Cases d'obrers, Heritage houses in Palamós, Spain
Cases d'obrers consists of two identical worker residences on Liberty Avenue distinguished by ornate trencadís mosaic decorations framing doors, windows, and façade edges. The interior follows a traditional layout with rooms on both sides of a central corridor adapted for modern office use.
Built in the early 1900s, these residences were created to address worker housing needs during Catalonia's industrial expansion period. They represent how architects of the time combined functional living spaces with artistic decorative details.
These houses display vernacular architecture with colorful mosaic tiles that reflect local interpretations of modernist design from early 1900s Catalonia. The decorative elements show that worker housing received artistic attention even in modest neighborhoods.
The houses are easy to view from outside as they sit on a main avenue with fully decorated façades visible from the street. The mosaic details are best appreciated when standing across the road to take in the full design of both buildings at once.
The façades feature multicolored glazed tiles with distinctive seashell motifs centered at the top of each building, an unexpected detail for worker housing. This shell decoration adds a personal touch that distinguishes these homes from typical residential buildings of the period.
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