Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau review

When part of the roof of the gynaecology department collapsed in 2004, it was clear that restoration work was needed on the century-old Modernista 'garden city' hospital. By spring 2009 the last of the departments will have been transferred to the modern Nou Sant Pau building to the north of the grounds and the old complex will cease to be a functioning hospital although there are tentative plans to turn part of it into a museum of Modernisme.

Scaffolding and builders will be on the grounds for the next decade or so but the renovations will be gradual and the complex still open to visitors who come to admire Domènech i Montaner's masterpiece. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hospital is a collection of 20 pavilions abundantly adorned with the colourful Byzantine, Gothic and Moorish flourishes that characterise the architect's style and set in peaceful gardens that spread over nine blocks in the north-east corner of the Eixample. It is set at a 45º angle from the rest of Ildefons Cerdà's grid system, so that it catches more sun: Domènech i Montaner built the hospital very much with its patients in mind, convinced that aesthetic harmony and pleasant surroundings were good for the health.

The public enjoy free access to the grounds, and guided tours (€5; €2.50 reductions) in English are held daily at 10.15am and 12.15pm.