barcelona floors: sebastian erras uncovers the city’s vibrant culture from the ground up
(above) generator hostel 
all images courtesy of sebastian erras/ pixartprinting

 

 

 

while visitors to barcelona are craning their necks towards the top of sagrada família, or looking out to sea at barceloneta beach, they might be missing one of the city’s most overlooked treasures — its floors. to tell the story of the historic catalonian capital from the ground up, german photographer sebastian erras collaborated with pixartprinting on the series barcelona floors. the photographic report takes viewers on a visual journey through the city’s streets and landmarks, uncovering the intricate mosaic patterns and vibrant tile motifs native to the culture and community of the place.

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-04generator hostel

 

 

 

one of the main characteristics of the urban fabric is the hydraulic mosaic, an icon of catalan modernism. these decorative floor tiles made from pigmented cement reveal their strong personalities through rich colors and labyrinth ornamentation, as seen in cafes, hotels and churches across barcelona. the series of images forms a graphic diagram of the city, offering a new perspective for visitors, locals and curious creative people across the globe. see a selection of images from ‘barcelona floors’ below, and the full series and interactive map here.

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-03restaurante mussol

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-02toto restaurante

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-06hotel praktik

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-05mercado el nacional

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-08entrepanes diaz

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-09casa lleo morera

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-01café tenorio

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-010casa lleo morera

barcelona-floors-sebastian-erras-pixartprinting-designboom-011an interactive map detailing the location of each floor is available on pixartprinting here