To get to this paradise of second-hand design you have to have an appointment in your pocket, cross without fear an industrial estate of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and push a door that does not announce anything. But behind that nondescript entrance hides Brutus de Gaper, a 1,700 square meter hangar that is probably the largest vintage warehouse in Spain, and which has become a kind of “cult props service” for the audiovisual star system and the most select clientele in Barcelona.
This immense and silent space is not an ordinary store; it is a time machine without sales clerks or posturing. Italian armchairs from the 60s, German office lamps from the 70s and Danish sideboards that breathe history and smell of old wood are piled up here. All with the patina of time, no copies.
A hobby that got out of hand
Behind this project is Niels Jansen, a Dutchman who, together with Ron Van Melick, left his corporate life behind to found Brutus de Gaper a decade ago. In various reports, he defines this business as a hobby that got out of hand. The business operates at two speeds, balancing the sale and rental of parts.
In sales, the clientele is varied, but there is an expat profile (many Americans) and, lately, an unexpected Chinese client with exquisite taste. However, the other great lung is the audiovisual industry. Major productions, such as the Netflix series Assault on the Central Bank, have passed through here to recreate period environments, from 70s offices with their original desks and lamps, to lounges that look like something out of an archive.
Admission by appointment only
Brutus de Gaper’s criteria is as strict as that of a collector: only original pieces that are no longer in production are admitted. The merchandise arrives in Barcelona once a year, in a large truck loaded from Holland, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia. As Jansen explained to Idealista/News, the stock is their biggest insurance. It’s a constant curation job, where each piece is carefully checked and restored to its former splendor.
Although the stock is huge, this is not a consignment store. Although the myth that “second hand has to be cheap” is still present in the Spanish mentality, here the pieces have a historical and design value that is paid for. A floor lamp can go for around 300-400 euros, while a table goes up to 1,500 euros. However, Jansen is optimistic that the 30- to 40-year-old generation is beginning to understand that quality vintage is an investment, not a bargain.
Brutus de Gaper,whose name unites a son’s name not given by Jansen(Brutus) and the symbol of Dutch pharmacies(de Gaper), is a closed-door business. There is no invasive social networking or unfiltered visits. The prior appointment is not a gesture of snobbery, but of protection: of the space, of the product and of the human rhythm that the Dutchman wants to maintain. “If this becomes the Ikea of posturing, I’m leaving,” he says.
Unfortunately, as often happens in the changing urban geography of Barcelona and its surroundings, this sanctuary has an expiration date. The urban future of L’Hospitalet will probably force the warehouse to relocate. They are considering Terrassa or Sabadell, although they would prefer to remain close to Barcelona.