An eclectic gem

The history of the building which today houses the Sants-Montjuïc district offices dates back to the mid-19th century, when the local residents of Hostafrancs, which was already part of the city of Barcelona, petitioned the council for a municipal building where they could undertake administrative procedures without having to go to Plaça de Sant Jaume. The result was the Tinença d’Alcaldia d’Hostafrancs, the Deputy Mayor’s seat, which immediately had to be enlarged with the construction, in 1885, of the building designed by the Modernista architect Jaume Gustà i Bondia, which is still standing today. The annexing of the former town of Sants in 1897 meant that the Tinença d’Alcaldia building started to serve the entire new district, and it soon required a further extension. Work was resumed between 1908 and 1915, at the hands of Ubaldo Iranzo i Eiras, and it was at this time that the Noucentista windows were incorporated into the Sala de Plens.

The Sala de Plens

With a lavishly decorated facade, principally featuring floral elements, the interior of the building is particularly special. The Modernista style of the City Hall’s Sala de Plens, with a mosaic floor, capitals sculpted with female figures, iron beams and a ceiling decorated with floral sgraffito, contrasts with the large Noucentista stained glass windows that flood the space with colour. Made in 1914 by Francesc Labarta i Plana, they depict everyday scenes of industry, commerce and agriculture, the typical activities of the district’s residents at that time.