Barcelona Gaudi
The works of Antoni Gaudi dominate the city of Barcelona. Whilst the city is both modern and cosmopolitan in nature, it has
a rich history in architecture and the arts. The city has always proven to be a
bit ahead of the rest of the world in its tendencies, and the discerning
traveller can see this in the exquisite Gaudi architecture that is found
throughout Barcelona.
In spite of impressive works from the Romanesque and Renaissance periods, it is
Gaudi's Modernism which attracts millions of visitors to Barcelona. The
magnificent works of Catalonia's favourite son were created well before
their time and you should dedicate much of your time in Barcelona to visiting a
selection of Gaudi buildings.
Antoni Gaudi - The Person and His Work
The man behind these amazing masterpieces is Antoni Gaudi, who was born in
1852 in Catalonia. Gaudi was the youngest of five children, and he had a
difficult childhood due to suffering from rheumatism that caused him a great
deal of pain. At a young age, he had a lot of time to observe and inspect nature, which helped him to develop his unique form of architecture.
Gaudi went on to study architecture at the Escola Tècnica Superior
d'Arquitectura, which is located in the city of Barcelona. Although his grades
were only fair, he did receive his diploma, which named him as an architect.
Soon he was planning and designing what would be some of the most amazing
architectural masterpieces ever created.
When Gaudi first started out, his works were primarily Gothic in nature and had
a traditional Spanish flare to them. After a few years, he went on to develop
his own style, which was when his most popular works were created. The nature he
had studied so much as a child was soon to be incorporated into his works and he
showed amazing portrayals of water and organic shapes in his architectural
designs. Later his work became known by the name Art Nouveau Architecture, and
was actually a precursor to today’s modern architecture (known as 'modernisme').
Main Gaudi Buildings in Barcelona
While you are in Barcelona, you should dedicate plenty time to seeing Gaudi’s
works and not just the Sagrada Familia which is his most famous
attraction. The most visited of his works after the unfinished Gaudi cathedral
include Park Guell, Casa Mila, and Casa
Batllo.
Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is probably the most well known of Gaudi’s works, and is
known as a symbol of Barcelona across the entire world. It is actually a
beautiful monumental church and was started by Gaudi in 1883. Much of his time
was spent on this piece of architecture and he continued to work on it
obsessively until his death. To this day work continues on the greatest of all
Gaudi's masterpieces with the finish date estimated as 2026. This will mark the
100th anniversary of the great architect's death.
Park Guell
Eusebi Guell, who was actually one of Gaudi’s clients, wanted to have his own
suburban city just outside of Barcelona. The resulting property was never
successful as a real estate venture with only two homes ever
being built on it. Today it is a Gaudi park which is owned by the city of Barcelona,
and features a breathtaking selection of Gaudi architecture. Look out for the giant
coloured lizard which is one of the city's
most photographed attractions. Casa Museu Gaudi is the house at the entrance
with a spire where the architect lived for most of his last 20 years. Entrance
is free.
Address: Carrer D'Olot, 7
Metro: Lesseps (more convenient is Bus Nº 24 or the tourist bus
service)
Opening hours: 9am-9pm (June-Sept); Slight variations at other
times of year |
Casa Mila
Casa Mila, otherwise known as La Pedrera, is probably very close in popularity
to the Sagrada Familia. This building actually covers more than 100 meters, and
is designed so that the entire building gets sunlight at some point in time. The
rooftop is full of interesting architectural designs, with sculptures and
chimneys adorning it. During the summer months you can go on the roof in the
evening for a glass of cava to the accompaniment of classical music. Look out
for 'La Pedrera de Nit'.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia ,92
Metro: Diagonal
Opening hours: 10am-8pm (also 9pm to midnight on Fri. & Sat. from
July-Sept)
Website:
http://www.lapedreraeducacio.org/ |
Casa Batllo
Although today this building houses a variety of offices and apartments, Gaudi
originally designed it to look like St George's Dragon. The design is very
stimulating to the imagination and you can definitely see the influence of
nature in this design. Depending on your imagination, you might be able to
see fish scales, balconies that appear as bird’s nests and a roofline that
shares characteristics of the back of a dinosaur.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 43
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (exit Calle Aragó-Rambla Catalunya)
Opening hours: 9am-2pm (Mon-Sat); 9am-8pm (Sun)
Website:
http://www.casabatllo.es/ |
As well as the Gaudi buildings described above, there are
around 25 more spread around the city. Not all of the works are open to the
public but they're still worth looking for if Gaudi architecture is an
important reason for your visit. The biggest concentration of these
buildings is in the Gracia district of Barcelona, just north of Plaza
Catalunya. Take a look at this
Gaudi map to get some idea where you'll find all his main works.
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