Antoni Gaudí(1852 – 1926)

Antoni Gaudí is one of themost well-known architects in the world and a symbol ofCatalan modernism.

Millions of tourists visit hismasterpieces in Barcelona every year, such as Park Güell, Sagrada Familia and Casa Milá (also known as La Pedrera).

His Work

Gaudí was born in Tarragona, Catalonia, in 1852. He was a good student. He always saidthat nature was his best teacherwith its infinite richness oftextures and shapes. He verysoon discovered his love forarchitecture and he moved toBarcelona to attend university. The day of his graduation, one ofhis profesors said about him: “I don’t know if we stand before a genius or a madman”.

The Genius

Soon after he started his careeras an architect, Gaudí received a project that would change hislife forever. A group of peoplehad decided to build a church, but the project wasn’t workingas they had hoped. They firedthe former architect and hiredGaudí, who was a brilliant, young and eager architect, and also a very religious man. ButGaudí soon turned the projectinto one of the most uniquearchitectural experiments ofmodern times.

SagradaFamilia

Nowadays, the Sagrada Familia is still underconstruction, despite theproject beginning in 1882. Itis estimated that it will be finished by 2026. Gaudí diedin 1926, when only a quarterof the temple had been built. But he wasn’t worried aboutthat. He used to say thatthings in nature need time to grow.

SagradaFamilia

Gaudí made many otherbuildings. He never travelledoutside of Spain. The majority ofhis works are in the city ofBarcelona. However, aroundSpain, we can find “el Capricho de Gaudí” in Comillas, the”Palacio Episcopal” in Astorga and the “Casa Botines” in León and the cathedral in Mallorca, which he helped construct.

OtherGaudí Work

One of his most emblematicbuildings in Barcelona issituated in one of the mainavenues of the city – Passeigde Gràcia – which is now at the heart of the city’sshopping district.

Casa Batlló

Casa Milà(or La Pedrera)

Casa Milà is another of Gaudí’soutstanding landmarks, locatedin the heart of Barcelona. Thenickname “La Pedrera”, meaningthe quarry, was given by thepeople of the time, who didn’tlike the singularity of thebuilding. It was controversial formany years, before beingaccepted as a monumental pieceof modernist architecture.

Gaudíin Person

Gaudí never married. He wasinterested neither in fame normoney. He had a casual look, always wearing the same messyclothes, but took good care of hishealth. He was very attentivewith his colleagues and workers, always ensuring they werehappy, and his motto was: “festina lente”, a latin phrasemeaning“if you want to go fast, you have to go slow”.

Gaudíand Count Güell

In 1878, Gaudí met Eusebi Güell, a young entrepreneur from one ofthe richest families in the country and they continued being friendsfor the rest of their days. Thanksto his personal fortune and hissensibility for art, he helpedGaudí to create some of his mostinspired works, such as Palacio Güell, Colonia Güell and Park Güell. Count Güell, inspired by a visit tothe UK, wanted to build a city-garden in the outskirts ofBarcelona and gave Gaudí total freedom to create it as he desired.

Trencadís

While working on Park Güell, Gaudí developed some of hismost emblematic techniques, oneof which was the “trencadís”, a kind of mosaic made frombroken pieces of tiles. In 1904, the park was inaugurated and Gaudí and Count Güell bothwent to live within the groundsof their new park.

The Deathof Gaudí

Unfortunately, the residentialdevelopment was a comercial failure: the park was too faraway from the city centre forpeople to want to move thereand at the time Gaudí wasn’tvery popular with the residentsof the city. They were the onlyinhabitants of the park untilthey died. Count Güell died in 1916 and Gaudí continued to livethere until one fatal day in 1926 when he was hit by a tram as he was going to his studio withinthe Sagrada Familia.