![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\"){kind=logo}
\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
In a country house in Riudoms, the young son of a family of coppersmiths contended with his delicate health and whiled away his time observing nature. <\/p>\n
\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
The boy \u2013 Antoni Gaud\u00ed<\/a> \u2013 would go on to become an architect whose distinct naturalistic style continues to captivate the city of Barcelona and the world beyond.<\/p>\n Constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Gaud\u00ed\u2019s effervescent creations reflect influences from around the world – from Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau to Byzantine and Persian architecture. <\/p>\n \u201cOriginality consists in returning to the origin,\u201d Gaud\u00ed said, reflecting on the inspiration he finds in nature. And while the natural world was the muse for his architecture, modern engineering and science were its anchors. The Catalan architects’ buildings were both visually arresting and functional. <\/p>\n This June will mark the centenary of Gaud\u00ed\u2019s death. Here are some of the architect\u2019s shining masterpieces \u2013 all of which are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage sites. <\/p>\n Casa Vicens (created between 1883-1885)<\/p>\n Situated on Barcelona\u2019s Carrer de les Carolines, Casa Vicens is a riot of colour and texture. The house was Gaud\u00ed\u2019s first major commission after graduating from university and prescient of the naturalistic, ingenious style he would later develop. <\/p>\n The building blended Spanish Mudejar, Persian, and Byzantine elements. Green tiles with yellow flowers adorn the house\u2019s facade and parts of the interior, placed against rust coloured walls.<\/p>\n The tiles were inspired by Gaud\u00ed\u2019s initial visits to the site to take measurements, where he recalled finding the plot covered with \u201clittle yellow flowers.\u201d The architect also created the iconic grille at the entrance \u2013 reminiscent of palm fronds \u2013 after a palm tree he chanced upon when designing the house. <\/p>\n It was also important to him to design the house so that it received a substantial amount of light and ventilation, as he wrote in his notes between 1878 and 1883. <\/p>\n Gaud\u00ed\u2019s keen awareness of the environment around the house, and his aesthetic fascination with nature, are captured in this early eclectic creation. <\/p>\n Casa Batll\u00f3 (redesigned between 1904-1906)<\/p>\n If Casa Vicens captures Gaud\u00ed\u2019s early experimentation, Casa Batll\u00f3 is where his imaginative and intelligent style flourishes. <\/p>\n The house on Passeig de Gr\u00e0cia is a dreamscape inspired by the sea and organic life forms. Outside, exquisite cell-like forms in shades of purple, blue, and green decorate the window panes. The lower half of the facade resembles a skeletal frame, earning the house the apt nickname \u201cHouse of Bones\u201d. <\/p>\n The colourful roof resembles tough scales on a dragon\u2019s hide – a recurring motif in Gaud\u00ed\u2019s work and a reference to the legend of Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia. <\/p>\n The interior is equally magical. Ceilings shimmer like fish scales. Gauzy glass-panes soften the outlines of the rooms behind them. Walls and concrete ridges of interior balconies are sculpted into soft curves.<\/p>\n But the most striking feature is the central light well, which runs through the building\u2019s multiple floors and diffuses natural light throughout the house. <\/p>\n Gaud\u00ed also adorned the well in a gradient of blue tiles, with lighter tiles at the bottom and darker ones at the top, to complement the diffusion of light. <\/p>\n The well, combined with vents on each floor to help with circulation, reveal an architecture that is intricately thought out to blend aesthetics with engineering.<\/p>\n Walking into Casa Batll\u00f3 is like stepping into the architect\u2019s mind, where beauty and science seem to be in constant conversation with each other.<\/p>\n The sculptural structure echoes Gaud\u00ed\u2019s refrain: \u201cThe straight line belongs to men, the curved line to God.\u201d <\/p>\n Park G\u00fcell (created between 1900 – 1914)<\/p>\n Originally conceived as a residential estate for the city\u2019s elite, Park G\u00fcell allowed Gaud\u00ed to push his style further and integrate buildings into natural landscapes. <\/p>\n Surfaces across this estate are decorated with vibrant trencad\u00eds \u2013 a mosaic technique developed by Gaudi that uses broken ceramic tiles. The Park has over 400 dragons, in reference to the legend of Catalonia\u2019s patron saint, reflecting an attempt to capture the history and cultural fabric of the region in his work. <\/p>\n Gaud\u00ed also put together water collection and storage systems to irrigate vegetation and avoid the erosion of the land.<\/p>\n In Park G\u00fcell, architecture draws from the surrounding flora and fauna and elevates the estate to a space between reality and fantasy. <\/p>\n Casa Mil\u00e0 (created between 1906-1912)<\/p>\n With Casa Mil\u00e0, Gaud\u00ed pushed the scope of the materials he used and conventions about how a building should be constructed. <\/p>\n Also called La Pedrera (\u201cThe Stone Quarry\u201d), the house\u2019s facade is largely made up of stone, sculpted into undulating curves. In Casa Mil\u00e0, the conventionally rigid material is transformed and looks almost fluid.<\/p>\n The wrought iron railings on the balconies twist into seaweed-like forms, complementing the stone\u2019s curves. The exterior of the building retains the understated colour of the stone. <\/p>\n The house\u2019s design was radical for its time: the building does not have structural, load-bearing walls and instead relies on beams and columns. This allowed Gaud\u00ed to create more open floor plans. The house was also the first on Passeig de Gr\u00e0cia, and among the first of the 20th century, with underground parking for carriages.<\/p>\n Casa Mil\u00e0 also features a striking, sculptural terrace with air vents and eclectic chimneys that look almost like chess pieces. The curvature of the terrace also allows for better light distribution throughout the building.<\/p>\n Bas\u00edlica de la Sagrada Fam\u00edlia (under construction)<\/p>\n In 1926, Gaud\u00ed was struck by a tram \u2013 an accident that proved fatal. On that June morning, he was making his way towards the site of his latest and most ambitious project: the Bas\u00edlica de la Sagrada Fam\u00edlia.<\/p>\n Gaud\u00ed took over the project which was initially begun by another architect. In 1914, he stopped taking other commissions to focus on the construction of the church. The architect\u2019s designs fuse Gothic and Art Nouveau elements with his distinct personal style. <\/p>\n The church\u2019s interiors feature columns branching out, like trees, and a ceiling that resembles foliage. Gaud\u00ed envisioned it to be \u201ca temple of nature, reaching to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n His designs for the Bas\u00edlica de la Sagrada Fam\u00edlia \u2013 featuring elements like geometric patterns, stained glass windows, and multiple tall spires – were an ambitious and breathtaking swansong. <\/p>\n The architect left detailed drawings and instructions for his elaborate plans that allowed work to continue on the imposing structure after his death.<\/p>\n The building became the world\u2019s tallest church<\/a> last year, and new additions to its exterior this February have added further to its height. <\/p>\n