Reus kicks off the Domènech i Montaner Year

The Lluís Domènech i Montaner Year will vindicate throughout this 2023 the figure and work of the Catalan modernist architect coinciding with the centenary of his death. To spread his legacy, various activities will be organized such as exhibitions, modernist fairs, theatrical visits or the publication of editorial news around the figure. The starting shot for the commemoration was made from the Pere Mata Hall of the Distinguished in Reus, designed precisely by Domènech i Montaner himself. The Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, has defined him as a "genius" who defended the "healing" effects of culture. The commissioners of the year, Gemma Martí and Clàudia Sanmartí, have defended the desire to "decentralize" the events.

Most of them will be programmed in Barcelona, where the "most representative" works are located, explained Martí. Also in Canet de Mar where he has a "personal and family bond" and Reus, a city where the "intellectual" side of the architect emerged. The program has been divided into three axes. In the first, everything related to architecture will be discussed, in the second with the more social and political sphere, since he was one of the "fathers of Catalanism", said Sanmartí. And, the third block will focus on the European and international projection of Domènech i Montaner.

In Reus, the modernist architect built one of his most emblematic buildings, Casa Navàs, as well as designing the Pere Mata Institute, a psychiatric centre. The Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, has stated that Domènech i Montaner was a "pioneer" when it came to understanding the "dialogue between cultural disciplines". He also emphasized that he is a "universal exponent" of Catalan culture that "transcends our borders and our time".

In the same vein, the mayor of Reus, Carles Pellicer, presented Domènech i Montaner as a "man of the country" and highlighted his "transversality" when it came to "laying down the foundations" of the 19th and XX that were "decisive for Catalonia". Pellicer has also pointed out the European side of the "multifaceted" architect.

Domènech i Montaner, a multidisciplinary architect

Lluís Domènech i Montaner was born in 1849 in Barcelona and graduated from the University of Barcelona with a degree in Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences. Afterwards, he would study architecture in Madrid. After working in the family publishing house, in 1878 he published the article 'In search of a national architecture' in which he defined what was later called Modernism.

As for his political side, he was part of the Catalan Center in 1882 and promoted the Greuges Memorial. Later, he was president of the League of Catalonia and Unió Catalanista. He devoted the last years of his life to writing books on various historical issues.