The Escola Massana, TMB and the Barcelona Archaeology Service restore the mural "La Rotonda dels transports"

This morning, the restoration of the "Mural de la Rotonda dels Transports" was presented.

This ceramic mural is located in the circular underground lobby that connects the Catalunya metro station with the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya station and which is also accessed from La Rambla and Plaça de Catalunya.

The mural consists of a set of six panels made with ceramic stoneware pieces.

The authorship belongs to a group of professors and students from the Escola Massana. The inscription on the artwork mentions Francesc Albors, ceramics professor at Massana who designed the mural. Elisenda Sala and Manuel del Río were also professors at Massana, she in high-temperature ceramics and he in turn ceramics. Elisenda explained in an interview that she did not participate in the creation of the mural and probably Manuel didn't either. Their names were probably included due to their positions. Maria Bofill, Mercedes Llenas (name mistakenly shortened with an N), Ester Palomer, and Carme Llobet were students at that time and probably the ones who carried out the execution of the artwork.

Regarding the date of the artwork, the Diario de Barcelona reports that on March 18, 1969 (p.15), the lobby of the station under Plaça de Catalunya was inaugurated. The same newspaper reported five months earlier, on October 25, 1968 (p.13), that the underground passages under the station had been opened. However, the photo accompanying the news shows the rotunda without the ceramic mural. On the other hand, the Public Art Catalog indicates that the artwork is from 1966, a date that we have not been able to confirm whether it refers to the commission or the execution.

The six panels that make up the mural La rotonda dels transports are placed on the walls of the circular lobby, reaching a height of 215 cm and a variable width - between 65 and 650 cm - depending on where they are located. The panels are made with square pieces of ceramic stoneware that are 10 cm on each side. The decoration of the pieces is achieved with glazes while the background pieces of the composition are unglazed. The tiles are adhered to the wall with mortar applied to the back.

Looking from left to right, we see represented (the names and dates in bold are inscribed on the panels):

Panel 1 - to the left of the exit to La Rambla

• A steam locomotive Trevitick 1800, according to the name of the inventor of the road locomotive Richard Trevithick.
• A submarine Haydon (or Donhay?) 1893, unidentified device.
• A steam locomotive Victori Point 1889 (date to confirm), unidentified device.
• A car Duryea 1893, according to Franck and Charles Duryea, inventors of the first gasoline automobile in the United States.
• A steamship with paddles Explorer 1857, named after the ship built to explore the Colorado River.
• A helicopter Sikorsky 1910, according to Igor Sikorsky, pioneer in helicopter invention.

Panel 2 - to the right of the metro entrance

A balloon Coutelle 1795, according to Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle, captain of the first company of French balloons.

Panel 3 - to the right of the metro exit

• A helicopter Leonardo de Vinci 1515, according to the aerial screw invented by Leonardo da Vinci.

Panel 4 - to the right of the exit to Plaça de Catalunya

• An aircraft Hama (date not found), according to the name of Francesco Lama de Terzi, who conceived the Flying Ship around 1670.

Panel 5 - to the right of the entrance to Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya

• A locomotive Stephenson 1830, in reference to George Stephenson responsible for the first passenger line between Liverpool and Manchester in 1830.
• An aircraft Henson 1845, according to William Henson, the first to patent an aircraft with engines, propeller, and fixed wing.
• A submarine Monturiol 1860, according to Narcís Monturiol inventor of the first manned submarine called Ictineo.
• An aircraft (name and date illegible), probably the airship La France created by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs in 1884.
• A car Gurney 1829, according to Golsdsworthy Gurney, the first to build a steam car.

Panel 6 - to the right of the exit to La Rambla

• A steamship with paddles Mayflower (date not found), probably the ship built in 1887.
• A bicycle Michaux 1855, according to Pierre Michaux one of the inventors of the pedal bicycle.
• A balloon Blanchard 1785, according to Jean-Pierre Blanchard first to cross the English Channel by balloon in 1785.
• A submarine Bathyscaphe (date not found) according to the device designed in 1947 by Auguste Piccard.
• A car Jenatzy 1899, according to Camille Jenatzy car racing driver first to exceed 100 km/h with the automobile La Jamais Contente.
• A steam locomotive Stephensons 1825, according to George Stephenson responsible for the first public railway line in 1825.
• Another steam locomotive Stephenson 1825, according to the same George Stephenson inventor of The Rocket locomotive, one of the first with a 0-2-2 wheel arrangement.
• A high wheel bicycle Renard 1878, according to Victor Renard, builder of a "penny-farthing" bicycle with a 3-meter wheel, probably one of the tallest.

The interest of the Barcelona Archaeology Service in this mural arises from the project El mosaic del meu barri. This initiative is aimed at the citizens with the objective of discovering, valuing, and conserving the mosaics of the city.

The intervention on the mural is part of a broader project that concerns the entire rotunda space. The project stems from the interest of different institutions in the conservation-restoration and enhancement of this space: the Department of Architectural, Historical, and Artistic Heritage of the Barcelona City Council, the owner of the artwork; Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, in charge of maintaining this space; Escola Massana, author of the original work and the new pieces to replace the missing ones; Escola Superior de Conservació i Restauració de Béns Culturals de Catalunya (ESCRBCC), with its students. The project is coordinated and directed by the Barcelona Archaeology Service.

The conservation-restoration intervention consisted mainly of cleaning, consolidation, and replacement of missing pieces. The work was carried out by students in the 4th year of conservation-restoration practice at the ESCRBCC under the supervision of professionals in the field. The new pieces were created at Escola Massana by students of the Higher Degree Training Cycle in Applied Arts to the Wall. The intervention took place between April and June 2025.

From Friends of La Rambla, we applaud this initiative that allows us to recover and enhance heritage elements of La Rambla and its surroundings.