The development and evolution of architecture depict the clarity of life and intellect of our ancestors. From the exquisite beauty of the now submerged city of Dwarka to the sophisticated arches of Gothic Churches, every architectural style has the uniqueness of form and geometry, two of the traits easily entitling Gaudi buildings, work of Antoni Gaudí, a significant place in the history of architecture. There are countless behaviors of nature, texture, and design that the architect consumed for a better reproduction of earlier styles, and in this article, we are going to summarize a few of Antoni Gaudí’s buildings to learn how the master achieved the unachieved with consciousness and discipline to his profession.
About the Architect: Antoni Gaudí.
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was born in Reus in 1852 and was the fifth and final child of a coppersmith. Now referred to as God’s Architect, Antoni was a ‘fair’ student of Spanish and Latin while failing in Mathematics and Geometry, later improving his academic performance and becoming proficient in poetry, geometry, and Greek. There is little to no information on his childhood. However, we know that he was accompanied by Eduardo Toda y Güell and José Ribera y Sans since childhood. All three boys shared interests in poetry and architecture and founded a manuscript paper, El Arlequín, running it to ten of twelve copies each. These papers depicted Antoni’s rough drawings carved into woodcuts for the emblem. This friendship extended to working on the plans for the restoration of the Poblet Monastery and deciding to rebuild it from the ruins. Though the project never came to a conclusion or a solid starting, Toda and Ribera moved to Madrid and Almería, respectively; Antoni remained in Reus and reworked the plans of Poblet, helping us to learn his early knowledge. When reading about the personal incidents of the architect, we learn that Gaudi moved to Barcelona for his final year of Bachillerato. During this time (1870-72), Gaudi’s mother died, and his father closed his workshop to live with another son, Francisco. Additionally, two of the other family members of the architect died, and his sister, Rosa, was experiencing an unhealthy marriage. Further, Francisco, who was only newly qualified as a doctor, died. Along with the death of the close ones, Gaudís might have faced financial worries, as Antoni’s father spent the assets and lands on Francisco’s studies. However, to upkeep his family, Antoni started taking work from other architects, engineers, and commercial firms. What began as a childhood interest and financial pressure soon evolved into one of the finest architectural styles of history. Now that you know a little about the Spanish architect, let us move to some of his impressive works.
| Name | Antoni Gaudí i Cornet |
| Birth | 1852, Reus |
| Date of Death | June 10, 1926, Barcelona |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Style | Personal style with the influence of Gothic, Arabic, and Mediterraneanism |
| Famous Building | La Sagrada Familia |
10 Gaudi Buildings Depicting the Geniuses’ of the Architect.
1. Casa Vicens.
Casa Vicens, a summer home, was built in 1883-85 and was the first individual commission of Antoni Gaudí for a tile dealer, Manuel Vicens. The home resides in Barcelona, originally built in the town of Gracia (later incorporated in Barcelona).
As the architect started his work, he noted that the small plot was flanked by two walls, one of which belonged to the monastery. To make the area look larger, this Gaudí Building was placed directly against the monastery wall. The arrangement let the garden act as an undivided plot and seem larger than it originally was. Further, to enhance this, Antoni used elaborate fountains, and luxuriant plantings, and covered the brick wall of the monastery with grapevine to gently frame the house.
Characteristics of Gaudí Building, Casa Vicens.
A quick look at Gaudi Buildings is always unreliable in analyzing their architecture, however, this is not the case with Casa Vincens. The residential building is quite explanatory; the piers, braced by wooden crossbeams, run parallel to the boundary wall; the interior load-bearing walls and facade follow a similar rule. The gallery beams are also arranged horizontally and follow a gentle slope of the roof.
The building had changed significantly after its alteration after Dr. Antonio Jover acquired the property in 1925. However, one of the later owners, Senore Jover de Herrera, assisted by the architect Antonio Pineda, began the restoration of the building and take it to its original state, a process that still goes on by the current owner.
2. El Capricho.
Built in 1883-85, El Capricho is a country house in Comillas for Maximo Diaz de Quijano. This house is crucial for Antoni Gaudí design replication when it was built by Cristobal Cascante, a local architect, who received detailed and specific instructions from Antoni.
Characteristics of El Capricho Country House.
Antoni Gaudí never visited the site nor did he meet the owner of El Capricho, however, this architectural site depicts the presence of elements that were found in Gaudi buildings of later date.
The house is built of brick and decorated with tiles with an open plan. Our Antoni used a playful character and combination of colors to decorate the balconies and the romantic tower. The interiors are filled with light as the main living room is illuminated by double-hung windows, separated by only wooden uprights. Further, there is a winter garden, now a greenhouse at the center of its core, with a lower floor level and opens into a terrace enclosed by a wall. The architectural design of El Capricho exceeds its time and enjoys comfort and picturesque views.
