An unused modernist jewel in Tibidabo will be reborn as a school center

Residential villa, house of spiritual exercises, residence for the elderly and, now, a school center. The Cruïlles Tower (or Cruïlles Shepherd), at the top of Tibidabo, disused in recent times, will be reborn at the hands of the recently created Escola Montiba, which in September already opened the annex building, which it has renovated. This modernist jewel, designed by the brilliant architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, a Cultural Asset of Local Interest (BCIL), will be fully restored, preserving and even highlighting its most interesting elements. The forecast is to have it ready for the 2026-2027 academic year. The works will begin soon.

Mercè Pastor de Cruïlles, Marchioness of Castell de Torrent and Baroness of Cruïlles, opened the tower in 1908, a few meters from the Tibidabo amusement park, inaugurated a few years earlier, in 1901. Puig i Cadafalch designed the building in 1903, inspired by the Catalan palaces from the 15th and 16th centuries to shape a villa-studio in which its owner He dedicated himself to growing rose bushes – hence the house was also known as El Roserar – and to art. It had altarpieces by Vergós, paintings by Viladomat, bridal boxes and furniture from the 15th to 17th centuries. Also a kitchen with crematoriumunique in Barcelona at the time, English porcelain bathrooms, an elegant dining room… All in an amazing mix of tradition and modernity that gave it a unique appearance.

The school already began its activity in September with preschool and primary school in an annex building from the 70s that it has rehabilitated.

The tower maintained its residential use until 1961, when it was acquired by the Salesians, who converted it into the Mater Salvatoris spirituality center. In the 70s, an annex building was built that was part of the religious complex. In 2004, both properties changed hands again and became a residence for seniors. These successive transformations modified the distribution of the modernist villa. Chapels, meeting rooms, small rooms, among other rooms, were incorporated, which blurred the original design.

The arrival of the Escola Montiba will give new life to the Cruïlles Tower, which, adapted to the new use, will recover much of the splendor lost many years ago. The launch this year of its two lines of early childhood and primary education in the annex building – the next one will add ESO on the upper floor – has already meant a very interesting comprehensive reform in which sobriety, openness to the exterior that enhances the views and light. “We saw many places and in the end we decided on this one because it is ideal for our project, which required a special space,” highlights Ana Escoda, director of this private center. “Here – he emphasizes – we have a modernist building by none other than Puig i Cadafalch and a phenomenal natural and landscape environment, with 14,000 square meters of forest that is part of the property that the students can enjoy.”

The Cruïlles Tower, also known as El Roserar, will open in the 2026-2027 academic year
and will host high school studies

Montiba’s project has as a reference another school center, the Colegio Madrid, in the capital of Spain, founded by teacher Elena Flórez, and is inspired, like this one, by the Institución Libre de Enseñanza and the School Institute (the Institut-Escola in Catalonia). “Our proposal – Escoda details – is mixed, secular, Catalan, open to the world, with a humanistic, scientific and creative approach, with pedagogical innovation, but also traditional values ​​such as effort and academic rigor.” And education through nature is essential. “For this reason – continues the director – being in Collserola is very important for us.” Schoolchildren arrive at the center on the Tibidabo Funicular “Cuca de Llum”. Teachers accompany them on board from the Plaza del Doctor Andreu and then on the short five-minute walk to the school.

The relationship with the natural environment is key in this first renovation, which has involved the transformation of 3,200 square meters. “We have changed the layout of the rooms by moving the hallway to one side, giving it a lot of space so that activities can be carried out, and placing the classrooms and other social spaces facing the forest,” explains architect Frederic Turull, from the Barcelona studio Turull Sørensen, which signed the project. To expand the connection between the interior and exterior, some windows and doors have been expanded. The views of Collserola, Vallès, Montserrat… are spectacular.

The intervention in the Cruïlles Tower, which has another 800 square meters with views of both slopes and, therefore, also of the city of Barcelona, ​​and will host high school studies starting in September 2026, is more complex. Being a BCIL, the project will be addressed in accordance with the City Council’s Heritage. “The building is in good condition, but there is a lot of work since elements that were put in previous renovations must be removed and everything must be adapted to the new use,” explains Turull. “It is a very attractive construction from a structural and formal point of view but not so much because of the finishes and ornaments,” he adds. Our idea is not only to restore what has value, but also to enhance it.”

The slender rectangular body and the corner tower – which will be recovered as a viewing point – as well as the large overhanging roofs, are the most notable exterior elements. The main entrance has a crenellated porch-terrace. The walls are made of bricks in the shape of a herringbone and in the corners there are stone blocks in the shape of a chain.

Inside, the columns and the wooden floors and ceilings draw attention, which will be restored. Additions from different periods that spoil the whole will be removed, such as the tiling on some walls – some are painted in strident colors – and unnecessary partitions. The tower has three levels. On the ground and first floors there will be classrooms and other spaces for the two high school courses and on the second, a common area with a library.