Masó i Valentí, Rafael

b. 1880, Girona; d. 1935, Girona

   Architect and writer

   Masó is the key figure in the development of Noucentisme in Girona. He founded the literary society Athenea and was an architect of great originality. His earlier work belongs stylistically to Modernism, as exemplified in the Harinera Teixidor (1910–11, Girona), an industrial building in which modernist vocabulary is used with great flair. After 1912 his work became noucentist, combining new influences in original ways. The Casa Masramon (1913–4, Olot) and the Casa Ensesa (1918–22, Girona) are the best examples of this period. From 1924 until his death he was involved in the construction of a striking urban residential development, S'Agaró, which still influences the architectural character of the Costa Brava.

   MIHAIL MOLDOVEANU