3. Palacio Güell.
Palacio Güell is a town place, situated in the middle of a commercial street in Barcelona, built in 1885-90 for Antoni Gaudí’s patron and later friend, Count Eusebio Güell. One of the significant Gaudi buildings, this townhouse is now an architectural monument and a gallery showcasing the exquisite Güell art collection.
The building is located on a small piece of land, not limiting the architect’s vision for which he designed 25 drafts, but submitted only two and Eusebio chose the one Gaudí himself preferred. It should be noted that Count Eusebio Güell’s mother was of Italian origin, and to honor the nationality as well as create harmony with the occupants, Antoni used Italian elements in the building, one of which is the facade similar to the Venetian town palaces.
Characteristics of Palau Güell, A Townhouse by Gaudí.
Palacio Güell, or Palau Güell, is a six-story Gaudi building that relies primarily on the columns with a few load-bearing walls in the basement. The building has excellent ventilation, further enhanced by Antoni using the patio and ventilating shafts traveling from the basement to the roof.
The servant housing was kept at the street level, accessed via a bold sweeping iron staircase. At the same time, the main entrance is by way of an open staircase, taking you directly to the administrative rooms, reception rooms, and library and further to the main floor via an extension to this staircase.
At the center of the palace, there is a drawing room roofed by a parabolic vault topped by a conical cupola. This feature not only gave it a specialized identity but also helped occupants concentrate their activities towards the middle of the palace. It was also the place where the family organized parties, concerts, and religious services.
Explaining the complete architectural concept and characteristics of Gaudi Buildings is not possible through a few paragraphs, a rule that Palau Güell also abides by. You can read a little more detailed version in Antoni Gaudí: Barcelona Architecture by Gabriele Fahr-Becker. However, a few of the more characteristic features of Palace Güell include ceiling decoration of Venetian influence, the depiction of parabolic arches and columns on the main facade intensify the same influence, and lastly, the contrasting wall surface serves Gaudí known principle of expressiveness of the walls.
4. Finca Güell.
Antoni Gaudí remodeled another property of the Güell family in 1887. Palau Güell and Finca Güell are two Gaudi buildings that were worked concurrently by the architect. While the former is preserved in its original form, Finca Güell had been massively disturbed by urbanization.
The pavilions and stables of the building and the masterpiece of Gaudí, known as the “Dragon Gate,” are now located at the Güell Pavilions.
Characteristics of Finca Güell, the Extinct Gaudí Building.
Like other Gaudí buildings, Finca Güell is built of bricks and natural stones as well. The entrance has a 32.8-foot high post and a smaller post with pedestrian-style walking. Further, Antoni created a pattern with red and yellow bricks and used glass that reflects sunlight.
The Dragon Gate by Gaudí, when opened, lifts its claw, using a chain linkage. Antoni used lavish decoration on the top of the enclosure wall of the Finca Güell with small arches, stone corbel bands, open cornices, and triangular tracery patterns, forming together a hexagonal ornament, further decorated with colored ceramic pieces.
With several more attractive elements, one of the significant things about this Gaudí building was the pavilion, used as a stable, on the right side of the gate. This square hall has a roof with parabola-shaped arches and the facade, inspired by the Mudéjar style, is made of dried bricks and baked bricks, reinforced by visible pillars and lateral bands.
Lastly, Gaudí used a quarry stone foundation to protect the structure from moisture and added semicircular ornamented stone plates. Not only this, Gaudí was inspired by the Mediterranean adobe houses and filled the hollow spaces between the corner bricks, along the cornices and other parts with clay. The rainwater collected by the roof channels runs off over the corners and collects into the water fountain.
5. Episcopal Palace, Astorga.
A building destroyed by a fire, the Episcopal Palace of Astorga, was commissioned by Juan Grau, Bishop of Astorga to Antoni Gaudí in 1887. Juan Grau came from the hometown of Gaudí, Reus, and provided Catalan builders who “would be able to execute Gaudí’s ideas down to the last detail.”
Characteristics of Episcopal Palace, Gaudí’s Influence of Gothic Architecture.
Accompanying the Renaissance architecture of the region and the spiritual culture, the Episcopal Palace showcases the inclined Gaudí’s influence of Gothic architecture at the peak, compared to other Gaudí buildings.
The architecture of this palace consists of a rectangular core with cylindrical towers at each corner. Though the plot size of the Episcopal Palace is not that expansive, Gaudí architecture and practices make it look monumental.
