The outstanding Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi is rightly called a genius. This man had a sparkling creative imagination, he knew how to amazingly mix different styles, and his projects were often called architectural madness.
The beginning of the creative path of Antonio Gaudi
Antonio Gaudi Young Gaudi arrived in Barcelona in mid-19th centuries. Here he began working as a draftsman and studied crafts. The capital of Catalonia at that time looked in a neo-Gothic style.
House of Vicens As his first projects, the young architect worked on the creation of the summer mansion El Capriccio on the territory of the Cantabrian coast and the private residential House Vicens. These buildings were designed by Gaudí in a modern style. The architect used raw stone and ceramic tiles to build the Vicente House. He used these materials to create floral and checkerboard patterns. Vicente's house is decorated with bay windows and turrets, protruding balconies and facades fenced with unusually shaped bars.
El Capriccio Mansion The El Capriccio mansion is a unique building from which scenic views valleys and seas. For its cladding, Gaudi used multi-colored ceramic tiles and bricks.
Gaudí's main architectural projects
Palace Guell The aspiring architect began to be patronized by the textile magnate Eusebi Güell, who really liked Gaudi’s extraordinary architectural projects. Now Antonio could fully demonstrate his unique talent, without following generally accepted rules and without limiting the flight of his imagination. Gaudi began developing his own recognizable style. He took on the construction of the Palace Güell, which the philanthropist eventually received as a gift from his ward. This building is classified as the best works architect.
Gaudi worked on the creation of a palace on the street. Carrer Nou de La Rambla. Now it is under the protection of UNESCO. When developing his project, the architect managed to combine flat Byzantine vaults with decorative steel structures. The gates for the passage of horse-drawn carriages served as a bright decorative element. The same can be said about carved decorative ceilings, decorated with silver and gold details. The chimneys on the roof of the building have different shapes and look like unusual figures.
The interiors of the palace feature unusual furniture specially made for them, luxuriously furnished rooms with multi-colored chimneys, and grandiose parabolic arches.
House Mila After completing work on Palais Guell, Gaudi became a famous architect in the city and received many orders from wealthy Barcelona residents. He created unusual residential buildings for them that were different from each other. For example, Casa Mila, which is located at the point where Carrer de Provenza and Passeig de Gràcia Boulevard intersect, was created by the architect for the Mila family. This is the first building of the 20th century to be protected by UNESCO.
Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia - the main project of the great architect, thanks to which he became known in all corners of the world. The construction of the temple was initially entrusted to the unknown architect Francesco Villar, as well as his assistant Joan Mortarello. A few years later the architects were replaced by Antoni Gaudi.
The construction of the cathedral has not been completed to this day. Modern architects will have to deal with its interior decoration, erecting domes, extensions and grandiose towers. The Spanish government has promised that construction of the temple will be completed by 2026.
The architect constantly worked to improve the plan of the cathedral. He changed it several times. Work on the construction of the cathedral often stopped. At the same time, in the northern part of the city you can now see a unique Christian temple, which looks like a stalactite cave.
Sagrada Familia Cathedral inside This religious building surprises with its architectural ensemble. Gaudi managed to complete the creation of the Nativity façade, which includes three portals that are symbols of Orthodox shrines - Faith, Hope and Love. They are decorated with sculptures depicting biblical scenes. For example, above the Portal of Hope there is a scene of the betrothal of Joseph and Mary, as well as Mount Montserrat, which is a famous Catalan shrine. All towers have an unusual shape and symbolize the apostles. To decorate the bell towers, spiers were used, which were decorated with stylized images symbolizing the episcopal rank. The cathedral's exterior decor features biblical quotations and liturgical texts. The interior design of the temple is distinguished by smooth lines and geometric models presented in the form of an ellipsoid, conoid, helicoid, hyperbolic paraboloid and hyperboloid. The cathedral is decorated with stars, helical staircases, hyperbolic vaults and round stained glass windows.
Gaudi's Crypt The great architect passed away at the age of 74. He was hit by a tram that was passing near the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Gaudi's burial place was a crypt in an unfinished temple.
