For decades, scholars considered the La Obrera Mataronense cooperative’s cotton bleaching shed, built in 1883, as Antoni Gaudí’s first architectural work. However, new research has fundamentally revised this timeline. Historians have now identified Gaudí’s first house as a modest chalet designed five years earlier, in 1878. This discovery, announced ahead of Catalonia’s 2026 Gaudí Year celebrations, forces a complete reassessment of the architect’s early career. The 25-year-old Gaudí received 1,790 pesetas for this commission, which predates all his previously known buildings.
The breakthrough comes from meticulous archival work by Núria Poch, director of the Consorci Museu d’Art Contemporani de Mataró. Her findings effectively reclassify the iconic Nau Gaudí warehouse as Gaudí’s first surviving building, while establishing the Pagès chalet as his true professional debut. This revelation coincides with Barcelona’s designation as the 2026 UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture. The chalet was commissioned by Salvador Pagès, the industrialist who led the cooperative movement in Mataró. Therefore, this discovery establishes a new starting point for the career that would later produce masterpieces like the Sagrada Família.
Your browser does not support the video tag.Home » Gaudí’s First House: Discovery in Mataró Rewrites Architectural History
Unearthing Gaudí’s First House and Early Works
The research reveals that Gaudí’s initial professional work in Mataró comprised three constructions. First came the Pagès house in 1878, followed five years later by the grand bleaching shed. Additionally, Gaudí designed a small latrine building for the factory. This detailed picture provides a more pragmatic understanding of the architect’s formative years. Before creating the fantastical façades of Casa Batlló, Gaudí designed functional, industrial structures for a workers’ cooperative. Consequently, his first patron was not an aristocrat but an industrial innovator seeking practical solutions.
This relationship between Gaudí, Pagès, and the cooperative movement forms the central theme of a new exhibition, Gaudí, Pagès i l’Obrera, opening on 27 March at the Nau Gaudí. The exhibition will reformulate the established narrative of Gaudí’s early professional experiences. Meanwhile, as Barcelona prepares to honour his entire career, initiatives are underway to improve access to his most famous work. For instance, authorities have announced a 50% discount for residents visiting the Sagrada Família in 2026.
Gaudí’s First House: An Exhibition as Historical Correction
The Mataró museum, celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, positions Gaudí Year as a moment of live historical correction. These findings are significant enough that biographers and art historians must update their timelines. They must also re-examine the influences that shaped Gaudí’s unique structural and aesthetic language. The full details of the discovery are presented as part of the official ‘Any Gaudí’ programming. This programme aims to provide a deeper, more nuanced view of the Catalan master. Furthermore, the international focus on the anniversary is underscored by reported plans for a papal visit to Spain in 2026, expected to coincide with the centenary of Gaudí’s death.
For a figure as mythologised as Gaudí, this discovery provides essential grounding. It connects him directly to the social and industrial currents of his time. Ultimately, it reveals an architect whose career began not with a grand statement, but with practical solutions for housing and sanitation. In addition, it highlights the importance of ongoing historical research in understanding cultural icons.
Get all of the news delivered to your phone via our WhatsApp Broadcast Channel .
