Gaudi | Buildings and Life of the Best Spanish Architect

Antoni Gaudi, Spanish and Catalan architect was born on September 25th, 1852 in Reus, small town in Catalonia, Spain. His birth was never documented, so no one knows for sure if he was actually born in this town. Some other sources mention neighboring town of Riudoms to be his birthplace. 

Living in family involved in pottery business influenced him to create his own style in architecture, later. Pottery experience directed his talent in the way of direct realization of the form in space, without any previous plans or sketches. 

He studied architecture on Faculty of Architecture in Barcelona. After Gaudi graduated, he has found his path in interior design, and furniture design. Gaudi did furniture design mostly for the money. One of his furniture pieces (cabinet made for local kindergarten) was presented on exhibition in Paris. From this moment, his life changes by a lot. Gaudi was noticed by local businessman from Barcelona, Guell. Guell was giving lots of money to this Catalan architect for his works. He paid him well to design for him. This businessman was the one who assigned this Spanish architect for his first great project: Park Guell. From this moment on, Gaudi was mainly working on designing buildings. 

His work was under influence of eastern cultures (Persian, Indian, Chinese, Moorish), and later, when he grew up as an architect, he has discovered Gothic style. But he is the most famous for creating his own style inspired by nature and surrealism. 

Gaudi spent his last 43 year of life trying to finish Sagrada Familia, the greatest project of any Spanish architect. Even, 100 years after its start, this huge project still hasn't been finished. Gaudi made more progress on it in 43 years, than 20 other world architects did with all modern technology. For a long time, finishing Sagrada Familia has been considered as impossible thing to do.

Most of his work was done in Barcelona, and eight of his buildings are under protection of UNESCO. Barcelona is eternal gallery of Gaudi's art!

Park was designed to offer peace and relaxation for the visitors, just as it is expected of the parks. Whole area is in coexistence with nature. Buildings in the park have been built in unique style of this Catalan architect, but they are not as notable as his other buildings (the ones in the city). He tried to  make room for a nature, and to put every artificial object in service of nature. 

Central place of Guell park takes main terrace surrounded by serpent-shaped bench, covered in mosaic. This bench is the longest one in the world. Gaudi used naked man sitting in clay to make it as ergonomic as possible. 

Casa Mila was finished in year 1912, after six years of building. La Pedrera is its popular name given by Catalan people. La Pedrera means quarry. It is located in downtown of Barcelona. Its construction was ordered by Mila family.

Casa Mila was built in recognizable style of Gaudi, with very little to no straight lines and surfaces. On the contrary, it has lots of curvy and wavy surfaces and lines. Its facade recalls the ocean waves. Whole building was build of the stone from local quarries, except the roof. Roof is covered by white mosaics made of broken tiles. Chimneys are brought to perfection on this building. They represent soldiers with helmets on their heads. Chimneys are covered in mosaics made of broken glass bottles. 

UNESCO listed Casa Mila in World Heritage List in 1984. 

Today this building is property of bank which restored it few times to preserve its beauty. Fourth floor and the roof are open for visitors, and the access is free. 

Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is basilica under construction in Barcelona, Spain. Construction on this church started in 1884, and experts are guessing it will be finished in 2026. 

Gaudi was working on Sagrada Familia for 43 years, until he died in 1926. The last 15 years of his life he spent on working on this project. Most of his designing plans were destroyed in Spanish Civil War. 

Looking at Sagrada Familia we can see how deeply was Gaudi in love with Gothic style. He mixed Gothic style and nature in order to find his own art. 

There are three types of facades on this basilica: Glory facade, Nativity facade, and Passion facade. The Nativity facade, the only one anywhere near finished in Gaudí's time, is the eastern-most, the one on which the sun rises (Passion, symbolically, the one on which it sets; Glory, the one on which the sun plays during the day).

According to Spanish government, this is the sight that brings the most visits to Spain.