Barcelona: Gaudi Houses
You cannot think of Barcelona without thinking of it’s beloved and revered son, Catalan Modernist architect Antoni Gaudi. I was so curious to see what all the fuss was about. So our afternoon consisted of walking to see three of his houses that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. When he completed his studies at the School of Architecture in 1878 the Director, Elies Rogent, declared: “I do not know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.”
Pictures do not do his architecture justice. These places were amazing in person. Like right out of a Dr. Seuss book.
In Barcelona’s Eixample District is the boulevard Passeig de Gràcia, where these three houses are found. Here is the order we walked them:
1. CASA BATLLÓ
Originally built in 1877, this private residence was famously remodeled by Antoni Gaudi in 1904. In classic Catalan Modernist style, the building features asymmetrical shapes and a preference for curves over straight lines. The exterior of the house features a colorful mosaic of broken ceramic tile leading to a multi-colored, arched roof that resembles the scales of a dragon. This one is my favorite for sure!!
Right next door, looking at the picture it’s to the left, is another famed house that gets little attention due to Gaudi. Originally constructed in 1875 it’s called the Casa Amatller after the family who commissioned the prominent modernist Catalan architect, Joseph Puig i Cadafalch, in 1898 to refurbish both the inside and outside. The outside façade was inspired by the style of Netherlands houses with its fanciful stepped gabled roofline.
2. CASA MILÀ
Also known as La Pedrera or “open query”, due to its stone facade, Casa Milà was built between 1906 and 1910. It was the last private residence designed by Antoni Gaudi. There is not a single wall that is a perfectly straight line, causing the owner Pere Milà’s wife Roser to complain she had no where to place her piano. “So play the violin,” Gaudi replied.
3. CASA VICENS
Commissioned in 1877, Casa Vicens was the first house Antoni Gaudi ever designed. It is considered one of the earliest examples of Art Nouveau architecture. It features an oriental-inspired design and a keen eye can see hints of the style Guadi would later become famous for.
From there we went for a hunt of vegetarian food and wondered the neighborhood of Gràcia, which was once a small village that was incorporated into Barcelona. It is quiet and quaint with traditional shops with a neighborhoodie feel and a cool local vibe. We found Bar Quinia, a fab veggie restaurant that seats a total of 14 people.
We then wound our way back home through the neighborhood of El Born, which soon became my favorite location so far. With a hip and modern feel inside of the old town area, with narrow streets housing some of the coolest shops, street art, cafes, bars…you name it. Love this area!
