcement about the future Thyssen Museum in Barcelona, ​​and the understandable concern many of us expressed (and still do) about the impact on the heritage of the Palau Marcet façade and the Passeig de Gràcia itself, the debate also arose regarding its content: as is well known, a collection primarily of Catalan Modernist works (Casas, Rusiñol, Mellon, etc.). We then wondered if Barcelona needed even more Modernism, even if only in painting: the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) clearly fills this void, and moreover, could fill it. This is without mentioning (of course) the architectural aspect of the movement, scattered throughout the city. We wondered, then, if a different, or complementary, approach wouldn't be more appropriate. Not only because we already have more than enough Modernism, but also because of the following question: would the Modernists of that era have been content to always exhibit works from a glorious past? Or would they have sought out the latest trends from abroad and positioned themselves at the forefront? Are we lacking this modernist attitude today? Perhaps from our excessive desire to preserve? Modernism as heritage, have we ended up losing it as a virtue?

Casa Coll i Regàs is a jewel of Modernisme architecture, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Located in the heart of Mataró, it is a Cultural Asset of National Interest. History, art, and elegance create an unparalleled setting for any special occasion.

This Wednesday Casa Tosquella opened its doors to the press for the first time since the Barcelona City Council bought it in November. And everything indicates a good restoration of this modernist jewel will shine again with the brightness and colours architect Eduard Maria Balcells gave it in 1907, with a profusion of stucco, stained glass, frames, mouldings, wrought iron elements, paintings and pavements, although in some parts of the building the decoration has been darkened and has suffered damage. In some rooms there is still furniture, objects and junk belonging to the former owners, but the eyes are immediately drawn to details such as the toads and fish on the ceiling of the entrance porch, the stained glass windows that look like the open tail of a peacock and the animals on the wallpaper in one of the rooms, an unusual gathering of cats, dogs, cows and camels.

The story of Casa Tosquella has ended well: two weeks after ARA advanced information about the negotiations, Barcelona City Council bought the building for €1.15m, which are part of the fund agreed with ERC in the 2021 budget for the acquisition or rehabilitation of unique buildings considered to be of interest for the city. The acquisition closes a long series of both public and private attempts and will restore the house to its splendour.

Sleeping one night, alone with your partner, in a Gaudí house is a luxury available to very few people. To promote Casa Vicens and Airbnb, the two companies have launched a campaign that will allow any user of the rental housing platform to sleep for one night in the magnificent house of Gaudí in the neighborhood of Gràcia. Not only this: the night includes a dinner offered by the Hoffmann restaurant and a guided tour of the house. Guests will be able to be in every corner of the home, as you can see on the Airbnb website.