Palau Martorell

The building that housed the Old Mercantile Credit Society, located at 11 Ample Street, was built between 1886 and 1900, under the direction of the architect Joan Martorell i Montells. Contrary to modernist eccentricities, Martorell designed a neoclassical building in which the elements of the early 19th-century noucentista style, especially in the restrained use of ornamental elements, can be perceived.

In 1917, the Mercantile was acquired by the Bank of Barcelona after a process that lasted almost two years. However, in 1920, the Bank of Barcelona, the first private Spanish bank, went bankrupt causing significant losses to shareholders and clients.

Around 1930, the building was acquired by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Barcelona, and renovations were carried out inside that did not alter the most prominent elements. Fortunately, the building did not suffer significant damage during the Civil War (1936-1939), despite being located in a neighborhood heavily bombed by the Italian Legionary Air Force.

In 1901, the property won first prize in the Annual Contest of Artistic Buildings awarded by the City Council of Barcelona, which, in addition to aesthetics, rewarded the functionality of the building and the quality of its construction; in this case, highlighting the work done in stone.

The combination of monumentality and solemnity of the building conveys the values that the institution wanted to reflect through simplicity and the absence of overloaded or baroque elements. The building stands out for its large proportions, symmetry, and the distribution of decorative elements on the central body of the main façade.

Located in front of Plaça de la Mercè, the building offers fantastic views of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy. The structure of the house, with a rectangular floor plan, includes a basement, ground floor, two floors, an attic, and a rooftop terrace.

The façade of the building is a demonstration of neoclassical architecture. In it, we observe a great balance drawn by five openings, evenly and symmetrically distributed on the wall. In the central body, the composition features two levels of very different columns: a Doric one, starting at the balcony of the main floor and spanning two levels, and another level of Ionic inspiration from the cornice on the first floor up to the entablature that closes the work with a large upper cornice.

The entrance to the building is presided over by a lion's head, a symbol of strength and protection, omnipresent in all neoclassical architecture. On the double wooden door of the entrance, the initials C.O.I. can be seen, referring to the Official Chamber of Industry.

On the first-floor balcony and in the central body, there are allegorical figures of Commerce and Industry that reinforce the function of the Mercantile Credit Society. Finally, before entering, the excellent wrought ironwork of the floral-style balustrade stands out, integrating the symbol of the caduceus and the initials S.C.M of the Mercantile Credit Society.