Gaudi land

Barcelona is a real architectual dream. The creativity, the variety and the boldness of of the architectual landscape is amazing. Not just buildings, but also parks, plazas and public spaces have a variety and richness that makes your curiosity flourish. Barcelona is a piece of art. And of course, it's difficult to avoid the works of Gaudi.......

The Gaudi Lizard or mosaic dragon in Parc Guell

The architect Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 1926) was born in Catalonia and most of his 'portifolio' is in Barcelona. Tourists rush to see three of his famous works: Parc Guell, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and Casa Batllo. And I am no exception.

 

Parc Guell started out as a development project. Eusebi Güell, a well known Catalan industrialist, acquired a large hilly plot in the Gràcia district. He wanted to turn the area into a residential garden village. In 1900 Güell commissioned his friend and protégé Antoni Gaudi with the development of the project. 

Parc Güell is one of the world's most intriguing parks. The park's colorful staircase and the fanciful pavilions that were designed by Antoni Gaudí look like they belong in some fairy tale.

Gaudi worked on the garden village until 1914 when it was clear the project was a commercial failure. Güell failed to sell a single house. In 1918 the city of Barcelona acquired the property and in 1922 it opened to the public as a park. And what a Park..... 

The view of Barcelona from Parc Guell is amazing

The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, is one of Barcelona's most popular attractions. Construction on this church will continue for decades, but it has already become Barcelona's most important landmark.

The church is magnificent and a combination of a neo-gothic and modernistic style. Gaudi devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete.

I wonder if the church is finnished in my lifetime....

Casa Batllo was originally built between 1875 and 1877. In 1900 it was bought by the rich industrialist Josep Battló who commissioned Gaudí to tear down the old house and reconstruct a new one. Gaudi however convinced Battló to remodel the existing building. Between 1904 and 1906 Gaudi redesigned the facade, the roof and completely remodeled the interior.

What originated as a simple reform of a building already built, gave the opportunity to Gaudi to create one of his most poetic and decorative works. Gaudi built this amazing house in the local version of Art Nouveau called "modernisme," and the resulting structure is quite fanciful and unique.

The house's interior is as fascinating as its exterior. Gaudi paid great attention to detail when designing the wooden doors, stained glass windows, colorful tiles and he avoids straight lines at all cost.

I think Gaudi is more than an architect. He was craftsman, designer and above all a great artist. His use of soft organic forms and shapes, his colourful tiles and his broken tiles mosaic is unique and the result of his works are exceptional. He designed buildings, interior, furnitures, parks, public art etc. Gaudi is symbol of catalan creativity and boldness. Go to Barcelona!!