The friezes at the Col·legi d’Arquitectes are a series of sgraffito panels designed by Pablo Picasso, drawing on scenes from Catalan popular culture. Created by the sculptor Carl Nesjar in 1962, these cement and stone reliefs weave contemporary art into the everyday architecture of central Barcelona. Giants, children and symbolic motifs reinterpret traditions such as sardana dancing and the senyera, the Catalan flag, through Picasso’s free, pared-back visual language. Their presence brings contemporary art into the urban fabric while strengthening the link between the building’s modern architecture and the city’s cultural identity.
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Three friezes run along the outside of the function room: Fris dels Gegants (Giants Frieze), Fris de la Senyera (Senyera Frieze, referring to the Catalan flag) and Fris dels Infants (Children’s Frieze).
Together with the murals inside the Picasso Hall, they make up Picasso’s most significant public artwork in Barcelona.
