The Càtedra Gaudí professorship is part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and was founded in 1956 by an order from Spain's Ministry of Education. Its first director was Josep Francesc Ràfols, former collaborator and first biographer of Gaudí, and Joan Bassegoda i Nonell took over the post later. The aims of the Càtedra Gaudí are to study and spread the work of the great architect and his contemporaries.

The Càtedra Gaudí is housed in the former stables of the Finca Güell estate, an early work by Gaudí (1884-1887) belonging to Barcelona University. Gaudí also designed the porter's house, which is pending restoration work, and the horse-trainer's house, which is currently open to the public. But the most popular part of the Güell pavilions is the large gate known as the "Porta del Drac" (Dragon Gate) made by the blacksmiths Vallet i Piqué. It was restored by the Urban Landscape Institute of Barcelona in 1999, who also carried out some work in the gardens and horse-trainer's house in 2004.