The main EINA site is at the Palau dels Marquesos de Sentmenat, a historic building that this aristocratic family turned into a luxurious residence in the seventeenth century, but that was refurbished in the nineteenth century to give it the more romantic and French appearance that it has now.
Protected as a cultural heritage of local interest, the building occupies a privileged site on the southern aspect of an extensive pine forest located between the Carretera de les Aigües and the neighbourhood of Can Caralleu, in the upper part of Sarrià.
The palace was the property of the Sentmenat family until 1974. The faithful restoration in 1993 to install the EINA School there has breathed new life into it and rescued it from oblivion. The palace retains the original external appearance of the nineteenth century, with sober lines, featuring the stone-framed doors and windows that date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Surrounding the building, the Jardins de Sentmenat are classical gardens of French inspiration, with a circular pond and parterres around it. They have retained the original appearance and layout of the age, which is why they are a superb example of what early nineteenth-century aristocratic gardens looked like.
(Source: “Know BCN” on the Barcelona City Council website)
University, workshop and garden
EINA is a centre linked to the university where higher education is taught, along with a centre of creative experimentation and professional learning that gathers design teaching tradition and the art of the Bauhaus workshops. Moreover, EINA could be referred to as a garden. Not only because gardens have historically linked to the environment of the various headquarters that have been home to the centre, but because like in the epicurean garden, EINA would like to remain a place to reflect. EINA’s garden is the centre of a great part of the activities of the centre, together with the prototype and mockup workshop. University, workshop and gardens, concepts conforming part of our unique identity.
Mas Teixidó, a XIV centuty country house with a rectangular floor plan and compact structure owned by Pere Clariana, is the origin of the Palau dels Marquesos de Sentmenat. It wasn’t until the XVII century that Maria Josefa de Clariana marchioness of Sentmenat acquired the building to make it, a tower with the help of master builder Andreu Bosch (1779), and with the later expansion and restructuring during 1862 by Joaquim M. de Sentmenat i de Vilallonga made it a luxurious residence, with a romantic and French-like garden, refurbished with carved elements coming from Ciutadilla and Sentmenat. In the 60s the building was rented to the French consul until 1974, when the building was sold to a real estate developer that would donate it to the Barcelona City Hall in 1992.
It was at that moment when EINA and the City Hall signed an agreement in accordance of which the centre was installed in exchange of a restoration and update of the building. The restoration and transformation programme that ended in 1994 was carried out by the architects Miquel Espinet and Antoni Ubach, with the collaboration of Ramon Domènech (technical direction), Robert Brufau (calculation of structures), Pere Armadàs (furniture), Sergi Aguilar (design of the gargoyles of the front façade), America Sanchez (signage) i Albert Ràfols (mural of the top lobby). The rehabilitation was also possible thanks to the sponsorship of friends of the Foundation.
- Xavier Alamany
- Josep Alemany
- Amat
- Jori Armengol i Associats
- Eduard Arranz-Bravo
- Francesc Artigau
- Lluís Aulina
- Mercè Badal
- Josep Bagà
- Carme Balanzó
- Ramon Barnils
- Joan Brossa
- CA2L
- Francesc Casamajó
- Josep M. Castellet
- Federico Correa
- Ramon Domènech
- Margarit JSW
- Manel Esclusa
- Miquel Espinet
- M. Dolors Farré
- Gama
- Gas Natural
- Maria Girona
- Romà Gubern
- Josep Guinovart
- Maria Helguera
- Chon Hernández Cros
- Josep Emili Hernández Cros
- Katel / Idical
- Joan Enric Lahosa
- Antoni Llena
- Josep Lluscà
- Anna Maio
- Antoni Marí
- Josep Martínez-Clarà
- Alfonso Milà
- Miquel Milà
- Josep M. Mir
- M. Antònia Miserachs
- Mobles 114
- Miquel Molins
- Gabriel Mora
- Beatriz de Moura
- Pati Núñez
- Carlos Pazos
- Domènec Peraferrer
- Amparo Porcel
- Blai Puig
- Andreu Rabal
- Albert Ràfols
- Oriol Regàs
- Montserrat Ribas
- Morillas & Associats
- André Ricard
- Anna Sagarra
- Santa & Cole
- Sapic
- Claret Serrahima
- Signes
- Rosa Tarruella
- Francesc Todó
- Lilian Trabado
- Antoni Ubach
- Nona Unbert
- Albert Valera
- Maria Mercè Valeri
- Marta Ventós
- Antònia Vilà
- Àngels Viladomiu