Gaudi Architecture of Barcelona Spain

Although the city of Barcelona is over two thousand years old, much of the architectural excellence that can be seen today is attributed to the famed artist and architect Antonio Gaudi, who was active towards the latter end of the 19th century. Because of his efforts, this Spanish city lists so many works with the mark of Gaudi on them that it would take many volumes in a book to list and describe them all.

Undeniably, the most famous of his buildings in Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia, also known as the Temple of the Holy Family. The structure is part neo-Gothic, part neo-Baroque it is sui generis and almost defies description with words alone. Begun in 1883, it is a series of spires topping a church and is still under construction to this day.

Sagrada Familia Barcelona
Antonio Gaudi

One of the architect’s civil engineering projects is the Park Guell on nearby Montjuic. Completed in 1914, it is a twenty-hectare site, filled with lush greenery and art objects that would be the envy of visitors to Central Park in New York. Whether it is the exceptional lizard sculpture, the famous and huge wavy bench or just a touch of mosaic tile here and there, the characteristic Gaudi look is obvious.

The Casa Milà, or La Pedrera (The Stone Quarry) is another structure that is nearly as well known and just as often visited, Although the original design was for a private home, it quickly evolved into a set of individual apartments. The raw, rolling balconies give the facade its distinctive look from the street, but the organic Gaudi elements are all over the structure. From the ice-cream cone-shaped chimneys to the seaweed-style wrought iron to the hushed, glowing attic, the building has the hallmarks of Gaudi throughout.

Parc Guell Barcelona

Proving the point that Gaudi was the Father of Spanish Art Nouveau, Casa Batllo, erected in 1907, is one of the architects many buildings that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list of worthy treasures. As in the Casa Milà, the unusual artistic style of the man is plainly visible. The balconies that bear an uncanny resemblance to sections of skull around the eye sockets merge with a colorful mosaic-like facade that appears to be melting. Even more proof of his unique style, if any were needed, is the curved chimney complex set in front of an orange clamshell roofline.

Gaudi employed organic shapes everywhere, but always personalized them to his own purposes, just as the better-known Frank Lloyd Wright always did. That is obvious in the Colonia Guell chapel where the distinctive arches bear the stamp of this remarkable artist. Decorated with organic carvings, the arches themselves are sharp angled but still manage to blend seamlessly into a main structure that appears almost cave like.

In the city of Barcelona, which is full of outstanding architecture, Gaudi's work continues to attract both visitors and locals alike. It only takes a fleeting glimpse of any of his buildings to understand the reasons why.