The Modernista buildings designed by Enric Sagnier in the central section of the Eixample district have enjoyed relatively good fortune, in that many of them have survived the passage of time. It is true that in earlier periods, when interest in the architectural heritage did not extend to the protection of works from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, many interesting constructions, by Sagnier or by his contemporaries, were demolished or mutilated, with a consequent loss of diversity for Barcelona’s urban landscape. In the case of the Estanislau Planàs house, the vicissitudes it has suffered serve quite well to explain the process by which the urban fabric has become more and more dense. Built as a two-storey detached home for a single family, with a small central tower, its moderate ornamentation and rococo curves were revealed in the undulating cornices and the slight bowing of the facade giving onto the chamfered corner of the city block in which it stands.

It is not surprising, given its situation on a prime site in the centre of Barcelona (facing onto Gran Via and just a few metres away from the Passeig de Gràcia), that this building would soon make way for another one that would constitute a better investment. And indeed, just a few years after its construction, Sagnier received a commission from Josep Planàs, the original owner’s son, to enlarge it. He added three storeys and converted it into a block of apartments for rental. He harmonised the new work with the original parts and removed the little tower, but added a pinnacle that preserved the overall character, something that was not so respected in subsequent decades when yet two more floors were added. A recent restoration project has managed to restore a degree of unity to it.