About the Palau
Always in search of inspiration
The building's combination of monumentality and solemnity conveys the values that the institution wished to reflect through simplicity and the absence of ornate or baroque elements. The building stands out for its large proportions, its symmetry and the distribution of the decorative elements in the central body of the main façade.
The history
The building that housed the Antigua Sociedad del Crédito Mercantil, located at Carrer Ample 11, was built between 1886 and 1900, under the direction of the architect Joan Martorell y Montells. Far removed from modernist eccentricities, Martorell designed a neoclassical building in which one can sense the noucentista elements that dominated Barcelona from the beginning of the 19th century, especially in the restrained use of ornamental elements.
The Mercantil was absorbed by the Banco de Barcelona in 1917, a process that lasted almost two years. As early as 1920, the Banco de Barcelona, the first private Spanish bank, went bankrupt, causing huge losses to shareholders and customers.
Around 1930, the building was acquired by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation and the interior was renovated without altering the most important elements. Fortunately, the building did not suffer any significant damage during the Civil War (1936-1939), despite being located in a neighbourhood that was severely punished by the Italian Aviazione Legionaria.
In 1901 the building won first prize in the Annual Competition for Artistic Buildings organised by Barcelona City Council, which, in addition to aesthetics, rewarded the functionality of the building and the quality of its construction, in this case the stonework.
The combination of monumentality and solemnity of the building conveys the values that the institution wanted to reflect through simplicity and the absence of ornate or baroque elements. The building stands out for its large proportions, its symmetry and the distribution of the decorative elements in the central body of the main façade.
Located opposite the Plaça de la Mercè, the building offers fantastic views of the Basilica de la Mare de Déu de la Mercè. The structure of the house, with a rectangular ground plan, comprises a semi-basement, ground floor, two floors, attic and roof terrace.
The façade of the building is a demonstration of neoclassical architecture. It is very balanced, with five openings evenly distributed and symmetrical to the wall. In the central body, the composition presents two very different column elevations: a Doric one, which starts from the balcony of the main floor and comprises two floors, and another Ionic-inspired height from the cornice on the first floor to the entablature that closes the work with a large upper cornice. The entrance to the building is dominated by a lion's head, a symbol of strength and protection, omnipresent in all neoclassical architecture. The initials C.O.I. can be seen on the double wooden door at the entrance, in reference to the Official Chamber of Industry. At the height of the first floor and in the central body, there are allegorical figures of Commerce and Industry that reinforce the function of the Mercantile Credit Society. Finally, before entering, the excellent cast-iron wrought iron work of the railing, in a floral style, which integrates the symbol of the caduceus and the initials S.C.M, Sociedad de Crédito Mercantil, stands out. At the height of the first floor and in the central body, there are allegorical figures of Commerce and Industry that reinforce the function of the Sociedad de Crédito Mercantil.
Finally, before entering, the excellent cast-iron forging of the railing, in a floral style, which includes the symbol of the caduceus and the initials S.C.M., Sociedad de Crédito Mercantil, stands out.
The ground floor
The protagonist of this floor is undoubtedly a large skylight supported from two floors above, which brings natural light into the whole space, accompanied by an ornamentation formed by Doric columns.
The main entrance leads to a rectangular, sharply-angled vestibule through which one enters the central rectangular courtyard and the side areas of the building. The main staircase, which leads to the main floor, is set back to one side, thus attenuating its importance in order to give it to the courtyard. It is made of marble with a wrought-iron railing.
On the same floor there are two more staircases, one away from the views of the entrance that leads to the basement and another at the end of the floor, on the left, which connects with Carrer Còdols and the upper floors, which were used by the service at the time.
The stained-glass window in the skylight
The central element of the composition is a kind of blue cartwheel. It is a serene stained glass window, without abstract pretensions that remains in harmony with the rest of the elements of the building, designed to serve the needs of the institution it housed.
In its composition we can glimpse noucentist elements: straight lines and order in opposition to the curves and chaos of modernism.
Following the fin-de-siècle canon that prevailed at the time, priority was given to light in the creative field, rejecting the abuse of drawings and seeking a balance between the order of the mosaic and the floral motifs.
The main floor
Following the custom of the time, the main floor was the most important. This is where the most important rooms were located and the only one with access to the balcony. Originally, it was the only floor reached by the main staircase, although later, an extension was made to join the rest of the floors.
The spaces on the main floor are distributed around the patio de luces, thanks to the succession of large double windows. This feature, typical of the hygienist trends, is common in 19th-century palaces in Barcelona and not only provides natural light, but also majesty.