The inside walls, vaults, pillars, and columns are made of brick and varnished. The base of the columns rests on a natural stone and for the exterior walls, Granite from Bierzo Mountain is being used. The color of this marble would have reflected the perfect harmony of color in winter with snow on the roof. However, it should be noted that Gaudí left the project after Bishop Grau’s death, and not until 1907 the project was commissioned to Luis de Guereta by Bishop Julian Diego y Alcolea.
6. Colegio Teresiano.
Antoni Gaudí started working on Colegio Teresiano in 1888-90 and resembled Christian architecture too purely with the use of Gothic influence, easily noticeable in the arches and facade of the home of the Order of St. Theresa of Avila on Calle de Gauduxer.
Characteristics of Colegio Teresiano by Antoni Gaudí.
The exterior look of Colegio Teresiano is a rectangular form that presents simplicity to the viewer and the interiors of long corridors provide a depiction of parabolic curved arches, provoking a calming state. The building, like other Gaudi buildings, uses brick as the building material but gives up on the extensive decoration. Instead to meet decoration, Antoni used the name of Christ, the initials of St. Theresa, the doctoral hat of the order’s founder, and her coat of arms on ceramic and wrought iron.
Another noticeable characteristic of the building is its wrought iron grills of the Parabolic entrance gate. The three-part gate elegantly holds a cross in the middle and lovely twisted iron rods.
7. Casa Calvet.
Casa Calvet is a townhouse that Gaudí was commissioned in 1897 by the sons of textile manufacturer Pedro Martin Calvet. Antoni followed a similar scheme he had used in Casa Botines in Lèon. Construction of the building began in 1898 and was completed in the following year. In 1900, Gaudí was awarded the prize of the city of Barcelona for the same.
Characteristics of Casa Calvet.
Until now Antoni was known for his influence of Gothic and Arabic architecture, but Casa Calver is one of the Gaudi buildings that showcases his personal touch, where he evolved to make something of his own.
For Casa Calvet, Antoni distributed the lower floor for the office, the second floor for the owner’s apartment, and the upper two stories for rental purposes. One of the things that distinguishes Casa Calvet from Casa Botines of Lèon is its facade, as the architect found it hard to integrate it into the existing rows of houses near the former.
The interior walls of the building are made of brick and the exterior is made of cut stone. The structure is supported by the iron girders, laid across the supporting beams of the basement and the walls rest on the foundation pillars in the basement.
Moving on, the interiors of this townhouse are extraordinarily decorated and follow the Art Nouveau style. The columns of the building are made to look like trees and the use of brass is commonly viewed. The quasi-rusticated facades are the small balconies that rest on the Baroque consoles and the bay window over the main entrance. Antoni was warned by the authorities to not exceed the height of the building, but with the political influence of his client, he was able to construct the two gables that act as the focal point of the design.
The wall of the interior courtyard is built in a sequence of arches, allowing Gaudí to direct sunlight to the convent the building is screening. This was a major architectonic solution in itself that Gaudí proposed for this building.
8. Bellesguard.
Bellesguard, or Beautiful View in English, is a 1900s mansion that Antoni built for Dōna Maria Sagues, widow of Figuera. Dōna was one of Gaudí’s greatest admirers, and the building she commissioned gives no reason to her to not be one. As the name translates, Bellesguard offers wonderous views of ships heading into the port and the scenic views of Mt. Tibado.
What makes it even more of a marvel among the Gaudi buildings is the architect’s precise use of colors on the walls, varying from dark brown to ochre palette, and the perfect combination of architecture and environment.
Characteristics of Bellesguard, Gaudí’s Architecture Amid Nature.
Bellesguard is a crenelated house topped with a four-armed cross and exquisite exteriors with Gothic windows replicating the medieval palace tradition. Compared to this, the interiors have smooth appeal with most roofs having a similar theme and producing composition in light and shadows through arches and vaults.
The topmost floor of this house is a masterpiece that showcases a truncated pyramid from the outside and has walls made of bricks that get wider on the top and form masonry platforms. These protrude triple corbel arches then widen in a gallery in a series of ceiling arches. Further, the arches in the galleries are flatter and perpendicular to the walls of the lower facade walls.
Bellesguard has one of the oldest historical references compared to any of the Gaudí buildings and not only that with its complex architecture, Gaudí created a remark of his expertise and intellect and broke the traditional principles. Refer to Gabriele Fahr-Becker’s Gaudí Architecture in Barcelona to learn more about this building.
9. Casa Milà.
Commissioned by the family Milà to Antoni Gaudí, this is one of the most important secular Gaudi buildings where the architect had prospered fully in his style. The construction of this building began in 1906 in a block where plans are laid diagonally, and house rows run at 45 degrees. However, the corners of this building were rounded and Antoni gave an identity to each floor.
Characteristics of Casa Milà, Gaudi’s One-of-a-Kind Apartments.
