Following in the footsteps of Antoni Gaudi, we pick six incredible works that you can’t miss in your travels to Barcelona.
#1 Park Guell
Antoni Gaudi built seven properties in or near Barcelona, and each testifies to the man’s exceptional creative contributions to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The monuments showcase Gaudi’s eclectic style, which had a personal touch. Park Guell is situated on Carmel Hill and combines gardens and architectural elements into one beautiful location.
#2 Casa Milà
Casa Milà was built from 1905 to 1910, and its official completion is considered to be 1912. The building is located at 92 Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona’s Eixample district. Casa Milà is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a part of the organization’s Works of Antoni Gaudi.
Gaudi designed the building so the inhabitants could all get to know each other. Gaudi designed the building with lifts on every second floor. Therefore, residents had to communicate with people living on different floors.
#3 Casa Vicens
Casa Vicens is a family residence in Barcelona. It was built for industrialist Manuel Vicens and designed by Gaudi. Casa Vicens is considered to be Gaudí’s first important creation, and you will find it on the Works of Antoni Gaudi list created by UNESCO. Work on the house was started in 1883 and finished in 1889. Casa Vicens can be found at Carrer de les Carolines 24, in the city’s Gràcia district. The house is 12,500 square feet (1,160 m2) and has four levels.
The house is a combination of several influences, most notably Moorish architecture. Undressed stone was used in the construction of the house. Red bricks and coloured ceramic tiles decorate the house.
Manuel Vicens owned Casa Vicens and was a brick-and-tile entrepreneur. Gaudi’s use of building materials paid homage to Vicens’ work. Unfortunately, Casa Vicens cannot be visited inside because it is a private residence today.
#4 Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s most famous building for tourists and travellers. It is a “must-visit” for people heading to Barcelona on a first-ever trip. The church is grand in scale and can be overwhelming.
Workers began the construction of the church in 1882. However, after a year of work by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, Gaudi took over the building of Sagrada Familia.
Gaudi worked on the church until 1926, when he died. Since Gaudi’s death, additional architects have worked on the building. Many aspiring architects and religious aficionados study Sagrada Familia today to learn more about its global impact.
#5 Casa Batlló
Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol restored Casa Batlló. It was constructed in 1877 and remodelled from 1904 to 1906. Gaudí’s assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras , Josep Canaleta y Joan Rubió helped with the renovation project. Locals call the building Casa dels ossos (the House of Bones).
Originally designed for a middle-class family, its outer appearance has a visceral, skeletal quality, which fits in with the prosperous district in which it is located.
The building is remarkable and one of the most memorable creations by Gaudi. Its architectural design (Modernisme or Art Nouveau) is in a class of its own with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work – it cannot be characterized by any other.
#6 Church of Colònia Guell
The Church of Colònia Guell is Gaudí’s unfinished architectural work. It was constructed as a place of worship for residents living in Barcelona’s Santa Coloma de Cervelló suburb, which was home to many manufacturing plants. The building was the idea of Count Eusebi de Guell.
Unfortunately, the manufacturing industry began to decline, and Guell lost his money, preventing the church from being finished. The only portion of the church to be completed was the crypt.
Work began in 2000 to repair the church’s crypt, but it took away some of the organic atmosphere of the building. However, it has become popular amongst tourists, especially now they can stand on the roof which would have originally been the church floor.