Anyone passing through Plaza Universitat notices the clock on the facade of the Historic Building of the University of Barcelona (UB), whether to check the time or admire the impressive tower that presides over this corner of the city. Despite being present in the collective imagination of Barcelona, the known as Clock Tower has no specific use and, in fact, is closed to members of the university community itself.
Taking advantage of the 150th anniversary of the Historic Building, the UB is restoring the Clock Tower, with the aim of recovering it and opening it to the public through guided tours that serve to strengthen its relationship with the city and improve the knowledge that Barcelona residents have of this architectural complex. To do this, it must first be ensured that its structure is in good condition and repair the parts that show some defect after so many years standing. "The objective of the project is the consolidation of the tower, which suffers from degradation problems of the roof and has lesions in the walls," explains the director of the Infrastructure and General Services area of the UB, Andrés Lezcano.
That is why, for weeks, an enormous scaffolding has covered the tower, leaving passers-by without the time, who have to settle for the bells. Inside the tower, specifically, work is already underway to repair and restore the walls, reconstruct the roof and reinforce the vaults and waterproof them. The structure of the bell tower will also be cleaned and painted and access will be improved, repairing and partially replacing the current wooden stairs. The works began in October and are expected to last until February 2022.
The visits that can begin to be made to the Clock Tower are not the only ones that the UB offers in the Historic Building. The university explains its history through spaces such as the paranymph, the great hall, the library or the main entrance, which the residents of the Eixample already visit when they have to go to vote. After the restoration of the Clock Tower, the university plans to do the same with some of its historic classrooms, which will also be included in the guided tour offer, according to the vice-rector for Heritage and Cultural Activities, Agustí Alcoberro. One of them could be 113, known for being the setting where the television series Merlí: Sapere Aude was filmed.
The first great building of the Eixample
The Historic Building of the UB has the merit of being the first great public building that was built in the Eixample when the walls of Barcelona were demolished, becoming a key piece in the urban development of the new city. The works began in 1863 and, although they lasted more than twenty years, the first inaugural lesson was given in October 1872, an anniversary that will be celebrated next year.
The Historic Building of the UB has the merit of being the first great public building that was built in the Eixample when the walls of Barcelona were demolishedIn the first projects that were proposed to define the new building, its architect, Elias Rogent, conceived a bell tower that was to serve to mark the rigorous schedules of academic life. Initially, it was planned in the center of the facade facing Plaza Universitat, but, finally, it ended up being built on the left side. In 1877, the west tower was endowed with the characteristic metallic structure of four arms that surrounds the UB bells as if it were a dome.
The bells were forged in the Miquel Forcada foundry, in Vic, in 1880 and began to ring a year later, accompanied by the clock designed by the Cabanyach family of watchmakers. They chimed the hours and quarters until 1995, when the clock broke down and the bells stopped working. The high cost of the reform forced them to be stopped. It was not until 2019 when the bells chimed the hour again. Now, they continue to do so, hidden in the scaffolding that covers the tower, waiting to receive visitors who will see them for the first time from a privileged proximity.