Antoni Gaudí

(born June 25, 1852, Reus, Spain—died June 10, 1926, Barcelona)

One of Barcelona’s most famous names, Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí’s distinctive style
and influence can be seen all over the city. One of the best-known practitioners of “Catalan
Modernism”, Gaudí’s works and buildings have continued to enjoy global recognition and
admiration over the decades. Seven of his works have been declared UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, with his masterpiece, the still-incomplete Sagrada Família, being one of the most-visited
landmarks in Spain.

His distinctive style is characterized by freedom of form, sensual colour and texture, and organic
unity. Gaudí worked almost entirely in or near Barcelona. Much of his career was occupied with the
construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família), which was unfinished
at his death in 1926.

Life
Gaudí was born in provincial Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Of humble origins, he
was the son of a coppersmith who was to live with him in later life, together with a niece; Gaudí
never married. Showing an early interest in architecture, he went in 1869/70 to study in Barcelona,
then the political and intellectual centre of Catalonia as well as Spain’s most modern city. He did
not graduate until eight years later, his studies having been interrupted by military service and other
intermittent activities. Gaudí’s style of architecture went through several phases. Except for certain
overt symbols of nature or religion, Gaudí’s buildings became essentially representations of their
structure and materials.

Gaudi was at the forefront of the Art Nouveau movement in Spain. His work in Barcelona led to
the creation of some of the city's most notable landmarks. Gaudi was a pioneer in his field using
color, texture, and movement in ways never before imagined. His works, both finished and
uncompleted, stand as testimony to his genius.
 The last civic work designed by
Antoni Gaudí, Casa Milá (also known as La
Pedrera) was built between 1906 and 1912. The
building is famous for its unique shape, rough
limestone façade, twisting iron balconies and
quirky-looking chimneys. Declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, La Pedrera
has featured in books, music videos and
international films; such as Vicky Christina
Barcelona, directed by Woody Allen

Casa Milá (also known as La Pedrera)

Located in the centre of Barcelona, Gaudí’s
renowned Casa Batlló building is one of his
crowning masterpieces. One of the city's most
popular landmarks, Casa Batlló is locally
known as Casa dels Ossos or "House of Bones"
because of its skeletal-inspired façade.
Decorated with a colourful mosaic of broken
tiles, the roof is said to resemble a dragon. This
historic building was designed by Gaudí in
1904 and declared a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 2005. Show your Barcelona Pass
to enjoy free entry to this world- renowned
building.

Casa Batlló in Barcelona

As an admired, if eccentric, architect, Gaudí was an important participant in the Renaixensa, an

artistic revival of the arts and crafts combined with a political revival in the form of fervent anti-
Castilian “Catalanism.” The religious symbol of the Renaixensa in Barcelona was the church of the
Holy Family, a project that was to occupy Gaudí throughout his entire career. He was
commissioned to build this church as early as 1883, but he did not live to see it finished. Working
on it, he became increasingly devout; after 1910 he abandoned virtually all other work and even
secluded himself on its site and resided in its workshop. In his 75th year, while on his way to
vespers, he was struck down by a trolley car, and he died from the injuries. After Gaudí’s death,
work continued on the Sagrada Família. In 2010 the uncompleted church was consecrated as a
basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.
Close-up view of the Expiatory Temple of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family
Holy Family (Sagrada Família), Barcelona, Pontius Pilate washing his hands
designed by Antoni Gaudí.

Legacy
The architectural work of Gaudí is remarkable for its range of forms, textures, and polychromy and
for the free, expressive way in which these elements of his art seem to be composed. The complex
geometries of a Gaudí building so coincide with its architectural structure that the whole, including
its surface, gives the appearance of being a natural object in complete conformity with nature’s
laws. Such a sense of total unity also informed the life of Gaudí; his personal and professional lives
were one, and his collected comments about the art of building are essentially aphorisms about the
art of living. He was totally dedicated to architecture, which for him was a totality of many arts.