Bellesguard Tower
Bellesguard Tower Near Mount Tibidabo you can see the Bellesguard Tower. It's small but significant architectural work Gaudi with straight lines of the facade. For the interior design of this object, the architect used his characteristic architectural eccentricities, which inspired him with medieval legends associated with the King of Catalonia, Marti the Merciful. It was he who named this city Barcelona. For Gaudi, this object turned into a testing ground for his own innovations, which the architect later used in the construction of the Sagrada Familia.
The customer for the construction of the tower in 1900 was the wealthy widow Maria Sages. They began to build it on the site where the destroyed palace of King Marti had previously been located. The work was completed in 1909. It is worth noting that the Bellesguard courtyard contains the ruins of the royal palace, before which there was a medieval castle with catacombs where the legendary Catalan robber Sierralonga was hiding. Now the Giler family lives in the tower house, which opened this building for tourists in 2013.
The word "Bellesguard" translates as "beautiful view."
The tower house has the features of a medieval castle, consisting of a gallery of the top floor protected by battlements, miniature semicircular balconies that are decorated with stone festoons, narrow long loophole windows and powerful walls. The architect installed a three-dimensional cross on the tower.
The tower is built with a square-shaped base, all sides of which are 15 m long. The house has elevated floors. Because of this, the effect of a soaring tower is created. The entrance to the house is decorated with three balconies, which are highlighted by openwork metal forging, curious pediment masonry and mosaic benches with fish. The inside of the tower is quite spacious and sunny. The room is decorated with numerous colored stained glass windows, anthropomorphic ceilings, ceramic tiles, forged parts and other outlandish accents that the architect loved so much.
The tower is surrounded by a small picturesque garden with a gatekeeper's house, trellises and a water pump. The adjacent street is home to a viaduct, similar to a load-bearing wall, designed by Gaudí.
A spiral staircase takes you up to the tower, where you can admire the cityscape, Sarria district and Mount Tibidabo.
Also, for a more detailed acquaintance with the legacy of the great architect, it is worth visiting the Gaudí Space museum, the architect’s house museum and Casa Batlló.
Compared to other Barcelona attractions, Casa Batlló stands out for its original architectural designs. Before Gaudí took on the job, this residential building, built in 1877, belonged to textile magnate Josep Batlló i Casanovas. At that time, only tenants and potential residents were interested in him; he was of no other interest to people. New life and great glory were given to the Casa Batllo by Antonio Gaudi, who reconstructed the building from 1904 to 1906. Initially, the homeowner planned to demolish the old building and build a new one in its place, but the master decided otherwise and promised to transform the building beyond recognition.
The house was adjacent to neighboring buildings with two side walls, so Gaudi decided not to adjust its original structure, but to create designs for two new facades. The central façade faces Passeig de Gracia, while the rear façade faces the block. The architect carefully worked on the mezzanine and lower floor, completely remodeling and specially creating original furniture for them. In addition, he added an attic, a basement and a stepped roof terrace - an asotea.
The author included a large courtyard in the house plan, which was created by connecting two light shafts. This allowed for improved ventilation and daylighting of the building. The idea of paying special attention to the light court first arose from the Catalan master during the construction of the Casa Mila.
Researchers studying the work of Antonio Gaudi argue that it was with the reconstruction of the Casa Batllo that a new round of his creative path began, and it was then that the formation of the master’s unique style began: from now on, the architect listened exclusively to his own vision of architectural solutions, without looking back at standards and frameworks famous architectural styles.
On the ground floor of Casa Batllo you can see semicircular windows that are striking in their unusual shape and stones that blur like plasticine from high temperatures. The facade of the building is decorated with mosaic compositions of broken ceramic tiles, shimmering in a wide variety of colors: from gold and orange to green and blue.
The main distinguishing feature of the building, in which the architect’s style is most clearly expressed, is the minimal use of straight lines in its design. Almost everything in it, from the interior to the decorative details of the facade, carved from hewn stone quarried on the Montjuic hill, has wavy outlines.
The symbolism of the main façade of Casa Batlló has many interpretations, but the most accurate is probably the comparison of the building with a giant figure of a dragon - Gaudí's favorite character, often found in many of his architectural works. The turret on the roof of the building, topped with a St. George's cross, can be interpreted as the sword of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia, stabbed into the dragon's back. The Triumph of St. George is an allegory of the victory of good over evil. The fantastic monster created by Gaudi is covered with sparkling “scales” and dotted with the skulls and bones of his victims, which can be seen in the shapes of the balconies and columns of the mezzanine. For such an unusual external decoration, this building was given another name - the House of Bones.
