Gaudi Barcelona

Why have I never heard of Antoni Gaudi? I asked myself this while descending the steep spiral steps of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona’s world famous cathedral designed by master architect Gaudi. But, I’m sure YOU probably already know this.

In fact, I probably have heard of Guadi too. With so many friends who have lived or studied abroad in Barcelona, I’m sure he has been mentioned to me before. But like meeting a friend of a friend who I’m sure I will never see again, his name slipped in and out of consciousness.

Now that I am here, bathing in the soft blue and green colors cast by expertly designed skylight, I will not be able to forget his name. Nor will I forget the whimsical creations stamped across Barcelona, indicating his integral contribution to this city.

I visited two of his buildings: the Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló. As previously mentioned, the Sagrada Família is an impressive cathedral with 13 spires and five more yet to be constructed. Yes, the Cathedral is not finished. Over 100 years old, the expected finish date is 2026, but no one I talked to actually believes this will transpire.

What I love most about the Sagrada Família is the beautiful juxtaposition between sharp gothic architecture and more modern, fluid design elements that reference nature (trees, the sea, light). Traditional Catholic and pagan images blend to create an inspiring atmosphere that feels very spiritual despite the crowds of tourists.

I did pay the extra five or ten euros to take the lift up the Passion tower overlooking the city. At the top, there are only a couple of small arrowslits from which visitors can look out. And to be honest, much better views can be seen for free at Gaudi’s park. I also remember a lot of jostling to get past one another in the narrow corridors, but descending the spiral staircase by foot is a fun experience for those who can handle a little vertigo.

The Casa Batlló is a much smaller, residential house in the heart of the new city. Like the cathedral, the house shows off a fluid architectural style with organic shapes. However, Casa Batlló is far less imposing than Sagrada Família. Both the interior and exterior of Casa Batlló are very child-like and playfull in design. There are even fantastical elements—like the shingles of the roof, which are casted to look like scales on a dragon. It is this creativity and attention to detail that makes Gaudi so memorable. In fact, my favorite features were the iron doorknobs and wooden banister that were cast using the shape of Gaudi’s hand as a mold, so that when you grasp either hand hold, your palm graceful curves into place.

Unfortunately all the Gaudi attractions were extremely expensive for my tight budget, so I only visited two of at least 10 must-sees. I guess that means I will just have to come back to Barcelona!

#photo #barcelona #spain #gaudi #architecture #église