Theatre »Patronato del Obrero«

The Theatre was Jujol's first important assignment. Its mission was the cultural, moral and religious education of the workers. The Junta (Board) of the Patronato, which considered itself to be a modern organization, decided that it needed a modern theatre and a modern Catholic architect. The architect was expected to extend the existing hall on the garden side. Gaudí was soon selected to be their architect, and he passed them on to Jujol, on account of his reputation for decorative religious work, and what might have been even more important, the fact that he was born in Tarragona. Another architect was also considered, but a small majority was in favor of Jujol. The opposing faction took every opportunity to cold-shoulder Jujol as an architect. Jujol conceived the theatre area as a religious allegory, designing it as a ship (= church), with all its references to the sea, the waves and the Fisherman. Jujol designed a completely new self-supporting iron construction for the tiers and the roof which remained visible and between which the ceiling hung down, like a draped sheet. Tarragona's civic architect, incited by the anti-Jujol Junta members, predicted catastrophe when he saw the free-standing iron columns in the glass front on the garden side of the building. The outcome was that Jujol had to pull out before the building was completed, although he had drawn up the plans to the last detail and the theatre could easily be finished off. Nevertheless another architect completed it in the end. And Jujol was passed over again when the Teatro required alterations to convert it into a cinema. That conversion concealed or even removed much of Jujol's original work, and the building is still a cinema, with the name 'Metropole'.