On the corner of Aragó and Bruc streets, in the heart of the Eixample dreta, stands a building that many residents know by sight, but few have explored in depth: the Eixample District Headquarters. Beyond its current administrative function, this building is a true summary of the urban transformation that Barcelona experienced between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Its origins date back to the end of the 19th century, when the Barcelona City Council acquired several plots of land to promote municipal facilities in an area that was just beginning to consolidate itself as the central axis of the Eixample. Initially, the project contemplated the construction of a market, but the idea was soon expanded to incorporate administrative and cultural spaces.
Designed by the architect Pere Falqués i Urpí in 1893, it underwent several restorations between 1986 and 1989 and again between 1993 and 1995. The façade decoration reflects a medievalist historicist style, with three large pointed arches marking the entrance to the lobby from the street. Of particular note are the iron grilles that enclose them, made of the same material as the now-lost pinnacle that once stood at the center of the façade above the cornice.