Tuesday 28 February 2012

Gaudi in Barcelona

Casa Batllo is on the Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, and stands out as one of Gaudi's most magnificent Art Nouveau domestic houses. The organic and skeletal structure has earned itself the local name of 'House of Bones'. The interior lacks any straight lines and each room flows into one another, with numerous large oval windows that bathe the building in sunlight. The exterior is covered with bluey greenish mosiacs creating an amazing fish scale quality. This was definitely one of my Gaudi highlights of Barcelona - well worth going inside too!

Park Guell is situated on the top of El Carmel hill and has stunning views across Barcelona. Gaudi lived in the bottom right house for almost 20 years, although it was not built by him. The main terrace is surrounded by undulating mosaic covered benches designed by Gaudi, similarly containing no straight lines. A forest of columns support the main terrace from underneath with repeated mosaic patterns on the ceiling. The flowing designs of Gaudi's buildings fit with the natural topography. Lovely to sit and have a picnic, with the surrounding calming fluidity of Gaudi's work.

The Sagrada Familia is a wonderful forest of Gaudi's modern design within the innovative space of a Roman Catholic cathedral. Spiked shapes and impressive relief sculpture cover this vast space. Although much of the church was designed by Gaudi, only a quarter of the building was finished by his death in 1926. Visually, the interior is stunning, everywhere you stand you get a different view of the magnificent structural feat that was carried out. Still to this day there are numerous works being carried out on the building and there is an anticipated date of 2026 for full completion of the cathedral. It is a true spectacle!

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