August 1, 2025
By Ferran Garcés
“Palau de Justicia de Barcelona”, by Enric Sagnier (1887-1908). Source: Wikipedia
Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, architecture was not only “Modernist.” In parallel, another style developed that is still awaiting proper reappraisal. It is called eclecticism, a term that is difficult to define. On one hand, because it involves combining different styles from the past. On the other, because it has been little studied and lacks clear references.
Another paradox of eclecticism lies in the fact that, in practice, its buildings—despite their abundance and monumentality—are seen but not truly looked at. However, in its time, it was highly esteemed. So much so, in fact, that it was used to construct the main public buildings in the great capitals of Europe and cities like Havana…
In Europe
Eclecticism is considered a derivation of historicism, a style with which it shares inspiration from the past, but with different goals. Historicism seeks to imitate historical traditions, while eclecticism aims to create something new by combining diverse elements in a single work. In practice, however, the two styles are easily confused.
Architect and historian Joan Bassegoda places the origin of eclecticism at the end of the 18th century, specifically during the time of Austrian architect Johann Fisher von Erlach, who proposed the following principles:
- The architect may choose any style they wish,
- The architect may mix all the styles they deem appropriate in a single work.
The prototypical example, according to Bassegoda, is the center of Vienna, where Gothic, Renaissance, Classical, and Baroque styles are harmoniously combined. For most authors, however, the first eclectic work was the Paris Opera House, designed by Charles Garnier, within the context of Baron Georges E. Haussmann’s major urban reform (1)
Palais Garnier, by Charles Garnier (1861-1875). Source: Universidad de Navarra
In Spain
In Spain, as in the rest of Europe, eclecticism was widely practiced until it faded from public consciousness. Nevertheless, no one can say they’ve never seen a work in this style, given its institutional character: provincial councils, city halls, ministerial or stock exchange headquarters, stations, markets, theaters, schools, banks, hotels. For a more complete list, see: Eclecticism in Spain, Eclectic Palaces of Spain and Eclectic Architecture in Spain.
Another important feature of eclecticism is that, during its era, architecture began to use new materials linked to the Industrial Revolution—especially iron, but also glass—to create open, light-filled spaces with vast capacities. Concrete would come later. In other words, despite their monumentality, these buildings were—and still are—very practical, which is why they shaped so many public and official institutions, and even leisure venues like the Casino de Madrid.
Casino de Madrid, Between 1915 and 1920. Source: Pinterest
In Catalonia
In Catalonia, the history of eclecticism has only just begun to be studied, but it still lacks popular recognition, completely overshadowed by Modernism. Moreover, the little that has been published focuses on the case of Barcelona (2). For a complete list, see: Eclecticism in Barcelona.
We find it, among many other buildings, in the University of Barcelona (1874), by Elies Rogent, Gaudí’s professor, or the Casa Gallart (1898), now the Palau de les Heures, by August Font i Carreras, a highly renowned architect of his time whose legacy has onliy recently been rescued (3). Above all, we see it in most of the buildings in the Eixample district, where it is precisely eclecticism that “still today gives it a strong personality,” as Joan Bassegoda observed (4) In a more recent publication, Joan Molet adds: “We must also recognize that eclectic architecture is as characteristic of Barcelona’s Eixample as Modernism itself (or even more so), just as it is in other European cities that grew in the second half of the 19th century, although for tourism marketing reasons they prefer to label themselves as ‘Modernist’ cities.” (5)
Universitat de Barcelona, by Elies Rogent (1863-1889). Source: Pintrest
Torre Gallart, today Palau de les Heures, by August Font Carreras (1898) Source: web arquitectura catalana
Despite its current disregard, in Gaudí’s time, around the turn of the century, eclecticism was the style that allowed Barcelona—or any other European city—to stop being a provincial town and become a cosmopolitan capital, through the construction of all the public and private buildings a great city needed. In addition to its monumentality, much of its success also lay in the high quality of its execution. As Bassegoda concludes in his study of the style: “In general, eclecticist architecture is not a source of great architectural genius, but it made up for its lack of ingenuity with craftsmanship and careful execution of construction solutions tested, used, and verified in thousands of experiences and examples.” (6)
Outside Europe. For example, Cuba…
On the Caribbean island, as in Europe and Spain, eclecticism is inescapable, for the simple reason that the main official buildings belong to this style. In contrast, Modernism is found relegated to houses and private constructions, “perhaps because the style was considered too frivolous to adequately represent the young Republic” (7), in the words of historian E. Capablanca, referring to the Cuban Republic established in 1902. We began with the Paris Opera House, inaugurated in 1875, and end with the Gran Teatro de La Habana—also home, by the way, to the Centro Gallego—opened in 1914. Shortly after, the slow but steady forgetting of this style began; forgetting, not disappearance, because many of its buildings are still in use, both privately and officially…
Gran Teatro de La Habana, by Paul Beleu (1914, inauguracion). Source: Wikipedia
Notes
- Bassegoda Nonell, Juan (1984), Historia de Arquitectura, Editores Técnicos Asociados, S.A, Barcelona, p. 285
- Mollet i Petit, Joan (2005), “Eclectic Architecture in Catalonia: A History Yet to Be Written”, Matèria: Art Journal, Raco.cat
Article on RACO.cat - Ubano Lorente, Judith (2013), Eclectic Barcelona. The Architecture of August Font i Carreras (1845–1924), Dux Editorial, S.L. Barcelona
- Bassegoda Nonell, Op. cit., p. 288
- Mollet i Petit, Joan, Op. cit., p. 58
- Bassegoda Nonell, Op. cit., p. 289
- Capablanca, Enrique (1990), “A Cuban Mythology”, in: The UNESCO Courier, No. 2, Paris, pp. 37–39. See also: Valdivieso Sánchez, E. and González Yunta (09/28/2015), “Residential Eclectic Architecture in the City of Havana (Old Havana and Central Havana municipalities) between 1900 and 1930”, JOUR magazine.
