The new town of Melilla contains one of the most remarkable collections of Modernista architecture outside Barcelona — roughly 200 buildings designed by Enrique Nieto between 1909 and the 1950s. Nieto had trained under Gaudí and brought the style wholesale to North Africa, adapting it to the local climate and the needs of a prosperous colonial city. The result is streets full of ornate facades, ceramic tile work, floral stonework, and curved balconies in terracotta and cream.
The main concentration runs along Calle Alfonso XIII and the surrounding streets near the city centre. The Palacio de la Asamblea (city hall), the Casino Militar, and the Casa Melul are the set pieces, but the pleasure is in walking and looking at the ordinary residential buildings, where Modernista details appear in unexpected combinations. Melilla was declared a UNESCO Asset of Cultural Interest on the strength of this streetscape.