Barcelona City Council has decided to save the iconic Cacaolat sign that crowns the former Letona factory on Carrer de Pujades, preventing its demolition after a building licence for a new housing development on the site expired.
The sign, a symbol of local design history, was at risk of being discarded. Municipal sources confirmed the licence, granted in November 2020, has lapsed, and no new application has been submitted for the large plot behind the factory's preserved façade.
The Cacaolat brand, launched in 1933, represented a design revolution in Barcelona. During the 1930s, typography and packaging design became accessible to a wider public, moving beyond luxury goods. Cacaolat, an innovative skimmed milk and cocoa drink, quickly became a success, partly due to its distinctive typography, according to design specialist Enric Satué.
Preserving Industrial Heritage
Only the front façade of the old factory on Carrer de Pujades, between Marina and Joan d'Àustria, remains. This section is being preserved to show the area's industrial past. The building, constructed in 1955, was designed by Joan Soteras, an architect known for his brutalist work, including the original Camp Nou in collaboration with Francesc Mitjans.
The well-preserved Cacaolat sign sits atop this façade, alongside the less emotive Letona sign. The council has not yet specified how the distinctive cursive Cacaolat lettering will be displayed, but municipal sources indicate the plan is to conserve both signs, possibly as urban art.
Expert Intervention Leads to Rescue
The rescue mission for the sign began months ago when Laura Meseguer, an internationally recognised typography professor, raised concerns. She consulted the Design Museum and the Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA). While the Design Museum initially hesitated due to the sign's size, MUHBA is now studying how and where to place the piece, potentially at its Oliva Artés branch, which features a collection on Barcelona's industrialisation.
The Cacaolat brand's origins trace back to 1931 when Marc Viader, founder of Letona, and his son Joan visited the Budapest International Fair. There, they were inspired by milk and cocoa refreshments, returning to Barcelona with a secret recipe. The brand's corporate image, featuring a boy named Pepi carrying a school bag and a bottle of the product, was created by painter and illustrator Joan Gil.
Barcelona experienced a design boom in the 1930s and again in the 1980s and 1990s. Satué was a key figure in this second golden age, documenting design history in books. Creators like Juli Capella and Claret Serrahima also recognised the need to record the city's unique street signs and designs, many of which have since disappeared rapidly.
The future of the Cacaolat sign now rests with MUHBA's decision on its placement, ensuring this piece of Barcelona's design and industrial history is preserved for future generations.