Regarding the direction to which it belongs Casa Batllo, then most often, like all other creative researches of Antoni Gaudi, it is considered in the context of modernism. Naturally, in this case, modernism should be understood in its very in a broad sense this concept, since the great Catalan did not adhere to any of the then existing trends and in creative process I gave myself complete freedom, going beyond all limits and boundaries.
Gaudí's works are characterized by careful thought out of all, even the smallest, decorations and structures, and Casa Batlló was no exception. Particularly striking is the design of the light courtyard, where a special play of chiaroscuro is created. To ensure even illumination, the architect positioned the ceramic cladding so that its color gradually changes from white to blue and blue, and the intensity increases as it moves up the building, finishing on the ventilation and chimney trim in a real explosion of rich azure color. For the same purpose, windows of different sizes facing the courtyard were created, which decrease with height. The attic of the house, characterized by elegance and functionality, is organized using parabolic arches, which the Catalan architect used in his other projects.
Patio:
Together with the nearby houses of Lleo Morera and Amalle, Gaudí's architectural creation is part of the "Quarter of Discord", which received its name due to the variety of styles of its modernist buildings.
Since 1962, Casa Batllo has held the title Artistic monument Barcelona, since 1969 - monument national importance, and already in 2005 UNESCO added it to its World Heritage List.
Among the names of brilliant creators of architectural works of art, the name of Antonio Gaudi will live in the memory of people of the century as long as the buildings created according to his fantastic designs remain standing. You can silently look at these architectural masterpieces for a long time before you find words that can express the whole gamut of feelings of admiration, delight, and aesthetic euphoria. The sight of amazing buildings is so unusually beautiful that it is hard to believe that this is possible to design and build in real life.
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IN different corners Gaudi's immensely beloved Barcelona, he built wonderful buildings of the neo-Gothic style and immortalized his name. The self-guided tour will take you through seven unique sites created by Gaudí's imagination and artistry. The first of them, the Güell Palace, is located at: st. Nou de la Rambla, 3-5. This is the first of the extraordinary architect's largest projects, commissioned by the 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 a lot about the young architect and his original solutions in architecture, Guell turned specifically to Gaudi.
All floors of the palace are connected by a parabolic dome running through them and a luxurious neo-Gothic staircase. The interior design is not only beautiful, but very cleverly thought out: heating system combined with ventilation; maximum illumination is achieved with the help of additional figured windows in the roof dome. Symbols of royal power are present everywhere: 120 columns of Herraf marble (King Pedro), an amazingly beautiful fresco depicting Hercules (Philip IV), wooden ceilings (the era of Ferdinand).
The palace also looks royal from the outside: two luxurious arches serving as the entrance are draped with an intricate pattern of forged grilles, among which the initials of the names of the owner and the architect can be distinguished. In the center of the openwork fence, on a high metal lantern, there is attached a coat of arms depicting an eagle sitting on a forged helmet and spreading its wings for flight (a symbol of Catalan independence).
House Calvet
If in the Palace of Güell only the beginnings of elements of unusual symbolic architecture were embodied, then in subsequent buildings they appeared more clearly. An example of this is the Casa Calvet, located at 48 Carrer de Casp, built by a unique designer at the request of the widow of the Barcelona textile magnate Calvet in 1900. The building combines the features of a business office and a residential building (according to the customer’s requirements), but all this is presented in such a way that this house cannot be called anything other than fabulous. The façade of the corner building alone can be looked at for hours, its details and big picture. Each floor is separated by graceful curves with “mushroom caps” above the windows; entrance columns in the form of textile spools symbolize family business; a stucco bust of the head of the Calvet dynasty in a niche under the roof is a tribute to him. The architect generously uses natural elements in the decor: an amazing bas-relief above the door of the main facade depicts a cypress tree - a symbol of hospitality; there is an olive tree and a cornucopia in the design.
