History of the publishing house (1902-2011)

Editorial Gustavo Gili Ltd. was founded in 1902 by Gustavo Gili Roig. At first it was known for publishing books on many different subjects, although with a special emphasis on technical manuals, a genre hitherto unknown in Spain.

In 1945, under the direction of Gustavo Gili Esteve, the publishing house proceeded to alternate technical books, which had assumed ever greater importance, with art and bibliophile editions, a good example of the latter being La Tauromaquia by Pablo Picasso (1959). Around the same time it began an export drive which led to the creation of subsidiary companies in different Latin-American countries.

In 1960 the publishing house moved to its current head office in Barcelona, a quintessential example of 1950s Catalan architecture, the work of architects Joaquim Gili and Francesc Bassó, members of Grup R, and which was awarded the architecture FAD prize in 1961.

In 1970, and under the management of Gustavo Gili Torra, the publisher began specialising in subjects relating to visual culture, particular attention being paid to university books of a theoretical kind as well as to the illustrated book. Many new series were created and the company assumed a position as the main architecture publishers in the Spanish-speaking world. In 1973 the designer Yves Zimmermann created the current logo.

In the mid-1980s a new building was inaugurated for the Mexico City office and new horizons opened up thanks to publishing in English and to international distribution.

In 1997 the publisher launched 2G. International Architecture Review, a monographic architecture magazine that has managed to make a name for itself on the international scene as a publication of great prestige and quality.

At the beginning of the new century, Mónica y Gabriel Gili Galfetti, the family's fourth generation, took over the running of the publishing house. During this recent phase a new range of lines has been developed, lines linked to the contents of the traditional catalogue such as fashion design, the theory of photography and new tendencies in urban art. Likewise, the publishing of books in Portuguese has begun and a new office in Lisbon has been set up.

By keeping abreast of the times, Editorial Gustavo Gili goes on being a front runner in its specialised areas architecture and design through the addition of an interesting and attractive list, and also a thoughtful, well-balanced concern for its form and content. The more than four hundred catalogue titles are a reflection of the breadth, variety and depth of the subjects addressed.