The facade of Casa Milà had many unexplored opportunities that Antoni preferred for no interference from the authorities. Each apartment, four on each floor, faces the street, and round, oval, or rounded rooms are connected with curved hallways that lead directly to the surrounding balconies. The building differs from the original plan but the windows retain their position and look.
The building has a surface, almost resembling waves, and the curved horizontals of capitals and the windows. One of the common traits that I noticed in the building is the entryway, which resembles previous works of the architect and has a tower-like presence, only more organic. It plays sufficiently with the lights and the vertical element of the roof can be found in the ground floor window grills. Further, the iron decoration in front of the windows and balconies acts as a man-made plant design.
The complete structure showcases Antoni Gaudí influence on nature and how he was never an architect who resembled others. The only stable element in this building that ceases the wave-like design is the windows.
There are more characteristic features of the building that even explain the material and how Gaudí finished or chose it. I will leave that part for you to study from Gabriele, as she defines it in much more detail and better, which is not possible for an article.
My favorite element of this building is how Antoni used abstract surrealism to embed the chimneys and ventilation shafts in the form of monuments on the roof.
10. La Sagrada Familia.
One of the most famous Gaudi buildings, La Sagrada Familia, came up when José Mario Bocabella y Verdaguer, a religious bookshop owner and an author of Christian writings visited Italy and witnessed their beautiful Churches and believed to have a structure in Spain. Sagrada Familia is a project built and maintained by donations only. It must be noted that Antoni Gaudí was not the primary choice for the project and before him, diocesan architect Francisco del Villar undertook the responsibility but left the project only a year after because of disagreements with the administration. Bocabella then asked his technical advisor and supervisor of the entire project, Juan Martorell, to take Villar’s succession, but he recommended Antoni Gaudí in his place. Gaudí was known for his techniques and style and Bocabella trusted him for the project but was unhappy as he was not inclined towards religious structures.
La Sagrada Familia’s foundation was laid on St. Joseph’s Day in 1882, and Gaudí assumed the task on November 3, 1883. Antoni was then 31 years old and La Sagrada Familia showcases 43 years of devotion to this monumental project.
Characteristics of La Sagrada Familia, Gaudí Most Admirable Building.
La Sagrada Familia is a web of architecture, and I am going to list a few elements that define the structure. Firstly, the original plan of La Sagrada Familia was not followed by Antoni and the now famous Church of Barcelona bears a Gothic influence, easily noticeable in the structure. However, he did use the already existing clustered pillars and heightened them with vaults and transformed the state of the crypt by surrounding it with a kind of moat and substituting it with large windows with porthole-like openings that were originally planned.
Another important element of Sagrada Familia is its facades which base themselves on the pillars of Christianity and The Holy Family. For example, the east facade shows Christ’s birth and is beautified with its extraordinary architectonic design and the rays of the sun. A close observation of the facade reveals Gaudí’s style of decoration, something that we have seen in buildings like Casa Calvet.
Antoni not only presented his architectural expertise with the modification and the unexpected design but used some of the essential concepts like the acoustic, making the Church repel street noise. The cloisters, normally found on the side or front of the Churches, are arranged to surround La Sagrada Familia and act in favor of acoustic. There are numerous things you should read about this marvel and other buildings on this list, and I recommend reading Gabriele Fahr-Becker’s book.
Final Words.
What started as an activity among three kids and an exploration turned into the finest style of history, Gaudi buildings have so much to share, as I have said several times in this article, and learning from them is as important for any architect as the basics of architecture. Antoni Gaudí is the architect where one may apex but the ideas begin.
Resource.
- Antoni Gaudí: Architecture in Barcelona by Gabriele Fahr-Becker.
- Gaudí by Maria Costantino.
- Featured Image by Daniel Kelly / Flickr.
Frequently Asked Questions.
La Sagrada Familia is the most famous building designed and constructed under the supervision of Antoni Gaudí. This 20th-century Church showcases the perfection of the Spanish architect he acquired over the years and has numerous elements that inspired the modernists in the last century.
Casa Vicens, El Capricho, and Palacio Güell are the three of the most important buildings of Antoni Gaudí characterized as houses.
Casa Vicens is Antoní Gaudi’s first individual commission received in 1883 by a tile dealer, Manuel Vicens. Before this building, however, Antoni Gaudí had already gained a reputation for his uniqueness through various commissions, including the street lamps he designed for Plaza Real.
Antoni Gaudí is known for designing and building several projects in Barcelona. Some of these are La Sagrada Familia, Finca Güell, Casa Milá, Casa Batllo, Episcopal Palace, and Casa Calvet.
Antoni Gaudí worked on 13 buildings in Barcelona, among which 12 of these Gaudí buildings survive to date.
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