16. The Grand Hotel: the first years of the 20th century.

©Text i fotos: Àngel Gené i Ramis; traducció a l'anglès: Montserrat Casanovas i Stobart; suport informàtic: Martí Gené i Ramis

Author:
Lluís Domenech i Montaner
Period and style:
1901-1903, Modernism
Historical context:
- Growing tourism (wealthy tourists).
- Money concentration in fewer hands (since 1880 different people tend to gather to create corporations, which will found large companies and factories)
- Moderate Industrialization.
- Cultural contacts with Catalonia and Valencia (common interests, they follow the principles of the "Arts and crafts", for the revitalization of the techniques of medieval pottery)

Formal analysis (description) and commentary:
The facade shows that we are in front of a modernist work (first full modernist work in Mallorca). The "revival" elements dominate over the "Art Nouveau". If we compare it with Can Cassasayas, we have:
-Traditional semiround and round arches.
-Innovative organic motifs at the top, where there is a pediment of classical inspiration.

-A dynamic undulating facade combined with a plain facade, reminiscent of medieval times.
However, it is undoubtedly a modernist work because:
- Its use of new materials.
- Freedom in the design of the empty spaces on the ground floor thanks to the use of iron.
- Use of structural elements as decorative motifs.
- Pottery use on the last floor ("La Roqueta", related to the importance the "Arts and Crafts" movement gave to pottery)

- Importance to the details.
- The combination of industry at the front (iron, pottery) together with the craftwork (sculptured stone, wrought iron)

"La Roqueta" (a pottery factory founded in 1887 in Palma)
It was an attempt to join industry and crafts following the precepts of the "Arts and Crafts" and Art Nouveau movements. The use of ceramics and pottery in architecture was more valued in the Catalan Countries than in the rest of Spain. The dragons at the Grand Hotel are a revival of a traditional form, a fantasy-inspired motif with Mesopotamian origins and often used during the middle Ages.