True works of art - balconies and balconies with delicate openwork of elegant metal fences - cannot but arouse admiration. Original “stands” in the form of figuratively curved trapezoids under the balconies are decorated in a floral design. The convex pattern of the side walls and decorative details of the original pediments complement the effect of the fabulous beauty of the amazing house. To examine all its interiors, you need to spend more than one hour.
Casa Batllo
If someone decides that there is nothing else to surprise him with, then he is mistaken, because the next object of the excursion can amaze him on the spot (in in a good way) seasoned travelers. Casa Batlló, located at 43 Passeiq de Gracia, is a truly fantastic embodiment of the fabulous ideas of a brilliant architect who has redesigned an old house manufacturer Batllo. Full of symbolism, the façade amazes with its unusually shaped windows with mirrored blue glass, the curves of interfloor boundaries, and the kaleidoscopically variegated colors of the walls.
The roof in the form of a scaly dragon, gracefully arched in height against the sky, and the 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 graceful stucco bases resemble mysterious skulls; The dividing columns between the windows are similar in design to bones. For these analogies, local residents nicknamed the unusual building the House of Bones. Gaudi's creative imagination embodied in artistic stone images the bizarre forms of flora and fauna that he had loved since childhood. Casa Batlló, a symbol of a new, previously unknown architecture that excludes linear structures, laid the foundation for the famous unique Gaudi style.
House Mila
This streamlined building is located at the intersection of Passeig de Gràcia and Carre de Provença. It is the complete embodiment of curvature in architecture, where there is literally not a single perfectly straight line. As Gaudi himself said, in the appearance of the house he conveyed the curves of waves, clouds, leaves and flowers. Irregularly shaped window openings, numerous columns of different thicknesses, and a continuous winding strip of canopies above the windows embodied the author’s plan. Here you can see the most unexpected forms of stone sculptures - the result of non-standard solutions of the artist, who even dressed the chimneys in an intricate artistic shell. The elevator shafts installed in the house are decorated with beautiful sculptures. Gaudi did a huge amount of design and creative work on the masterpiece, which is taken under the protection of UNESCO as a priceless monument.
Sagrada Familia Cathedral
Another real masterpiece from the world of fantasy can be seen on the street Carrer de Provenca - the Temple, which seems to be carved from a single rock by an unsurpassed skillful carver, and not built from individual stones. All the extraordinary components of Gaudi’s most important brainchild, to which he devoted 40 years of his life, but never managed to fully realize the entire plan, fit so organically into the overall ensemble. 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 architectural style this treasure, reflecting the talent of Gaudi, who sought to move away from sharp Gothic forms to more rounded, smooth, graceful ones. Despite the enormous size of the cathedral, it seems light and airy. Gaudi sought to create a “bible in stone”, above which 17 symbolic towers would rise, personifying the 12 apostles, 4 evangelists and Jesus. 3 facades are designed in accordance with the main lines of Christ’s earthly life. The stone miracle cannot be described 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 Guell
The next address is st. Carrer lt Olot will open another miracle from Gaudi - a park of unique architectural creations, each of which is original and magnificently unique in form. The Hall of 100 Columns amazes the imagination with its monumentality and grandeur, with painted stucco ceiling lamps. A huge mosaic salamander stretched out on an improvised pool, a coiled snake, an outlandish bench with a mosaic-painted 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 safely be called the main decoration of the rather gray factory district of Barcelona - Gràcia at the address: Carrer de les Carolines, 18-24. Like a bright gem among its dull counterparts, the Vicens house “illuminates” its surroundings with colorful mosaic wall decoration. Even without knowing who Vicent is, you can guess 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 Gaudi used and created his first architectural work of art as a certified specialist, equipping it (the house) wonderful garden with a fountain. It (the garden) has not survived to this day, but the house continues to delight with its colorful composition. You are allowed inside only on May 22, St. Rita's Day, 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 protected by UNESCO.
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The architectural style of Antoni Gaudi is usually attributed to the Art Nouveau movement. But you can notice that in the designs of his creations the architect used individual features of many other styles. At the same time, each of them was subject to rethinking, and the architect took only those elements that he considered acceptable for his buildings.
