I just returned from Barcelona. One of my favorite things about the city (beside the fact that everything is open late!) is the architecture. One of my primary reasons for visiting Barcelona was to get a glimpse of Gaudi architecture. I did study Art History in undergrad after all. My favorite was the art nouveau stuff with its playful curving lines that mimicked vines, and calming colors. I could stare at this stuff for hours, so bear with me as I ramble on about architecture.

Referred to collectively as Modernism, the trend that was sweeping Europe in the early 20th century was called Catalan art nouveau in Spain. Catalan is the language that Barcelona speaks, and is not a dialect of Spanish as I previously thought–it’s its own language.

Maybe you don’t feel the same way but that’s ok–you can just look at the pictures!

So Gaudi is everywhere in Barcelona and of course I tried to see everything he had done, but mostly I just hit the major spots like:

Casa Battlo

This place used to be nicknamed the House of Bones and I definitely see why.

The Casa is still owned by the affluent Battlo family who chose to run the place as a museum–hence the hefty entrance fees. But no worries here, I definitely felt like it was worth it.

It is is said, that in this house there are no straight lines, that everything is molded organically like the movement of the sea and the marine creatures within.

This is the main window looking out onto the Passeig de la Gracia, the place to be be  for a rich person in the 1900’s

An inner air well ventilates and lights the entire house and its shimmering blue tiles get progressively darker toward the top. We start to see a sea theme, evoking images of marine life and qualities of the ocean, like the reflective quality of water and the way that it moves.

Now we are on the roof looking out: 

The roof of the house is said to look like the long back of a reptile. Do you see it?

Gaudi’s infamous mosaic work on the garden terrace:

Everything  in the house was made for a purpose ( in addition to beauty) so several things are ergonomically designed. the door handles were made to fit the palm, modeled first in clay by Gaudi’s own hand and then cast in bronze. The chairs were meant to fit the curve of the back. Here’s a detail of a replica you can get in the gift shop for the “reasonable” price of 1100 euro:

See how the handles resemble an octopus tentacle?

Casa Battlo is supposed to be most representative of Gaudi’s style because it incorporates everything he is known for at the height of his maturity. There is so much more to be said here, but I’ll hold off until next time when we go to Park Guell.

petons/besos/bisous 🙂

-D.