The restoration works of Casa Vicens, originally built between 1883 and 1885, lasted for three years and cost 4.5 million euros. In the process, the renovators faced a real challenge: whether to restore the original look to the house interior, as initially designed by Gaudi, or to adapt the interior as a modern cultural space with the potential for use as a museum.
The dining room, adorned with numerous paintings and decorative pieces, including thirty paintings by Francesc Torrescassana, required the greatest number of efforts. The icon of the Blessed Virgin of Santa Rita was returned to the house. A fountain in the garden next to Casa Vicens was also refurbished, and a cafeteria will open soon. The smoking room, long considered the real gem of the building and designed in the Mozarabic style, has regained its initial luster.
Today, the first floor hosts the museum’s visitor reception zone, while the second and third floors will house the permanent and temporary exhibitions. The permanent collection on the third floor is dedicated to Gaudi’s career, from the moment of his graduation from the provincial architecture school to the construction of Casa Vicens. The first temporary exhibition will bear the name, “La primera casa. La casa pròpia. La casa manifest,” and will tell the story of Casa Vicens in an international context. On the underground floor, which once served as a warehouse, plans for a bookstore are proceeding.
In order to avoid too many visitors in Casa Vicens, the building administration plans to accept only 500 visitors per day (or 60 people per hour). The standard ticket price will be 16 euros, and a ticket with a tour will cost 19 euros.