What you need to know about tiles in barcelona
The tiles in Barcelona have long been one of the most defining symbols of the city. From their practical use as pavement stones on sidewalks, the design of these ‘panots’ (the Catalan term for ‘flagstones’) now appears almost everywhere in Barcelona. From souvenirs, cards, chocolate, logos of Barcelona-based companies, and tattoo motifs, the Flor de Barcelona stands out as one of the most memorable features of the city.
You are actively walking on history, every time you wander through the streets of Barcelona. Read on to discover the different kinds of tiles throughout the city, where to find them, and what stories and inspirations are captured in their iconic design.
What are the most famous street tiles in Barcelona?
History of Tiles in Barcelona
With so much to admire in the city, the tiles in Barcelona might not be the first thing to catch your eye. Nonetheless, such a seemingly simple aspect as Barcelona’s tiles has become a historic masterpiece of design and the most prominent symbol of the city. But in order to understand why Barcelona has such distinctive tile designs, one must look to the past.
Limited Space in the Ciutat Vella
In the middle of the 19th century, the city comprised only the Ciutat Vella, which is now known as the Old Town, and was encased by medieval stone walls that defined where the urban region ended and where rural land began. But due to the lack of space and structure in the Ciutat Vella, the streets were crowded and unclean, and disease spread easily.
The Expansion of Barcelona through the Eixample
Due to the problems this cramped environment within the city caused for its inhabitants, Barcelona’s Ajuntament decided that an expansion was necessary to support the rapidly growing population. Thus, during the 19th and 20th century, Barcelona tore down its old city walls and set out a call for architectural proposals for a new neighbourhood plan that would show a newer and more spacious side of Barcelona for the industrialist age.
The proposal that was chosen to be implemented in the neighbourhood was the architect Ildefons Cerdà’s design, which is characterized by the wide streets, octagonal city blocks, and the frequency of parks, markets, and other public spaces and services.
Although Cerdà had originally developed this concept to be a place where inhabitants of all social classes could live together without divisions, the influence of famous architects such as Antoni Gaudí and Josep Puig i Cadafalch soon created an image of upper-class luxury for the new Eixample neighbourhood, causing rent prices to increase accordingly.
The 'Can Fanga'
In the new Eixample district, homeowners were required to pave the 2,5 meters of sidewalk in front of their property themselves, which led to pavements becoming increasingly unorganised and uneven, while other property owners did not pave in front of their houses at all. Due to this, Barcelona soon received the name of ‘Can Fanga’, meaning ‘The Mud House’ in Catalan, as the streets quickly became muddy and chaotic.
Panots
It was clear that a solution for this urban planning catastrophe needed to be found. So, in order to create a more unified and regulated pavement alternative, the Ajuntament sent out a call for companies to develop ideas for cheap paving stones that could be laid down across the entire city. This is how the ‘panots’ were developed. Developed by the paving company Escofet in 1906, 18 tile designs were drawn up, and the company was commissioned to produce over 10,000 m2 of panots.
These tiles, each in a 20x20x4 format, are made from hydraulic cement, a material that is cheap and easy to manufacture, since Catalonia produced large quantities of cement at this point in time. However, seeing as 18 different designs was too much to produce, Barcelona narrowed the selection down to only five designs, which nowadays cover the streets of the entire city.
The Different Tiles of Barcelona
In addition to the five original Escofer designs, there are a variety of different tiles that can be found in Barcelona in the present day. Each region within the city has its own individual tile, and one of them was even designed by world-renowned architect Antoni Gaudí.
Below, we have listed some of the most remarkable tiles of Barcelona, so that you can be on the lookout next time you are exploring the city streets.
The Modernisme Period
Since some of the most significant tile designs in the city are directly inspired by the Modernisme, let’s first dive into what defined this time period and how its influence is deeply interwoven with the streets of Barcelona.
From around 1885 to 1920, the Modernisme was a blooming cultural, artistic, and architectural movement similar to the European Art Nouveau period, which saw a revival of Catalan national identity and pride. Architecturally, the period is defined by organic shapes and inspirations from the natural world, as well as rich colours and ornamentation, and the use of features such as vibrant ceramic mosaics.
Some of the most important architects of this movement were Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and since the Modernisme went hand in hand with the expansion of the Eixample neighbourhood, the aesthetic and architectural style can be found especially frequently in this part of Barcelona.
