The Casa Gomis Bertrand—commonly known as Casa Gomis and La Ricarda— completed in 1963, is one of the key midcentury buildings in Spain. Located by the Mediterranean Sea in El Prat de Llobregat, a municipality ten miles southwest of Barcelona, the house was commissioned by Ricardo Gomis Serdañons and Inés Bertrand Mata in 1949. Barcelona-born architect Antonio Bonet Castellana, who had trained with Le Corbusier and Josep Lluís Sert, designed the house while living in Buenos Aires, where he had emigrated from Paris after the start of the Spanish Civil War. Working closely with the clients via letters, Bonet designed every aspect of the building, from the overall organization to the materials, interior details, and furniture.
Besides its architectural merit, the house is also remarkable for the critical cultural role it played in Catalonia since its completion. The Gomis Bertrand family supported and welcomed to the house intellectuals and artists during Franco’s dictatorship in Spain. Organized by Club 49, a private association that promoted avant-garde cultural activities, which Ricardo Gomis belonged to, the house hosted many cultural activities, from concerts that benefited from its state-of-the-art sound system to dance performances and theater shows. It was a haven for artistic experimentation.
This book has been edited by Iker Gil with photography by James Florio. In late 2022, photographer James Florio spent a week documenting the house and its surroundings.
Casa Gomis Bertrand / La Ricarda has been designed by Chicago-based Normal, responding to Florio’s photography and the design of the house. The colors of the cloth cover, inside cover, and edge stitching were all inspired by the building materials.
The book includes contributions by the six siblings of the Gomis Bertrand family that grew up in the house—Inés Gomis Bertrand, Elena Gomis Bertrand, Marita Gomis Bertrand, Beatriz Gomis Bertrand, José Antonio Gomis Bertrand, and Susana Gomis Bertrand—as well as the architects that aided with the restoration of the house over the last several decades—Fernando Álvarez Prozorovich and Jordi Roig.
There are three versions of the book available for purchase:
– Standard: Includes a copy of Casa Gomis Bertrand / La Ricarda.
– Deluxe: Includes a copy of Casa Gomis Bertrand / La Ricarda and an 8.5″ x 11″ signed artist-made print by photographer James Florio. There are five different artist-made prints to select from.
– Limited edition: Includes a copy of Casa Gomis Bertrand / La Ricarda, a full set (5) of signed 8.5" x 11" artist-made prints by photographer James Florio, and a 16" x 20" limited edition artist-made print. There is one copy available for each of the five 16" x 20" prints offered.
The book has been printed at Grafiche Veneziane, a cooperative printing house located in Venice, Italy. Operating for more than fifty years, they combine the newest printing technologies with a distinctly artisan-like attention to details. James Florio traveled to Venice to be on press and oversee the printing process.
Book Details
Total Run: 750 copies
Body: Fedrigoni Arena Rough
Pages: 128 pages
Size: 6.69 inches x 9.45 inches
ISBN: 978-1-7367436-7-6
Editor: Iker Gil
Photography: James Florio
Design: Normal (Renata Graw and Lucas Reif)
Contributions: Fernando Álvarez Prozorovich, Jordi Roig, Inés Gomis Bertrand, Elena Gomis Bertrand, Marita Gomis Bertrand, Beatriz Gomis Bertrand, José Antonio Gomis Bertrand, and Susana Gomis Bertrand
Printing and Binding: Grafiche Veneziane, Venice, Italy
Go to our SHOP page for more information and to purchase any of the three versions of the book.