Luis Sendino, a lawyer from Madrid specializing in issues of intellectual property and copyright, and Jacobo Valentí, an architect from Barcelona, put their trades aside and envisioned Palau de Casavells in 2014. Thought out as a natural extension of Barcelona’s Side Gallery, the space has established a reputation for presenting distinctive programming that supports local and international artists. Along with its new role, Casavells is also Luis and Jacobo’s country house. When asked about the complexity of merging their private lives with the public function of the gallery, Luis and Jacobo insist that this is what makes Casavells so interesting. “Since the beginning, we were certain that we didn’t want to make two different spaces, but, instead, a new kind of intersecting space where we could all exist together and feel comfortable.” 

Ultimately, intersections are what Casavells is all about. “Boundaries and borders are the richest kinds of places,” says Valentí, “riversides are where we find the most life.” When it comes to objects that embody the intersection of aesthetics and functionality, Valentí believes that the chair is the perfect example. “To create a truly beautiful chair,” he says, “the designer must create something that is visually pleasing, strong, and useful.” And so, at the heart of the living space, the duo has placed Hans J. Wegner’s CH25 lounge chair, which Jacobo describes as, “both raw and elegant.” As a single element of the larger selection of furniture at Casavells, the CH25 is part of an ongoing dialogue between objects sourced from around the world and across the centuries.