Josep Pratmarsó Parera was known both for his work as an architect and as a humanist and active contributor to Catalan culture. He began studying architecture in Barcelona in 1931, but his studies were cut short by the Spanish Civil War and he did not complete them until 1941. One of the little-known aspects of his biography is his role during the Civil War and his participation in combat as an aviator for the Francoist side. Although few details are known about this period, military records confirm that Pratmarsó was a member of the crew of the 1st Squadron (second flight) in 1939, which participated in active combat several times that year. Furthermore, as a result of his participation in the war, he received a decoration from the Regime that later made him a prime candidate for positions of authority. Oriol Bohigas asserted that Pratmarsó’s affiliation with the Franco regime was a great asset in the acceptance of Grup R and the access of its members to public office.

In the early years of his professional career, he worked in the office of Raimon Duran i Reynals. At that time, Duran i Reynals had left behind the rationalist architecture that had defined his early years for more classical architectural languages inspired by the Renaissance.

In 1951, a series of conferences were organized at the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, attended by Alberto Sartoris, Bruno Zevi, Alvar Aalto, and Gio Ponti, among others, which introduced the avant-garde architecture that was being developed in Europe. In this context, and with the recent memory of the GATPAC, Pratmarsó was one of the founders of Grup R, in 1952, and its first president. Grup R and its members contributed to a return to rationalism and modernity in Catalan architecture. This commitment was reflected in numerous publications, exhibitions, and conferences, as well as in his active participation in competitions and projects that made him an influential figure.

From 1944 to 1962, he worked as the municipal architect of Terrassa, a position he combined with that of municipal architect of Centellas. During that time, the Terrassa City Council approved the construction of new facilities in the city, including three schools, a slaughterhouse, and a sports complex. Pratmarsó commissioned several projects to his colleagues in Grup R, and he himself designed several schools with Oriol Bohigas, Josep Maria Martorell, and David Mackay. His private professional work was modest, and although he hardly any infrastructure in his studio, he designed several large villas in the Girona region of Baix Empordà, which are among his most renowned works. Additionally, between 1960 and 1981, he built 78 single-family homes in the municipality of l’Escala, 50 of them in the town of Sant Martí d’Empúries. They are anonymous works characterized by artisanal, low-cost architecture that utilizes traditional local techniques and materials. These works contributed to preserving the character of the urban centres of both towns, which have a coherent and unified appearance due to the large number of buildings designed by Pratmarsó.

Pratmarsó had an intimate relationship to art. He was president of the Real Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc and promoter of awards for painting and drawing. He was an avid collector and supported the careers of artists such as Tàpies, Cuixart, Joan Ponç and Guinovart. His passion for art led him to participate in the renovation of several art galleries and exhibition halls, including the public commission to convert the Palau de la Virreina into an exhibition space; he also curated art exhibitions. Pratmarsó was a talented artist and left behind sketches from his numerous travels around the world, which are preserved, along with the rest of his document collection, in the Historical Archive of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia.

Biography by Roger Subirà

Bibliography

• AYESTA, Pedro, Josep Pratmarsó i Parera, Arquitecto 1913-1985. Intervenciones en Sant Martí d’Empúries 1961-1981, Editorial Team IAR, la Salle campus Barcelona (blog), Barcelona, 2011.
• NADAL OLLER, Lluis, TUSQUETS, Oscar, PUERTAS, Pedro, Josep Pratmarsó (video), Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Centre de Documentació d’Imatges de l’Àrea de Cultura, Formació i Publicacions del Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Barcelona, 2005.
• AAVV, Josep Pratmarsó i Perera, Co·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Barcelona, 1998.
• “Josep Pratmarsó, 4 obras”, in Quaderns d’Arquitectura i Urbanisme 153, Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Barcelona, septiembre de 1982
• SALAS ARRAZABAL, Jesús, “Historial de Junkers Ju 52 VII”, in Revista de aeronáutica y astronáutica 399, febrero 1974, Publicaciones de Defensa, Madrid, págs. 104-110.