The brilliant minds of the Modernisme period produced some of the city’s most iconic buildings, such as the Sagrada Família, the Casa Batlló, and the Palau de la Música Catalana. The cultural period that defined these architectural masterpieces and landmarks is still one of the most significant in Barcelona’s history. It is no wonder, then, that many of the tiles that line the sidewalks of this city draw inspiration from this period of artistic splendour and abundance.
Flor de Barcelona
The Flor de Barcelona is, without doubt, the most famous and most widespread design out of all the tiles in Barcelona, so much so that it has become the urban symbol of the city. The pattern is famous amongst tourists as well as locals and can be seen printed on everything from bags, clothing, water bottles, purses, jewellery, and local companies’ logos. It was introduced in 1906 alongside the other original tiles, and can still be found as the main tile in the Eixample neighbourhood.
The design of the Flor de Barcelona was originally inspired by the tiles Puig i Cadafalch crafted for the carriage entryway of the Casa Amatller. These paving stones, which can still be seen today (for free), when entering the richly decorated house, feature a rose very similar to that of the Flor de Barcelona.
When the street tiles were designed to be put into production by Escofer, this significant building was taken as one of the sources of inspiration. In this way, the Flor de Barcelona connects the city’s streets with a valuable moment in Barcelona’s cultural history, namely the Modernisme period.
La Ruta del Modernisme
‘La Ruta del Modernisme’, which, translated, means ‘The Modernism Route’, is a walking itinerary that leads you past some of the most beautiful Modernisme monuments throughout the city. Quite recognizable amidst the grey hydraulic cement tiles all across the city, the special round, red tile that is marked with the Flor de Barcelona is almost impossible to miss. The 120 tiles of this sort that are spread throughout the city mark estates, palaces, and richly ornamented houses, as well as benches, lampposts, and chemists’ shops, and portray just how integral Modernisme is to Barcelona.
On the Ruta del Modernisme website, organised by Barcelona City Council, you can find more information on the routes and buildings that allow you to explore this city from a different perspective. But even without diving deep into the history and culture of these buildings, if you encounter one of these red floral tiles, we recommend you pause for a second to look up. You might be amazed by what you find!
Panot Gaudí
You may have noticed these intricate underwater-themed tiles when walking up and down the Passeig de Gràcia. As a street that displays so many significant and breathtaking Modernisme monuments, such as Casa Amatller, La Pedrera, and Casa Batlló, it is quite fitting that the very tiles lining this street were designed by no other than Antoni Gaudí himself.
Initially, Gaudí had created these hexagonal tiles to be used in the construction of the Casa Batlló, but due to the complexity of the design, the company Escofet was not able to manufacture them on time. Instead, Gaudí later implemented these tiles in the nearby Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera.
As a homage to his design, Barcelona paved the Passeig de Gràcia with tiles in the same style in 1997, making them the second most famous tiles in the city after the Flor de Barcelona. If you look closely, you can see that the adjoining tiles connect to create three larger aquatic motifs, which are cast into delicate relief in the pale stone.
Where to go tile spotting?
Passeig de Gràcia
The luxury shopping street of Barcelona is also the number one address for Modernisme designs. On the right side of the street (going uptown) between Gran Via and Diputació, you can find some of the last original Gaudí street tiles in Barcelona, as well as the ‘Ruta del Modernisme’ tiles in special places, such as in front of Casa Batlló or Casa Milà.
Casa Amatller
In the opulent entryway of this richly ornamented building designed by Puig i Cadafalch, you can still find the original Flor de Barcelona tiles that inspired the iconic design that has now spread all over the city. The tiles here are but a small detail in the richly designed house of this successful chocolatier family, and they have been worn with age by the countless footsteps that have passed over them throughout the years, but their rich history is nonetheless marvelous to behold.
Diputació
Here you will be able to find almost all of the principal tile patterns designed by Escofer in 1906. If you start at Passeig de Gràcia and continue walking on Diputació towards Plaça d’Espanya, you can spot even the oldest ones!
Jaume 1 Metro Stop
While not a destination for sidewalk tiles, the metro stop within the Gothic Quarter, in between Plaça de l’Àngel and Carrer de la Bòria showcases old street name tiles on the sides of buildings that were hand-painted and create a window into Barcelona’s past.
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