House with Dragons (Valencia)

Brief information

The sharp angle of two streets here became not an inconvenience, but the building’s main device. The House with Dragons stands on a wedge-shaped plot at Sorní and Jorge Juan, so it received three facades: a narrow corner one only two windows wide and two symmetrical side elevations. It has no inner courtyard, only two small light wells, and this feature explains the dense, almost compressed layout.

The building was constructed in 1901 in the Eixample district. It was residential in origin, but its lower level is occupied by commercial use, offices are located above, and the two upper floors are reserved for apartments. It is important to look at the house not only as ornate Modernisme: behind the fantastical decoration lies a strict scheme with an axis, a center, and balanced side facades.

What to notice first

It is worth comparing the two layers of the facade: the strict framework and the free decoration. The side facades are divided vertically and framed by projections of white stone, so the house maintains an almost classical symmetry even on a difficult corner plot. The narrow central facade works like a display window: a round window with a finial introduces a Gothic motif, while the rectangular merlons on the parapet recall Romanesque architecture.

Then the details sharply change the tone. Above the Gothic window is a bas-relief with a steam locomotive and the five-pointed star of the Norte railway company. Higher still sits a dragon with outstretched wings and a shield, while smaller dragons hold the bases of columns entwined with roses. This makes it clear why the house is remembered not for its mass, but for the clash of discipline and fantasy: symmetry establishes order, while dragons, flowers, and the locomotive turn the facade into a set of precise clues to the tastes of Modernisme.