Francesc Berenguer Mestres

Francesc Berenguer i Mestres (Reus, 1866 – Barcelona, 1914). Unqualified architect and designer. He worked with the architect August Font i Carreras for a while and, when he was 21, gave up studying architecture to work as Gaudí's assistant. When he died, while still young, Gaudí said he had ‘lost his right hand’. Berenguer was also assistant to Miquel Pascual i Tintorer, the municipal architect of Gràcia, who signed most of his work. Berenguer could not, as he never qualified.

He worked alongside Gaudí on the Sagrada Família and the Güell Colony church, as well as Palau Güell.

For the Güell family he designed the winery in El Garraf and the most representative buildings in the Colony at Santa Coloma de Cervelló (the school and the teacher's house, the cooperative building and Ca l’Ordal, this last in collaboration with Joan Rubió i Bellver). He also designed Gaudí's house (today a house-museum) in Park Güell.

Gaudí relied on Berenguer's collaboration in building Palau Güell. According to Cèsar Martinell, it was Berenguer who, under Gaudí's supervision, drew the numerous designs—as many as 25—that were made for the facade of Palau Güell.