The Sagrada Familia Cathedral is the pinnacle of the work of a brilliant architect The personality remains mysterious and incomprehensible, despite great amount information about the life and work of this genius. It would seem, what new can be said about a person who spent his whole life basking in fame and luxury, not knowing how to count money and wholly devoting himself to creativity? So why did Antonio die alone, in extreme poverty and oblivion? The answer to this question is - alas! - is not known to anyone.
Gaudi's buildings
Among the famous buildings of the brilliant architect, starting from his earliest works, the following can be distinguished:
- (built in 1883 - 1888) - Casa Vicens - residential house of the Manuel Vicens family, one of Gaudí's first major commissions.
- El Capriccio, Comillas(Cantabria) (built in 1883 - 1885) - Capricho de Gaudi - the summer residence of Maximo de Quijano, Marquis de Comillas, who was a relative of Eusebio Güell, one of the architect’s main clients. This mansion was built for the heir of the Marquis.
El Capriccio - , Pedralbes in Barcelona (built in 1884 - 1887) - unique buildings in one of the most prestigious areas of Catalonia, built in the style of rich Cuban estates.
- Palace Guell in Barcelona (built in 1886 - 1889) - Palau Guell - residential building of the wealthy industrialist Eusebio Guell, one of early works Gaudi. The palace contains features of a Venetian palazzo, mixed with a dose of eclecticism.
- in Barcelona (built in 1888 - 1894) - Collegi de las Teresianes - a special educational institution, a college for girls who in the future became nuns. Today it is one of the main attractions of Catalonia.
- Episcopal Palace in Astorga, Castile (Leon) (built in 1889 - 1893) - Palacio Episcopal de Astorga - a palace near the city of Leon, commissioned by Bishop Joan Bautista Grau y Vallespinos.
- in Leon(built in 1891 - 1892) - Casa de los Botines - a residential building with warehouses in Leon, built in the Art Nouveau tradition with the addition of individual elements.
- Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family in Barcelona (1883 - the work was not completed by the architect). Of course, when it comes to the work of Antonio Gaudi, the first thing that comes to mind is one of the most ingenious and bizarre buildings widely known throughout the world - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Among Catholics, the name of the temple sounds like “Temple Expiatori de la Sagrado Familia.”
- (the project was developed in 1892 - 1893, but the mission was not built) - a small project of the architect, which was never brought to life. In planning the future construction, Gaudí completely abandons tradition.
- , Garraf (built in 1895 - 1898) - Bodegas Guell - an architectural complex in Sitges, consisting of two buildings - the entrance building and the cellar itself. The structure was erected by order of the same industrialist Eusebio Güell.
- House Calvet in Barcelona(built in 1898 - 1900) - Casa Calvet - the residential building of the widow of the manufacturer Pere Martir Calvet y Carbonel, which was originally designed as an apartment building. In such buildings, the lower floors and basements are reserved for retail establishments, the owners themselves live on the middle floors, and the rooms at the top are rented out to guests. Today, the Calvet house is one of the landmarks of Barcelona.
- Colony Güell Crypt, Santa Coloma de Cervelo (1898 - 1916) - a chapel built on the territory of the settlement of workers of the textile factory of Eusebio Güell. A wealthy industrialist in his colony wanted to build a school, a hospital and a church for his workers. It was with the construction of the crypt that the implementation of the project began. However, things did not go any further, and the church itself remained unfinished.
- House Figueres on Calle Bellesguard in Barcelona (1900 - 1902) - Casa Figueras or Bellesguard Tower - a beautiful house topped with towers, commissioned by the merchant's widow Maria Sages. The customer wanted to build a new beautiful building on her land, and Antonio Gaudi fully coped with this task.
- Park Guell in Barcelona(1900 - 1914) - Parque Guell - a garden and park complex with residential areas with a total area of just over 17 hectares, built in the upper part of Barcelona.
- (1901 - 1902) - Finca Miralles - a gate for the house of the manufacturer Miralles, built in the form of a fancy sea shell and harmoniously fit into the arched opening.
- Villa Catlaras, La Pabla de Lillet(built in 1902) - Vacation home in Spain, designed by a talented architect. The uniqueness of the building is visible even in the drawing - no one had done anything like this before Gaudi.
