Explore the modernism in Sueca
Modernism routeof Sueca
Constantly growing industrialisation and the open character of Sueca inhabitants meant that Modernism, spread rapidly throughout the city.
Constantly growing industrialisation and the open character of Sueca inhabitants meant that Modernism, a European artistic movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, spread rapidly throughout the city. This is why the residents of Sueca and its seaside neighborhoods began to build and refurbish buildings and houses aware of the importance of the new architectural forms. In the early 1920s, this artistic style was replaced by Art Deco, which remained popular until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936.
Sueca, part of the Art Nouveau European Route since 2006, is home to iconic buildings (modernist, Art Deco and even from earlier movements) by local architects such as Bonaventura Ferrando, Joan Guardiola, Emili Artal and Julià Ferrando. These were Sueca-born professionals who knew everything about artistic movements in Europe. Just thirty years were enough to revamp the face of Sueca and give a more modern character to a town that wanted a city.
Linked to European route of modernism
The Modernist Route
1. Residential home
Architect: Bonaventura Ferrando (1919)
The building is notable for its sheer size and features. It was built to house the pantheon of the Baldoví-Cardona family and also the Residential Home for Disadvantaged Seniors, founded in 1888. The chapel, of a neo-Gothic style with elements of neo-Arab architecture, is the most important feature of the building.
2. Estació Park
Architect: Antonio Monforte (1879)
This is the most iconic park in the city, created to provide a recreational area around the train station. It houses monuments dedicated to Maestro Serrano and Josep Bernat and Baldoví, as well as a bandstand.
3. Carrasquer School
Architect: E. Artal y J. Ferrando (1929)
School built thanks to the benefactor Emili Carrasquer, who bequeathed all his assets to the town of Sueca. Key features are the main façade with a huge portico featuring four iconic columns, a polygonal pediment, rectangular windows and a clock crowning the façade.
4. Houses of Ignàsia Cardona
Architect: Bonaventura Ferrando (1913)
Group of six houses, owned by the landowner Ignàsia Cradona, built for the working class. They’re a great reflection of “low-cost” modernism and one of the first property developments in the town.
5. Ateneu Sueco del Socorro
Architect: Joan Guardiola (1929)
Building built as the headquarters of the Ateneo Sueco del Socorro, a charity institution founded in 1869. For the main façade, the architect was inspired by abstract references of oriental art, which he then interpreted in his own style. Inside there are wall paintings by the artists Regino Mas and Alfred Claros, as well as a spectacular lamp from the hall of the Serrano Theater.
6. Ajuntament de Sueca
Architect: Vicent Gascó (1784)
Space consists of two buildings: the Santamaria house and the town hall itself. Highlights of the latter include the white marble staircase, the modernist style glass dome, the meeting chamber and the mayor’s office.
7. Casino l’Agricultura
Architect: Julià Ferrando (1936)
The headquarters of the agricultural society were built on the site of a former manor house and granary. In this building, the architect used a resource similar to the house at Calle Pou, 26: the chamfer corner. This made the casino more visible from the Plaza de l’Ajuntament. What’s more, he gave more presence to the main façade.
8. Passatge Vallés
Architect: Antoni Sancho (1860)
The town’s first cemetery was originally located in this area. It was moved to the outskirts at the start of the nineteenth century and this alleyway was created as a result of the subsequent urban redevelopment. It is one of the oldest in the town. It showcases decorations and certain elements from the modernist area.
9. Houses of Pasqual Fos and Joan Fuster
Architect: Bonaventura Ferrando (1909-1917)
These two houses today make up the Espai Joan Fuster, a place where you can discover the material legacy left by the Sueca-born essayist. The façade of the house of Pascual Fos is modernist with Central European influences, while that of Joan Fuster is neo-Gothic.
10. Casa Collantes
Architect: Julià Ferrando (1926)
Its developer, Josep Maria Collantes, chose a space that had become the new upmarket area of the town. The house boasts a majestic and elegant appearance, applying the most common elements of regionalism, with key features including architectural motifs such as the three-part window, the ironwork or trims with Baroque details.
11. Escoles Jardí de l’Ateneu
Architect: Bonaventura Ferrando (1914)
The Sociedad Ateneo Sueco del Socorro, a progressive-leaning charity organisation, built the school for the children of the partners to have access to education. At that time, the building was on the outskirts of the city, in keeping with the educational and hygienic theories of the era. Highlights include the finish of the façades and the mouldings of the windows.
12. Escoles Cervantes
Architect: Julià Ferrando (1935)
Although the building has undergone several refurbishments, it is characterised by the horizontal arrangement of the main façade, where the two floors are separated with red glazed ceramic plates.
13. Local Slaughterhouse
Architect: Ll. Ferreres-B. Ferrando (1897-1912)
The architect, following a previous project, tailored solutions used in the Residential Home for this municipal abattoir. The key features are the decoration made in brick and a stepped crown on the main façade.
Do you need a guided tour?
You can do the route on your own, but if you need it, we can offer you a guided tour.
