Architecture for the elderly
Introduction
The Asilo del Santo Cristo is located in the Pla de San Agustín of Igualada, one of the areas of urban expansion, located to the west of the old town of Igualada. It occupies an entire island, between the streets of Milà i Fontanals, Prat de la Riba and Sor Rita Mercader. Both for its monumental dimensions and for its architectural exuberance, it is one of the most unique elements of the capital of the Noya region "Noya (region of Catalonia)").
The construction of the building began in 1931, based on a donation made by the sisters Magdalena, Dolores and Concepción Castells, members of an influential family of local patrons, related to the crown. Between 1936 and 1939, the civil war interrupted the works, which were not completed until 1941. In 1943, the representatives of the legatees began efforts to convert the architectural complex into a residence for the elderly. It is currently run by the Little Sisters of the Helpless Elderly.
The building responds to a project by Juan Rubió, a disciple of Antonio Gaudí. Although the basic lines are typical of modernism, it is a late and eclectic construction, which integrates different forms of popular and traditional Catalan architecture.
Facade, tower and bell tower
The asylum is made up of two lateral bodies. At the front they are joined by the façade and the vestibule; at the back, through the church, and in the center, through an interior cloister. This entire four-story complex has a bell tower attached to one end, which gives it a certain medieval air. The predominant work material in the building is stone, most of which was extracted from Pla del Magre (Jorba). This is used not only as a construction element, but also as a decorative resource. Both inside and outside, the diversity of treatments and shapes that it is subjected to, turn the stone into an element that gives personality to the asylum building.
Despite the materials with which it is built, the façade of the house of Santo Cristo is light in appearance. This sensation is obtained thanks to the openings that describe three exterior galleries, which are inspired by the architecture of traditional Catalan farmhouses. In addition, a set of arches gives it an ascending rhythm, which is complemented by a succession of pinnacles. The façade is completed with a terrace with a quadrangular section that, located on the right side, evokes the traditional silhouette of a bell tower. In any case, its medieval forms (the battlements, for example), also make us think of the keep towers typical of castles. The sculpture in the patio, the work of J. Puigdollers"), represents Saint Teresa Jornet"), founder of the congregation. Above the entrance door there is also another sculpture, by Ernest Marco"), which represents the Mother of God of the Forsaken.