La Pabla de Lillet 
- Artigas Gardens in frontPyrenees mountains(1903 - 1910) - Can Artigas gardens in Pobla de Lillet - magnificent buildings within the garden and park complex, located at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains at a distance of 130 km from Barcelona.
For a long time, this pearl of Gaudi’s architectural creativity remained unknown to the whole world, but in the early 70s of the 20th century, the gardens were discovered, put in order and opened to tourists. Since then, the Can Artigas gardens have been one of the landmarks of Spain, as well as a unique example.
- Warehouses of the Badia blacksmith artel(1904) - were designed by order of José and Luis Badio, owners of the blacksmith workshops from which Gaudi ordered forged metal parts to design his architectural projects.
- (built in 1904 - 1906) - Casa Batllo - residential house of Josep Batllo i Casanovas, a wealthy textile magnate, rebuilt by Gaudí according to his own design.
- Reconstruction of the Cathedral to Palma de Mallorca(1904 - 1919) - Catedral de Santa Maria de Palma de Mallorca - in this Catholic cathedral Antonio Gaudi carried out restoration and decorative work commissioned by Bishop Campins.
- (1906-1910) - residential building of the Mila family, Gaudí's last secular work, after which he devoted himself entirely to creating the Temple of the Atonement of the Sagrada Familia. Casa Mila is also one of the most important attractions of the Catalan capital.
- Parish school at the Sagrada Familia Church of the Redemption in Barcelona(1909 - 1910) - Escjles de la Sagrada Familia - originally a school for the children of workers involved in the construction of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, was planned as a temporary building. Subsequently, after the construction of the cathedral was completed, they wanted to demolish the school. But the building turned out to be so expressive and unique that it still stands not far from the cathedral.
Gaudi's architectural work is not only multifaceted and interesting. It represents a truly rich heritage for all generations of future architects, who will be able to learn from the examples of these unique buildings and create their own masterpieces.
Antonio Gaudi born June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona in Catalonia (Spain). Gaudi spent his childhood by the sea. He carried the impressions of his first architectural experiments throughout his life, which is why some of his houses resemble sand castles. Due to rheumatism, the boy could not play with children and was often left alone, spending a lot of time communicating with nature. Mobility limited due to illness sharpened the future architect’s powers of observation and opened up to him the world of nature, which became the main source of inspiration in solving both artistic, design and constructive problems. Antonio loved to spend a long time watching the mountains, clouds, flowers, and snails. Gaudi's mother instilled in the boy a love of religion. She inspired him that since the Lord had left him alive, Antonio must definitely find out why.
In the seventies of the 19th century, Gaudi moved to Barcelona, where, after five years of preparatory courses, he was admitted to the Higher School of Architecture, from which he graduated in 1878. It was an educational institution of a new type, in which teachers did everything to ensure that learning did not turn into a routine. At the School, students were encouraged to have the opportunity to participate in real projects, and practical experience is always very valuable to an architect. Antonio studied with pleasure and enthusiasm, sat in the library in the evenings, learned German and French in order to be able to read literature on his profile. Antonio was one of the best students, but was never loved.
In 1870-1882, Antonio Gaudi worked under the supervision of architects Emilio Sala and Francisco Villar as a draftsman, unsuccessfully participating in competitions; studied crafts, performing many small works (fences, lanterns, etc.), and also designed furniture for his own home.
In Europe at that time there was an extraordinary flowering neo-gothic style , and young Gaudi enthusiastically followed the ideas of neo-Gothic enthusiasts - the French architect and writer Violet le Duc (the largest restorer of Gothic cathedrals in the 19th century, who restored the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris) and English critic and art critic John Ruskin. The declaration they proclaimed “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture” was fully consistent with Gaudi’s own thoughts and ideas, whose creative style over the years becomes completely unique, architecture is as far from the generally accepted one as Lobachevsky’s geometry is from classical Euclidean.
During early creativity, marked by the influences of the architecture of Barcelona, as well as the Spanish architect Martorell, his first, richly decorated, early Art Nouveau projects are being built: “stylistic twins” - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona) and the whimsical El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):
In accordance with the owner’s desire to see a “kingdom of ceramics” in his country residence, Gaudi covered the walls of the house with multi-colored iridescent majolica tiles, decorated the ceilings with hanging stucco “stalactites,” and filled the courtyard with fancy gazebos and lanterns. The garden buildings and the residential building formed a magnificent ensemble, in the forms of which the architect first tried out his favorite techniques:
● abundance of ceramic finishes;
● plasticity, fluidity of forms;
● bold combinations of different style elements;
● contrasting combinations of light and dark, horizontals and verticals.
