If you weren’t looking up at the right moment, you’d likely never notice the Umbrella House. I know I missed it at first!
On an open corner of Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas, the building is decorated with a parasol and umbrella theme, which is not surprising, since it was built in 1858 for Bruno Cuadros, who owned an umbrella shop on the ground floor.
It was a much simpler building when built, but in the early days of Catalonia’s Art Nouveau movement, the moderniste, Cuadros hired Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas to refurbish it. The various Japanese, Chinese and other motifs are his work.
Just for the record, in the title image the umbrella isn’t really hanging from the lantern; it’s a coincidence of the angle. The umbrella is actually socketed on the building, much like a flag in a holder.
