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Antoni Gaudí: A Guide To Antoni Gaudí’s

Architectural Style
Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 4 min read

Inspired by his strong faith and love for nature, architect Antoni Gaudí developed new
techniques to construct his visionary buildings in Spain.

Who Was Antoni Gaudí?

Antoni Gaudí was a Spanish architect who
designed innovative buildings throughout the
late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He
was influenced by neo-gothic styles, art
nouveau, and modernisme, also known as
Catalan modernism. Gaudí’s architectural style
was ahead of its time, involving sophisticated
designs that are impressive even by today’s
standards. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of
Gaudí’s buildings were designated as UNESCO
World Heritage Sites.

A Brief Biography of Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí was born on June 25, 1852, in the town of Reus in Catalonia, Spain. He was
afflicted by rheumatism during his childhood and spent much of his time alone. In 1875, Gaudí
began four years of compulsory military service. His poor health allowed him to spend the
majority of that time studying, and he graduated from the Provincial School of Architecture in
1878.

Gaudí first displayed a showcase of his work in 1878 at the Paris World’s Fair. In 1879, the
Barcelona City Council gave Gaudí his first commissioned work designing lampposts in a town
square called Plaça Reial. Gaudí dedicated his life to his craft, designing and constructing over a
dozen buildings. Some of his buildings were still unfinished when, on June 7, 1926, he was
struck by a tram on his way to church. He died three days later.

3 Characteristics of Antoni Gaudí’s Architectural Style

Gaudí’s unique style has inspired generations of architects. A few characteristics define his
work:

1. Vivid colors and textures: Gaudí designed vibrant, multi-color buildings using ceramic
mosaic tiles and stained glass. He also mixed together materials like wrought iron and
sandstone in surprising ways.
 2. Natural, organic designs: Nature inspired Antoni Gaudí from an early age. Many of his
buildings feature biomimicry, a design style that mimics shapes and patterns found in the
natural world. He developed building technology for hyperboloid structures that curve as
they extend upwards, mimicking trees or caves.
3. Religious imagery: Gaudí reflected a great pride in the Roman Catholic tradition through
his buildings, many of which are decorated with biblical images. He viewed his reverence for
the natural world as an extension of his faith. Gaudí’s immense faith, creativity, and genius
inspired his contemporaries to call him “God’s architect.”
5 Iconic Buildings Designed by Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí’s most influential buildings changed the trajectory of architectural history.

1. The Basilica de la Sagrada Família: Also known as The Basilica and Expiatory Church
of the Holy Family or simply the Sagrada Família, this massive building in Barcelona
remains unfinished to this day. Gaudí began work on the project in 1882. The church features
a transept in the shape of a cross, double aisles, an ornate nativity façade, and towers that
reach 170 meters high. When Antoni Gaudí died in the early twentieth century, the church
was only a quarter of the way completed. He was buried in the crypt underneath the church.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the building as a basilica.
2. Casa Milà: Also known as La Pedrera or “the stone quarry,” this Barcelona building was
Antoni Gaudí’s last residential work in the early twentieth century. A wealthy widow named
Roser Segimón and her new husband Pere Milà commissioned the building in 1906, and
Gaudí finished it in 1912. Casa Milà includes wrought iron balconies and a self-supporting
stone façade that flows in endless waves around the building. The rooftop features six
skylights and 28 chimneys made out of brick.
3. The Episcopal Palace of Astorga: Bishop Joan Baptista Grau i Vallespinós
commissioned this church in 1889 after the previous Episcopal Palace burned to the ground a
few years prior. Gaudí created a neo-gothic architectural design to celebrate Astorga’s
medieval history, using granite stone and elaborate stained glass windows. After the bishop
died in 1893, Gaudí resigned from the project, leaving the upper floor and roof incomplete.
Spanish architect Ricardo Garcia Guereta oversaw its completion a decade later. It is one of
only three buildings that Antoni Gaudí created outside of Catalonia.
4. Palau Güell and Parc Güell: Gaudí’s primary patron, the industrialist Eusebi Güell,
commissioned the project in the center of Barcelona. While the exterior of the Palau Güell
mansion features gray stone, the interior is more elaborate with a parabolic dome in the
central hall. The mansion also includes looming archways and a horse stable in the basement
with large, unusual pillars. Gaudí used light and space in new ways to make the most of
every room in this mansion. For Parc Güell, Gaudí adorned the landscape with mosaics,
sculptures, and fountains.
5. Casa Batlló: In the early 1900s, Josep Batlló, a wealthy Barcelona businessman, hired
Antoni Gaudí to tear down and rebuild this house. Gaudí convinced him that a renovation
would be more appropriate. Gaudí expanded rooms for additional light, added skylights and
archways, and redecorated the entire façade with colorful broken ceramic tiles.