Antoni Gaudi

1852-1926

Antoni Gaudi

The son of a coppersmith, Antoni Gaudi was born in Reus, Spain in 1852. He studied at the Escola Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona and designed his first major commission for the Casa Vincens in Barcelona using a Gothic style that set a precedent for his future work.

Over the course of his career, Gaudi developed a sensuous, curving, almost surreal design style which established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Nouveau movement. With little regard for formal order, he juxtaposed unrelated systems and altered established visual order. Gaudi's characteristically warped form of Gothic architecture drew admiration from other avant-garde artists.

Although categorized with the Art Nouveau, Gaudi created an entirely original style. He died in Barcelona in 1926

Antoni Gaudi

Casa Batllo is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled in the years 1905–1907; located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia of Barcelona, Catalonia.

The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), and indeed it does have a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It was originally designed for a middle-class family and situated in a prosperous district of Barcelona.

The building looks very remarkable — like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.

Antoni Gaudi

It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the sword of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.

Antoni Gaudi

Casa Mila Apartment block built between 1906 and 1910 in Barcelona for the Milà family.

The façade is an impressive wave-like mass of rough-shipped stone.The windows and doors seem to be dug out of this stone mass and are trimmed in exquisitely crafted wrought iron work with forms on the balconies and astonishing grilles on the two street-doors.

Antoni Gaudi

On the stepped terrace, coming as an elegant surprise are the huge stair exits of sculptured spirals and faced with broken ceramics and marble. The chimneys bring to mind knights wearing visors.

All of this makes up a fantastic and futurist space. The interior marine decoration - ceilings, columns and the furniture designed by Gaudi for this house are extremely modern. The Mila apartments measured 1,323 squares meters, a really vast place.

Antoni Gaudi

Colonia Guell Businessman Eusebio Güell

commissioned Gaudí to build a church for his textile factory workers in the village of Santa Coloma de Cervelló. This job allowed the architect to try out many of the practical solutions he would go on to employ in later projects. The building could not be finished on account of financial problems, but the entranceway, crypt, staircase to the church, and the base of one of the bell towers were all completed. Access to the crypt is via the entranceway, a portico with a series of leaning columns. The crypt has a star-shaped polygonal floor plan, with brick and basalt pillars.

Antoni Gaudi

Sagrada Familia "Church of the Holy

Family" Roman Catholic

church under construction in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Construction began in 1882 and continues to this day

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi