Barcelona Antonio Gaudí – architecture, list, creations, map, photo, description
In a series of names of brilliant creators of works of art of architecture, the name of Antonio Gaudi will live in the memory of the people of the century, as long as the buildings created according to his fantastic projects stand. One can look silently at these architectural masterpieces for a long time before there are words that can express the whole gamut of feelings of admiration, delight, aesthetic euphoria. The view of amazing buildings is so unusually beautiful that it is hard to believe that it is possible to design and build in real life.
Palace Güell
In different parts of Gaudí's immensely beloved Barcelona, he built wonderful neo-Gothic buildings and immortalized his name. The self-guided tour will take you through seven unique sites created by the imagination and skill of Gaudí. The first of them – the Guell Palace is located at the address: st. Nou de la Rambla, 3-5. This is the first of the extraordinary architect's biggest projects commissioned by wealthy entrepreneur Güell, who grew up in a poor area of Barcelona. In memory of his parents, he decided to build a palace. Having already heard about the young architect and his original solutions in architecture, Güell turned to Gaudí.
All floors of the palace are connected by a parabolic dome passing through them, and a magnificent neo-Gothic style staircase. The interior design is not only beautiful, but very cleverly thought out: the heating system is combined with the ventilation system; maximum illumination was achieved with the help of additional figured windows in the roof dome. Everywhere there are symbols of royal power: 120 columns of Gerrafa marble (King Pedro), amazingly beautiful fresco depicting Hercules (Philip IV), wooden ceilings (Ferdinand's era).
The palace also looks royal from the outside: two luxurious arches that serve as an entrance are draped with an intricate pattern of forged lattices, among which you can distinguish the initials of the names of the owner and the architect. In the center of the openwork fence, on a high metal lantern, there is a coat of arms depicting an eagle sitting on a forged helmet and spreading its wings for flight (a symbol of the independence of Catalonia).
House Calvet
If only the beginnings of elements of unusual symbolic architecture were embodied in the Palace Güell, then in subsequent buildings they manifested themselves more clearly. An example of this is Calvete House, located at Carrer de Casp, 48, built by a unique designer at the request of the widow of the Barcelona textile magnate Calvete in 1900. The building combines the features of a business office and a residential building (according to the requirements of the customer), but all this is presented in such a way that this house cannot be called anything other than fabulous. Only the facade of the corner building can be viewed for hours, its details and the overall picture are so interesting. Each floor is separated by graceful curves with “mushroom caps” above the windows; entrance columns in the form of textile spools symbolize the family business; a stucco bust of the head of the Kalvet dynasty in a niche under the roof is a tribute to him.
Real works of art cannot but arouse admiration – balconies and balconies with a thin openwork of elegant metal railings. Peculiar “stands” in the form of figured curved trapeziums under the balconies are decorated in a floral version. The convex pattern of the side walls, the decorative details of the original gables complement the effect of the fabulous beauty of the amazing house. To see all its interiors, you need to spend more than one hour.
Casa Batlló
If someone decides that there is nothing more to surprise him with, then he is mistaken, because the next object of the excursion can strike on the spot (in a good way) worldly-wise travelers. Casa Batllo, located at 43 Passeiq de Gracia, is a truly fantastic embodiment of the fabulous ideas of the brilliant architect, who remodeled the old house of the manufacturer Batllo. Full of symbolism, the façade amazes with the unusual shape of the windows with mirrored blue glass, the curves of interfloor boundaries, and the kaleidoscopically variegated coloring of the walls.
The roof in the form of a scaly dragon, gracefully curved in height against the sky, and a turret in the shape of the cross of St. George, as if piercing the monster, symbolically complement the mythical unreality of the architecture. Balconies with ornate white railings on elegant stucco bases resemble mysterious skulls; the dividing columns between the windows are similar in construction to bones. For these analogies, the locals called the unusual building the House of Bones. The creative imagination of Gaudi in the artistic stone images embodied the bizarre forms of flora and fauna, dearly loved by him since childhood. Casa Batlló, a symbol of a new, previously unknown architecture, excluding the straightforwardness of structures, laid the foundation for the famous unique style of Gaudí.
House Mila
This streamlined building is located at the intersection of Passeig de Gracia and Carré de Provence. It is the full embodiment of curvilinearity in architecture, where there is literally not a single perfectly straight segment. As Gaudi himself said, in the form of a house, he conveyed the curves of waves, clouds, leaves and flowers. Irregularly shaped window openings, numerous columns of different thicknesses, a continuous winding strip of canopies above the windows embodied the author's intention. Here you can see the most unexpected forms of stone sculptures – the result of non-standard decisions of the artist, who even chimneys were dressed in an intricate artistic shell. The elevator shafts installed in the house are decorated with elegant sculptures. Gaudi did a great deal of design and creative work on the masterpiece, which was taken under the protection of UNESCO as a priceless monument.
Sagrada Familia
Another real masterpiece from the world of fantasy can be seen on Carrer de Provenca – the Temple, which seems to be carved from a single rock by an unsurpassedly skilled carver, and not built from individual stones. So organically fit into the overall ensemble all the extraordinary components of the most important brainchild of Gaudi, to whom he devoted 40 years of his life, but did not have time to fully realize the whole idea. The construction of the unique shrine of the Sagrada Familia has been going on for 130 years.
It is impossible to describe in a few words the architectural style of this treasure, which reflected the talent of Gaudi, who sought to move away from sharp Gothic forms to more rounded, smooth, graceful ones. Despite the huge size of the cathedral, it seems light and airy. Gaudi sought to create a “bible in stone”, over which 17 symbolic towers will rise, personifying the 12 apostles, 4 evangelists and Jesus. 3 facades are decorated in accordance with the main lines of the earthly life of Christ. It is impossible to tell about the stone miracle in one article, it needs to be studied for a long time in order to comprehend all the greatness and beauty of the unearthly structure.
Park Güell
The next address is St. Carrer lt Olot will open another miracle from Gaudí – a park of unique architectural creations, each of which is original and magnificent in its uniqueness of forms. The Hall of 100 Columns staggers the imagination with its monumentality and grandeur, painted stucco ceiling plafonds. A huge mosaic salamander sprawled on a makeshift pool, a coiled snake, an outlandish bench with a mosaic picturesque back – everything is so unusual and fantastically beautiful! All day long you can admire the creations of the great master, which are beyond time and space.
House of Vicens
It can be safely called the main decoration of the rather gray factory district of Barcelona – Gracia at the address: Carrer de les Carolines, 18-24. Like a bright gem among nondescript counterparts, Vicens' house “lights up” the surroundings with colorful mosaic wall decoration. Even without knowing who Vicente is, one can guess about his production, because the decorative patterns of the facade are “woven from ceramic tiles.” Vincent owned a brick factory and a workshop for the production of finishing tiles. It was these traditional materials that Gaudí took advantage of and created his first architectural work of art as a graduate, providing him (the house) with a wonderful garden with a fountain. Until our time, he (the garden) has not been preserved, and the house continues to delight with its colorful composition. It is allowed to get inside only on May 22, the day of St. Rita, but it is already a great happiness to see Gaudí's masterpiece from the outside. All architectural creations of the Spanish genius are included in the world heritage list and are taken under the protection of UNESCO.
How to save money in Barcelona?
Everyone knows that Barcelona is an expensive city. If there is an opportunity to save, then why not take advantage of it? What you need to do to get:
All this will be available to you after purchasing the Barcelona City Pass (+ visiting the Sagrada Familia).
Priority tickets will save you time and avoid long queues. You can also buy a Barcelona City Pass (with a visit to the Sagrada Familia + Audioguide + Tower).
Which hotel to stay
For those who have not yet chosen a hotel in Barcelona, we recommend the following options: