File on the project to install the clock in the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona

Date: 1877 - 1884

Archive: Office of the Historical Archives and Documentary Heritage of the University of Barcelona

Document type: Textual

Reference code: ES CAT UB 316550

Description

With its 35 meter height, the Clock tower is one of the most iconic images of Barcelona’s urban landscape. It is part of the Historical Building of the UB, the architectural complex designed by Elies Rogent in 1862. The historic building of the University of Barcelona, designed and built between 1863 and 1887, is an outstanding exponent of the neoclassical and eclectic architecture of the 19th century. This building, located on Carrer de l’Hospital de Barcelona, reflects Rogent’s vision of creating an academic space that combines functionality, aesthetics and symbolism.

The main facade, with its symmetry and classical proportions, evokes the grandeur of Greek and Roman architecture. However, Rogent also incorporates eclectic elements, such as the mixing of materials and the integration of ornamental details that reflect the cultural and historical richness of the city.

The interior of the building includes wide interior courtyards, such as the Pati de les Lletres, which provide natural lighting and ventilation to the academic spaces. Classrooms and reading rooms are designed to maximize functionality, with other ceilings, tall windows and decorations that reflect the importance of education.

Ornamental details are another prominent feature of the building. The sculptures, reliefs and inscriptions that adorn the walls and facades celebrate wisdom, science and the arts. These elements not only beautify the building but also convey educational and cultural values.

The building of the University of Barcelona designed by Elies Rogent is more than a physical structure; it is a symbol of the cultural and educational renewal of Catalonia in the 19th century. It represents the aspiration for modernization and the will to create a center of academic excellence that reflects the country’s identity and history.
Its features, from the classical facade to the ornamental details, reflect the vision of an academic space that honors the past while looking to the future.

Already from his first projects for the Historic Building, Elies Rogent conceived a bell tower in which to house a clock that was to mark the times, precision and rigor typical of academic life. Initially, this bell tower was supposed to be located in the center of the University facade, but it was not built like this in the final project. Instead, the current iron structure was built in the west tower in 1877: a four-armed belfry that covers the bells in the manner of an open dome in the Renaissance style. The design followed Rogent’s proposals, which possibly had the collaboration of master Joan Torras Guardiola, professor at the Provincial School of Architecture, located in the same Historic Building and directed by Rogent.

The documentation kept in the Historical Archive of the UB reveals more details about the construction of the Clock tower. We find there, for example, the file on the contract for the construction of the clock associated with the bells, which contains the original plan of the tower (1877), drawn by hand and of great beauty. Also the terms and conditions of the bell tower construction contract (1880), as well as a document dated August 1880 regarding the payment for the bells, which reveals that they cost 6,566 pesetas.

The bells were forged in the foundry of Miquel Forcada, in Vic, in 1880, and began ringing in 1881 with the clock designed by the Cabanyach family of clockmakers. The newspapers of the time narrated what was experienced as a whole event in the city. “The clock in the University tower is already striking. The two bells for the quarters and the hours are of repetition, they have a good timbre and can be heard from a long distance. Now all that is needed is that it always goes well”, reported the Diari Català (no. 680) of June 18, 1881, the date on which the bells rang for the first time.

After more than two decades without functioning, in 2019 the bells regained their sound thanks to a deep restoration. To this action is now added the intervention in the Clock tower, and the UB is already studying new projects, such as the restoration of the historic classrooms, some of which are still active.

In 2022, the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Historic Building was commemorated.

You might also be interested in