Surely no one would associate this building with a pediment. This is not a suspicion, because the Basque pelota players invited to compete there for the first time were amazed, and confessed that in their lives they had never seen anything like it due to its magnificence and style. In fact, they were used to finding simple walls serving a space, which was enough for them.
It was said that it would have been better to baptize it with the name of Jai alai (happy festival), since it was evident as soon as one entered that space that one received the gratifying impact of breathing joy.
The only clue would be provided by the sign that appears on the right, as it clearly announced the name of the court.
The Barcelona Fronton was built on the corner of Diputació and Sicília streets. It was a work from the architect Enric Sagnier's youth: despite being in his thirties, he already had the Palace of Justice to his credit (in collaboration with Domènech i Estapà). It was inaugurated on October 19, 1893 with colossal success: it welcomed about five thousand people.
This rotund and elegant body of the building contained the main door, a relevant task in providing the intended image of quality, but it had to fulfill a functional task at the same time.
The first mission, that of receiving and showing itself, was approved with excellence both for the main lines of a well-turned curvature and for the non-secondary details of the generous, delicate and original ornamentation.
The second, more prosaic, mission was to provide access to the service area (cafeteria, restaurant, offices and the entrance to the upper gallery of the court) and also direct entry for the public to the foot of the enormous court, given its maximum dimensions. for the spectacular basket punta specialty.
The accredited journalist Josep Roca i Roca was captivated by that new pediment and did not hesitate to make it public: he confessed that it was elegant, sumptuous and comfortable. He added that those intelligent in the matter assumed that there is no other in Spain that can be equal to it, it produces a great effect and has earned the young architect Mr. Sagnier the warmest congratulations.
It was demolished in 1902. A shame, given the enormous fans that were already taking root in the city.
