The origin of the fons of the library goes back to the antecedents of the School of Architecture of Barcelona: the School of Noble Arts of Lonja (called School of Market). It was founded in 1775 and sponsored by the Real Particular Board of Commerce of Barcelona, from which the Architecture Class was created in 1817 and directed by Antoni Cellers. The first books of this fons (specialized in military and civil architecture, civil engineering techniques and basic sciences) come from the acquisition of the Real Particular Board of Commerce before the start of the Architecture Class. Subsequently, according to sources consulted, a is incorporated part of the library of the Barcelona Academy of Mathematics as a result of its dissolution in 1803.
Currently, published books before 1820 they add more than 360 locable titles to the catalog of the UPC.
In addition to this old collection, the library has a historical fund of books and magazines published until the first half of the twentieth century specializing in architecture, urbanism, construction and art.
Many of these degrees are of great value to researchers, teachers and scholars, as they are almost unique in our specialty.
The mission of the Library is to take care of its conservation and to disseminate it.
For this reason, its digitization of some of its unique funds is promoted, which can be consulted at:
Special emphasis has been placed on the digitization of titles that are related to the history of the Barcelona School of Architecture. Among these, we highlight the collection of notes from the School of Master Builders and the historical notes of the Barcelona School of Architecture, most of them handwritten.
