In the section of the Paseo de Gracia between Calle Aragó and Calle Consell de Cent is the Discord Block, which is so called as it includes three buildings by three of the best architects of Modernist Barcelona: Puig i Cadafalch, Domènech i Montaner and Gaudí

CASA LLEÓ MORERA

This house was built by Lluís Domènech i Montaner between the years 1902 and 1906, the best period of the Catalan architect. The sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Antoni Serra i Fiter worked with him. The first floor of this building houses the Tourist Board of Barcelona and two doors down is the Perfume Museum, where we find a collection of aromatic substances from antiquity to the present day.

CASA AMATLLER

Josep Puig i Cadafalch built this charming edifice of Gothic inspiration between 1890 and 1900, commissioned by the Amatlleruna family, one of the most powerful of the former Catalan bourgeoisie. Since the year 1941 the building has housed the Institut Amatller de l´Art Hispànic: a private foundation which collects and preserves photographs (over 500,000, all documented) and bibliographic material on the plastic arts from Spanish-speaking countries.

CASA BATLLÓ

This is at number 43 Passeig de Gràcia and was designed by the most famous modernist architect of all times: Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852-1926). He erected it between the years 1904 and 1906, the decoration and the ornamentation being entrusted to the best professionals of the city: Josep Mª Jujol, Joan Rubió i Bellver, Sebastià Ribó, the Badia brothers, etc. The most important aspect of the Batlló house is its avant-garde and personal design with lights and almost psychedelic shapes.

CASA MILÀ: LA PEDRERA

Perhaps the supreme work of art of the Golden Square and of Gaudí. It is at number 92 Passeig de Gràcia and was the last of the buildings of l´Eixample to be built (between 1905 and 1910). All of the structural designs, the inner space and furniture, down to the smallest details, chimneys, banisters, door knobs, etc., are the work of the great Gaudí, who was rewarded posthumously when the UNESCO declared La Pedrera to be a World Heritage site.

"La Pedrera adopts such unimaginable shapes that neither lasers nor current advanced architectural technology are capable of taking down, processing and elaborating the details of the building" - these were the words of the architect in charge of the restoration between the years 1987 and 1992, Rafael Vila Rodríguez.

This gives us an idea of the architectural complexity of the building and of how far ahead of his time was the architect from Reus, Antoni Gaudí.

Casa Milà is the current head office of the Foundation of the Caixa de Catalunya, a financial entity which paid for the complete restoration of the building. It can be visited free every day except for holidays, in groups with a guide.

CASA FUSTER

After crossing Avenida Diagonal, at number 132 Passeig de Gràcia, is the Casa Fuster, by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, built between the years 1908 and 1911. The architecture of the building is a mixture of two very different classicist styles - the Venetian and the Gothic. The famous poet Salvador Espriu had his office in the tower of this building.