The Palau Güell, or Güell Palace, located in Nou de la Rambla street in Barcelona, was built by the architect Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (Reus 1852-Barcelona, 1926). It was commissioned by the wealthy insdustrialist, landowner and politician, Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi (Barcelona, 1846-1918), and his new home.

The Palau Güell is the only building that Gaudí actually completed and that has not undergone any major modifications. The building was completed in 1890.

In 1885, Güell commissioned Gaudí with the first project for the future Palau Güell. On July 27th 1886, the Barcelona Town Council approved the project and work was begun the following 15th October. Althought the date on the crest on the main façade is 1888, we are led to believe that the final touches, the interior decoration and furnishings were not completed until late 1890. Subsequently, in 1895 the floor dedicated to the sleeping quarters was refurbished and chimneys were added to the roof, bringing the total number to twenty.

There is no evidence to show that any other work was carried out on the Palau while the Güell family accuppied it.

It remained a private residence for the family until 1936. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the Palau was confiscated and turned into a barracks. After this period, the Palau was is such a poor state of repair that the then owner, Mercè Güell i López (the daughter od Eusebi Güell), decided to donate the building to the state.

In 1945, on May 25th to be exact, the Palau was officially handed over to the Diputació de Barcelona (Barcelona Council), wich became the formal owner and titleholder.

In 1969 the Spanish State declared the property an Historic Artistic Monument and "...an example of singular worth of fantastic conception of art, expressed in building form that deserves to be regarded as monumental...".

November 2, 1984 was an important date for the building when the Palau Güell was declared a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, justifying the inclusion of this work by Gaudí for its contribution to, and influence on the techniques and forms that were relevant to modern construction in the 20th century as well as ist remarkable creative character.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the Diputació de Barcelona, fully aware of its responsibility to guarantee the preservation and transmission to future generations of this monument of such exceptional interest, carried out several works of overall maintenance and specific restoration.

In 2002, the year of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the architect Gaudí, the Palau Güell was used for the celebration of the events with an exhibition and several events under the heading of "Gaudí and Güell: two men and one project".

After this important event a new process of restoration was undertaken and is still in progress This involves an in-depth study of the materials used in the building as well as the techniques used and the furnishings and fittings in order to guarantee the preservation and well-being of the building.

Although Palau Güell has been subject to the demands of extensive use for cultural and educational purposes, it has certainly passed the milestone of the first century since its construction with flying colours. This building, now the property of the Diputació de Barcelona, located in the Raval district in Barcelona, is one of the architectural jewels of Catalan modernism and a trip to the city to see the wonders of Gaudi would not be complete without paying a visit to this monument. An emblematic building of the Presidency of the Diputació de Barcelona, Palau Güell, as a culturally oriented institution with its doors open to the city, aspires to cultivate a close link with its surroundings and to be easily accessible to everybody.