Esplugues de Llobregat hides a secret that will soon be open to visitors. In its historic center, the Espai Corberó emerges, also known as the Casa dels Cecs, a dystopian construction erected by Xavier Corberó (1935-2017), one of the best Catalan sculptors of the 20th century with works distributed in museums around the world, such as the MoMA in New York, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The City Council, led by Pilar Díaz, has purchased the unique property with the aim of making it accessible to citizens and preserving the legacy of the Catalan artist, who was closely linked to the city.
Corberó's rich imagination, also the creator of the 1992 Olympic medals, is glimpsed in a hypnotic construction, "a macro-sculpture," says his widow and last tenant, Midu Rica. From the beginning, she saw how it grew day by day, adding arches and more arches, almost as if they reproduced themselves, with endless staircases and a structure that seems impossible.
The artist embarked on this ambitious work in 1968, when he acquired the farmhouse Can Cargol. The Espai Corberó was built wall to wall with the sculptor's home, as well as his workshop and museum, and the Center for Artistic Activities and Research, a complex of old houses intended for artists' residences. "He saw it as a whole," Rica recalls.
The building has almost 2,000 square meters built. It consists, basically, of a lateral body, built on the ground floor, courtyards, and water reservoirs. It also has an auditorium with capacity for 250 to 300 people, located in the underground floor. Although it seems that the arches will continue to grow and reach the sky, the artist considered the building finished, Rica points out, when he began to close it and place windows.
After the purchase, for an amount of three million euros, the Esplugues City Council has to finish defining the uses that the property will have, which is in very good condition. Guided tours are planned, with a first small open house on November 12 and 13. The council also contemplates renting it for events. "There are few spaces in the entire metropolitan area and in all of Barcelona like the Espai Corberó," emphasizes the socialist mayor.
Since Corberó's death, his family has maintained the space by renting it out for events and advertising campaigns. Among them, productions for fashion brands like Uterqüe and Miu Miu or 080 fashion shows. It was also one of the settings for Woody Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, leading Javier Bardem to set up his workshop in Esplugues. But the sculptor's widow explains that it was complicated to manage a space of such magnitude. "We can't maintain everything and we didn't want to sell it to just anyone or have it turn into something different. With the City Council it has been fantastic because we know they will respect it and it will have the same spirit," Rica defends, although she admits she is already starting to miss it.