Montjuïc Castle

Contemporary art in a Modernisme factory: CaixaForum at the foot of Montjuïc pairs Barcelona's industrial heritage with a vibrant cultural programme.

CaixaForum Barcelona blends art, music and civic debate inside walls that once hummed with machinery. The former Modernisme textile factory Fàbrica Casaramona, designed by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch around 1910, was already celebrated as an architectural gem when it operated. After decades of disuse, Japanese architect Arata Isozaki brought it back to life in 2002, adding a floating steel entrance canopy that bridges historic brick and contemporary gallery spaces. Today the Fundació "la Caixa" fills it with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, concerts, film screenings and workshops — all at a refreshingly accessible price.