Entrance to Col·legi de Arquitectes

©Esme Fox/Lonely Planet

Col·legi d'Arquitectes

La Rambla & Barri Gòtic


Across from La Catedral your eye may be caught by what appear to be childlike scribblings on the facade of the 1931 Col·legi de Arquitectes. It is, in fact, a giant public contribution by Picasso from 1962. The artwork, which represents Mediterranean festivals (including Catalonia's castellers), was much ridiculed by the local press when it was unveiled.

Inside the building is a small tourist office.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby La Rambla & Barri Gòtic attractions

1. Casa de l’Ardiaca

0.04 MILES

The 16th-century Casa de l’Ardiaca has housed the city’s archives since the 1920s. Stroll around the supremely serene courtyard, cooled by a fountain and…

2. Palau Episcopal

0.05 MILES

Across Carrer del Bisbe from La Catedral is the 17th-century Bishop's Palace. Virtually nothing remains of the original 13th-century structure. The Roman…

3. Font de Santa Anna

0.05 MILES

There's been a fountain on this spot since 1356, making Santa Anna the oldest in city. The colourful ceramics were added in 1918 by Catalan artist Josep…

4. La Catedral

0.06 MILES

Barcelona’s central place of worship presents a magnificent image. The richly decorated main facade, dotted with gargoyles and the kinds of stone…

6. Plaça de Sant Felip Neri

0.07 MILES

Graced by leafy acacias, a trickling fountain and a baroque church, this small square still bears signs of the destruction it suffered during a 1938…

7. World Begins with Every Kiss Mural

0.07 MILES

Created by Barcelona photographer Joan Fontcuberta for the 300th Diada Nacional de Catalunya (2014), this seductive mural depicts a kiss between two…

8. Museu Frederic Marès

0.08 MILES

The wealthy Catalan sculptor, traveller and obsessive collector Frederic Marès i Deulovol (1893–1991) amassed one of the wildest collections of historical…