El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):
The outside of the building is faced with rows of brick and ceramic tiles. The first floor is faced with wide rows of multi-colored bricks alternating with narrow stripes of majolica tiles with relief casts of sunflower inflorescences.
The compromise pseudo-baroque dates back to the same period. House Calvet(Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the citizens during his lifetime:
Also during these years the following projects appeared:
● School at the monastery of St. Teresa (Barcelona) in a restrained Gothic, even “serf” style:
● Neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga (Castilla and Leon):
● Neo-Gothic Botines House (Leon):
However, decisive for the implementation of plans young architect turned out to be his meeting with Eusebi Guelem . Gaudí later became a friend of Güell. This textile magnate richest man Catalunya, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget. Antonio carries out designs for the pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona for the Güell family; wine cellars in Garraf, chapels and crypts of Colonia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelho); fantastic Park Güell (Barcelona). In these works, Gaudi goes beyond the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, declaring war on the straight line and forever moving into the world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakably recognizable style.
One day Güell conceived the idea of reconstructing his summer country residence. For this purpose, he expands his holdings by acquiring several more plots. He gave the order for the reconstruction of the country house to Antonio Gaudi, instructing him to remake the park, reform the country house, erect a fence with a gate, build new pavilions at the entrance to the estate, and the architect was also instructed to build a stable with an indoor arena. Now this complex is called Park Guell .
Like all subsequent works of Gaudí, these buildings are deeply symbolic; there are no random details here. The architect's plan was based on the myth of the magical garden of the Hesperides. This myth was reflected in the poem “Atlantis” by the Catalan author Jacinta Verdaguer, who often visited the Guell estate. The poem describes one of the labors of Hercules, who was ordered by the king of Mycenae, wanting to test the strength of Hercules, to get golden apples from the garden, which was carefully guarded. The most interesting, preserved part of the estate is the gate in the shape of a dragon. According to legend, the bloodthirsty dragon Ladon guarded the entrance to the garden, where there grew a tree with golden apples that bestow eternal youth and immortality.
Another Gaudí building for his philanthropist and friend is the manufacturer’s house in Barcelona, the so-called Palace Guell :
With the completion of the palace, Antoni Gaudí ceased to be an anonymous builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, soon becoming an "almost unaffordable luxury".
At that time, Antonio Gaudi was still working as a draftsman in the architectural bureau of his former teacher at the Higher School of Architecture, Villar. This also played an interesting role in later life Gaudi. The point is that construction Temple of the Holy Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famêlia) has been going on in Barcelona for several years. And when the question arose about replacing the architect, Villar proposed the candidacy of Gaudi. Oddly enough, the Church Council accepted it. Antonio founded his own architectural bureau, recruited a staff of assistants and plunged headlong into work ( )
The clients, who were ready to spend half a fortune on construction, initially believed in the genius of the architect, who laid the foundations without any effort. new way in architecture. For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, he built houses one more unusual than the other. One of these houses was the house Casa Mila - space that is born and develops, expanding and moving like living matter. The house is better known as La Pedrera, which translates as the quarry. The project was commissioned by entrepreneur Pedro Mila y Camps. He needed a house whose apartments he could rent out. Gaudí planned a wavy façade. The iron structures were faced with cut stone, which was cut down nearby in the province of Barcelona:
Design began in 1906, and the architect, with his characteristic scrupulousness, checked all the lines. He designed the space so that the neighbors felt as isolated as possible from each other, and besides, if the owner of the house decided to turn it into a hotel, then no problems should arise either. Nevertheless, Pedro Mila expressed impatience and urged him in every possible way. But obstacles arose at every step. Thus, the regulatory authorities were unhappy with the column, which protruded half a meter onto the sidewalk. They demanded that it be removed. Gaudi fought for every detail of his project. He threatened that if he still had to remove the column, then in the place where it should have been, he would write who exactly was guilty of its absence.
