Barcelona Street Lamps

While walking along the streets in Barcelona I took time to take pictures of the vintage street lampposts. They are made so artistically and look so robust I felt inclined to the photographs. Almost all main streets of Barcelona, like the La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia-Barcelona’s most luxurious avenue, Plaça Reial-a beautiful square in Barcelona and more have stylish and antique street lamps.

Some of these amazing street lights are standing strong from the 19th and 20th centuries. Walk during the late evenings and nights to see most of these vintage Barcelona street lamps are functioning well. These old ones are made of cast iron and have such beautiful designs. Some of them are just single lamp holders while some have 3 or more.

Passeig de Gràcia walk – Strolling down Passeig de Gràcia, one of Barcelona’s most iconic and vibrant streets-a must-see boulevard for anyone visiting the city, what really caught my eye was the lampposts. The street is lined with luxury shops, often considered the most expensive street in all of Spain yet I was enamoured with the antique street lamps.

Cantilevered street lamp that appears all along famous shopping street in Barcelona.

Street Lamp from Barcelona in Passeig de Gràcia

Pere Falqués i Urpí – Passeig de Gràcia is lined with 32 magnificent lampposts, designed by none other than the Modernist architect Pere Falqués i Urpí. Born in 1850, Falqués enjoyed an illustrious career and, by the age of 39, had ascended to the prestigious role of architect of the city. Between 1889 and 1914, he left his mark on Barcelona through numerous projects, ranging from churches to schools to monuments. Yet, it’s the lampposts of Passeig de Gràcia that continue to quietly illuminate his legacy.

The 32 Lampposts – Built in 1906, each of the 32 lampposts has a unique feature—a bench at its base, inviting passers-by to pause and take in their surroundings. How thoughtful, I couldn’t help admiring! These benches are adorned with intricate mosaics, each shimmering with fragments of small ceramic pieces that catch the sunlight during the day, casting a soft glow across the pavement. It is more magical at night. The lampposts themselves illuminate these tiny details, creating a mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow that makes the mosaics seem almost alive. The craftsmanship is unmistakably Barcelona—a nod to the city’s deep love for mosaic art, found in so much of its architecture.

Next time you find yourself on this famous boulevard, pause for a moment (you can thank me later) and take in the artistry of these elegant street lights—they’re a testament to the timeless beauty and subtle details that make Barcelona such a remarkable city.

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona street light

La Rambla Walk

La Rambla in Barcelona is a lively, tree-lined boulevard stretching through the heart of the city. It doesn’t take long to complete this walk but a leisurely stroll that involves taking pictures of the vintage street lamps that line the street can easily take up a long time. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, it’s a bustling pedestrian street filled with shops, cafes, street performers, and historic landmarks. Here are some pictures during my walk there:

Unusual triple globe pendants of the Carrer Feran. They are attached to the facades of buildings so as to free up space on the sidewalk. Two of them are missing in the first pic.

Street Lamp

Street Lamps from Barcelona Spain

I showed two antique lamps in my post: The Ramblas Ramble Walk, Barcelona. One was the Font de Canaletes, located at the Ramblas, where Barça fans usually gather to celebrate. The other was the lamp hanging from a Chinese dragon. This post has some more Street Lamps in Barcelona, mostly taken as silhouette against the sky to get a clear outline against the sky.

La Rambla Street

Vintage street lamp Barcelona Spain

Vintage street lamp Barcelona-Bruno Quadras Building

Streetlamp of Plaça Reial

At Plaça Reial too, my eyes were drawn to the elegant street lamps that stand on either side of the central fountain. These were designed by the visionary Antoni Gaudí in 1879. These lampposts are a stunning testament to his early work, long before his more famous creations transformed the city.

Each lamp post rises from a sturdy stone base, its cast iron column branching out into six graceful arms, each adorned with a gas lamp. Above the lamps, intricate red floral patterns catch the eye, adding a delicate touch to the otherwise industrial design. And right in the centre of each column, Gaudí placed the coat of arms of Barcelona, a subtle yet powerful reminder of the city’s rich heritage. Even in these early works speak tons about how Gaudi’s genius for blending form, function, and symbolism was already so apparent.

Street Lamps with Gas

This got me interested in history of street lamps. Here is more: Before the 1800s, most homes, workplaces and streets were lit by candles, oil lamps or rush lights (rush plants dried and dipped in grease or fat).

The first public street lighting was with gas (the gas was a flammable gaseous fuel made from distilling coal). It was demonstrated in Pall Mall, London on January 28th, 1807 by Frederick Albert Winsor.

In those days the lighting-up time varied according to seasons. Lamplighters would be seen with small ladders at dusk and dawn lighting or extinguishing the wicks or mantels of the street lamps.

A variation of this Arc light was used in the 1870s to light the Parisian Streets. These street lights were known as ‘Yablochkov candles’ and named after their Russian inventor Pavel Yablochokv.

Many Victorian gas lanterns are still used with latest modifications like their gas mantels replaced and converted to use electricity.

Arrival of Incandescent Lamps

A brilliant British physicist and chemist, Joseph Swann, is credited with the invention of the carbon fibre filament incandescent lamp. Incandescent light gives the warm, steady, practical and clean light. The disadvantage was that incandescent lighting wouldn’t last very long. The filaments would burn out quickly, making the lamps a costly indulgence.

In 1865 Hermann Sprengel, a German chemist invented the Sprengel pump. This pump achieved the highest vacuum possible. When this pump was applied to Swann’s glass chambers the air could be reduced to one-millionth of its normal volume, which would allow the filament to glow for hundreds of hours.

Evolution of Electric Street Lighting

Around the same time, Thomas Edison, America’s premier inventor was also working on his version creation of the electric light. Edison had the vision and succeeded in creating, producing and supplying it on a grand commercial scale.

Whilst Swann was manufacturing parts in his own home as a cottage industry, Edison was setting up electrical plants all over the world. Within a year Edison’s plants and electrical systems were powering thirteen thousand electric lights. He was an exceptional marketer and placed his products in key areas like the House of Commons to gain maximum impact and publicity.

Barcelona street lights

Street lighting on axis linking the Arc de Triomphe with Ciutadella Park

There is an interesting article of 2012 which mentions: Qatar accused of counterfeiting 1000 street lamps. Spanish lighting brand Santa & Cole has launched a lawsuit accusing the state of Qatar of copying street lighting devised for Barcelona by Catalan designer Beth Galí in 1996.

The public company Ashghal from Qatar forged the “Latina” streetlamp, designed by the architect Beth Galí, and manufactured and marketed by the company Santa & Cole. Nearly 1,000 forged units were installed on Al Waab Street, the main street in Doha.

Modern street lamps Barcelona

All photographs of Barcelona Street lights in this travel blog post are taken by me.

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