Castell dels Tres Dragons

Castell dels Tres Dragons rises in Barcelona beside the Parc de la Ciutadella, recalling the city’s 1888 Universal Exposition. Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed this Modernisme building between 1887 and 1888. Its nearly square plan uses brick, iron sheet, four corner towers, and battlements. Catalan, Romanesque, and Arabic arches give the exterior a medieval silhouette.

Built as the exposition’s main café-restaurant, the structure later became a workshop for industrial arts. Museum collections of history, archaeology, biology, and natural sciences subsequently occupied its rooms. In 1920, the Zoology Museum of Barcelona moved inside and remained there, with interruptions, until 2010. A restoration during the 1980s prepared the building for its present scientific roles. Today, documentation, specialised library, sound archive, and conservation work connect it with Barcelona’s Museum of Natural Sciences.

Ceramic decoration supplies the most memorable details across the façade and battlements. Blue-and-white shield panels show plants, animals, drinks, and liquors in compact painted scenes. Joan Llimona, Alexandre de Riquer, and other artists contributed paintings and decorative work. Partly lost stained-glass windows once added colour above the brick and iron structure.