Then there were sizing issues. The height of the structure was four meters higher than permitted. There was a requirement to cut down the attic. In case of failure to comply with the requirement, the owner was subject to a fine that corresponded to a fifth of the entire project. A commission was created that recognized the building as of great value and thus all this disagreement with the law was resolved.
House Mila took three years to build. While the work was going on, the rich Pere Mila became poor, since he had already paid 100 thousand pesetas for the architect’s violation of all construction standards. Therefore, towards the end, he could not stand it and said: “I won’t pay.” Gaudi replied: “Well, then finish the construction yourself.” After which they dispersed, patting their empty pockets, vilifying each other and taking the case to court. But subsequent generations can now be inspired and enjoy the beautiful architectural monument.
A similar project by Gaudi - Casa Batlló - a living, trembling creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy that has an unusual origin: it has a developed plot - St. George kills the dragon. The first two floors resemble the bones and skeleton of a dragon, the texture of the wall resembles its skin, and the roof complex pattern- his spine. Above the roof rises a tower in the form of a spear piercing the dragon's body. Casa Batllo is also known as the "House of Bones":
WITH Church of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia - became the most famous work Antonio Gaudi, although he did not start building it and he did not finish it. But for the architect himself, this work became the culmination of his life and work. Giving special meaning Antogio Gaudí focused entirely on this building as a monumental symbol of the national and social revival of Catalonia since 1910, placing his workshop here.
According to Gaudí, the Sagrada Familia was to become a symbolic building, a grandiose allegory of the Nativity of Christ, represented by three facades. The eastern one is dedicated to Christmas; the western one - the Passion of Christ, the southern one, the most impressive, should become the facade of the Resurrection. The portals and towers of the Sagrada Familia are richly sculpted to resemble the entire living world, with a dizzying complexity of profiles and detailing that surpasses anything Gothic has ever known. This is a kind of Gothic Art Nouveau, which, however, is based on the plan of a purely medieval cathedral.
Despite the fact that Gaudi built the Sagrada Familia for thirty-five years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity façade, which is structurally the eastern part of the transept, and the four towers above it. The western part of the apse, which forms the largest part of this magnificent building, is still unfinished. More than seventy years after Gaudí's death, construction of the Sagrada Familia continues today. Spiers are gradually being erected (only one was completed during the architect’s lifetime), facades with figures of the apostles and evangelists, scenes of the ascetic life and atoning death of the Savior are being decorated. Construction of the Church of the Holy Family is expected to be completed by 2030.
The model of the future Temple of the Holy Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) in Barcelona, made up of suspended bags of sand, could only be “read” by modern computers! By connecting the bag dots, the researchers obtained a spatial model of the cathedral. In addition, in order not to “cut” the room into pieces, Gaudi came up with his own unsupported ceiling system, and only 100 years later a computer program appeared that could perform such operations. It was a NASA program that calculated space flight trajectories.
The architect spent his last years as an ascetic hermit, completely devoting all his strength and energy to the creation of the immortal Cathedral of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia, which became the highest embodiment of not only his unique talent, but also his devout faith. He decorated the tops of the temple towers so carefully that the angels would be pleased to look at them.
At the end of lifeAntonio Gaudi became very ill. I caught brucellosis or Maltese fever, which is still difficult to diagnose today. Doctors believe that “brucellosis is characterized by sudden changes in mood, leading to suicidal depression. Interspersed with outbursts of anger and periods of distraction, this depressed mood is accompanied by physical exhaustion, excruciating headaches and painful arthritis.” There was no cure for this disease. Perhaps this can explain why Gaudi has changed so much for the worse. He walked around in saggy jackets, and his trousers hung around his legs, which he wrapped in bandages because of the cold... And no underwear! However, he did not change his outer clothes until they turned into rags. The great architect ate what was put into his hand while walking - a piece of bread, for example. If nothing was shoved in, I didn’t eat anything. When he didn’t eat anything for a very long time, he lay down and began to die. But one of the students came, changed his clothes, fed him...
On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudi was hit by a tram and lost consciousness. Cab drivers refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money or documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Gaudi soon died from his injuries.
Watch a video presentation of the most famous works Gaudi: