The Casa de les Aigües de Montcada is a Modernist hydraulic facility created to channel water from the Besòs to Barcelona. Built in the late 19th century, it turned a technical necessity into architecture with a distinct character. Exposed brick façades, wrought iron detailing and tall chimneys not only ensured supply but also conveyed a sense of modernity. Inside, restored pump rooms and machinery show how steam powered the city’s growth. Today, set among gardens, it continues to show how infrastructure can become part of the city’s heritage.
This is good to know
It preserves one of only three vertical steam engines still in existence worldwide, giving a direct insight into industrial life in the 19th century.
