The Palau Robert is situated at the Passeig de Gràcia 107, at the corner with the Avinguda Diagonal. This building was constructed between 1898 and 1903 as a private residence for Robert Robert I Surís, the Marquis of Robert, a prominent politician and financer. Nowadays the Palau Robert is property of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan government. The complex consists out of three exhibition halls, a concert hall, an information centre of the Catalonian region, a tourism office of the city of Barcelona, a bookstore and a pleasant park that is accessible for public.

When Robert Robert i Surís acquired the houses at the corner of Passeig de Gràcia and Diagonal at the end of the 19th century, he broke them down to build a residence there in the style of the rest of the mansions that stood on the Passeig. He entrusted the design to a French architect named Henri Grandpierre, that was well-known because of his contribution to the World Fair in Paris in 1900. The construction was being executed by the architect Joan Martorell i Montells.

The building is an example for the neo-classic architecture. It has a square surface and is build around a patio with a glass roof. The classic style is remarkably different from the modernist style that was being used a lot in Barcelona in 1900. The garden was designed by the landscape architect of Barcelona, Ramon Oliva, that later would shape Plaça Catalunya as well. Many trees of the park were coming from the World Fair of Barcelona of 1888.

Robert Robert i Sirís died in 1929 and however his family offered the property for sale in 1934, the next Marquis of Robert assigned the architect Francesc de Paula Nebot to make a design for a new building at the same parcel in 1936. The project was called ‘The Lido’ and would exist out of a hotel, theatre, party room and a cabaret. Finally these plans were cancelled and in November 1936 the minister Josep Tarradellas of the Catalan government decided to form the Palau Robert to the building of the Ministry of Culture of Republican Generalitat. It has to be said that the Spanish civil war (1936-1939) was at full swing at that time.

After the war the family Robert again acquired the building. In 1944 there was established a company there that had the goal to make a hotel and event hall of it. Years later Julio Muñoz Ramonet bought the building, but due to a conflict with the Banco Central it eventually became property of this bank. On the 11th of May 1981 the Generalitat de Catalunya acquired it together with the adjacent office buildings. On the 18th of November in 1997 is was opened for public under the name Palau Robert.

In 2003 the architect Sílvia Farriol renovated the neighboring coach-houses and garden. The rooms the owners formally putted their vehicles were transformed to two extra polyvalent halls. Besides that there was pulled down a wall at Carrer Còrsega and replaced by a fence so the garden is now visible from the street.

The entrance to the buildings and garden of Palau Robert is for free. You can visit it from Monday until Saturday from 10.00 till 19.00 and on Sundays from 10.00 till 14.30. For more information you can go to the site of the Palau Robert.

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