The Fundació Antoni Tàpies is not only a flagship modernist building, whose construction was completed in 1885, but also a depository of works of one of the most significant modern artists of Catalonia of the 20th century. The building itself was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the Montaner i Simon publishing house, which was managed by the architect's cousin at the time. Islamic motifs are combined with metal-and-brick structure to create a unique design. Tàpies deemed it necessary to crown the house with a sculpture of his own creation, named “The Cloud and the Chair”: although many people see only a tangle of wires on the roof, a certain chair is visible there as well, if you look closely.
Antoni Tàpies created the foundation in 1984 to stimulate the development of modern art in Barcelona. His own experimental work has always contained political undertones, sometimes heavily disguised: Tàpies had been an opponent of Franco's regime in the 60s and 70s. Most of the art housed in the foundation (approximately 800 works) had been donated by Tàpies himself. The collection gives a good idea of how the artistic style of Antoni Tàpies evolved, and the Fundació often holds temporary exhibitions of other modern artists.
The main floor showcases a sample of Tàpies's main artwork, and the exhibits are rotated on a regular basis. The lower floor is temporary exhibition space, and the basement houses drawings and sketches by Tàpies. The latter is just an echo of the exuberant eclectic works that made Antoni Tàpies famous in the first place.
