LIBRARY – COOPERATIVE “La Económica Palafrugellense” 

 

In 1864, a group of workers clubbed together to buy a sack of rice. A year later, the consumer cooperative, “La Económica Palafrugellense” was born. It is the oldest consumer cooperative in Girona.

 

After first having its headquarters in Palafrugell’s historic centre, in 1881, “La Económica” bought some land on Botines road. The building was rebuilt and expanded between 1926 and 1927, giving rise to a “noucentista” building. The building, which was the work of the architect, Rafael Masó Valentí (1880-1935), had just one floor and was both majestic and functional. Inside, the space articulated around a large, central, octagonal window, creating a space that was accessible and luminous. It was decorated with fluted columns made of terracotta.

 

The building’s two façades are also a highlight. The one in Botines road, which is the work of Jaume Busquets, is decorated in “argerata”, a greenish ceramic, with reliefs that pay homage to different trades. The façade in Sant Martí road stands out for its large, monumental gateway, made from glazed ceramic.

 

The cooperative closed its shop in 1993, unable to compete with the supermarkets. Today, it houses Palafrugell’s Public Library, which was created in 1938 and moved to this new site in 2001.