Casa Amatller

This, the middle 'apple' in the Manzana de la Discordia, was the house that started the Passeig de Gràcia's style wars. Jaws dropped when it was unveiled in 1898: it was dubbed ‘the apotheosis of decorative arts’. With this house a bar had been set for every tycoon in the Eixample to rival, and it was set very high indeed.

Like the other three Modernista houses on the block, it was essentially a remodelling job. Chocolate baron Antoni Amatller i Costa had become bored with his townhouse, and in the spirit of the Renaixença that had gripped Barcelona, hired Puig i Cadafalch to give it a Gothic makeover.

The design of the house was Puig's response to Amattler's needs and interests. The chocolate baron was an amateur photographer and had a studio in the attic, which led Puig to design its unusual stepped gable to hide it from the street.