1891

Casa Botines

1891-1892

Juan Homs i Botinàs was a Catalan entrepreneur who came to León in 1834 to open a new business that sold textiles. After his death in 1886, his two partners, Simón Fernández and Mariano Andrés, who both held business ties with Eusebi Güell, acquired a plot of land in the city centre and commissioned Gaudí to design a building with a new floor plan that combined commercial and residential use.

Gaudí proposed a large free-standing building with a mediaeval fortress-like appearance, featuring grey limestone ashlars interspersed with numerous lobe-shaped windows. This was the first housing project of Gaudí’s career, with the main floor designed for the developer’s home and the other floors intended for rent.