Josep Batlló came from a family of Catalan textile manufacturers that owned several factories, such as the Vapor Batlló (1869; Comte d'Urgell, 173-215; now the Industrial School of Barcelona).

In 1904 he commissioned the architect A. Gaudí to remodel a building that had originally been erected in 1870 in Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona so that he could set up his home there. This is the famous Casa Batlló (1904; Passeig de Gràcia, 43), which has become one of the most representative buildings of Modernisme. However, the Batlló family usually employed J. Vilaseca as its architect and it was he who designed Casa Pia Batlló (1891-1896; Rambla de Catalunya, 17 - Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 601), in an eclectic style; Casa Enric Batlló (1895-1896; Passeig de Gràcia, 75 - Mallorca, 259-263; currently Hotel Condes de Barcelona), and Casa Àngel Batlló (1891-1896; Mallorca, 253-257), the latter two eclectic, but with certain Modernista elements. He was also responsible for the family vault in the South-west Cemetery on Montjuïc (Mare de Déu del Port, 56-58).