IDE225 / History of Interior Design. Prof. J.
Roldan
ANTONI GAUDI- LIBERATION OF FACADES
Reina Omar Moussa
Antoni Gaudi I Cornet (1852-1926) was a Spanish architect and
one of the most important figures of Catalan Modernism. He is best
known for his unique architectural style, which was heavily influenced
by nature and organic forms.
One of Gaudi’s greatest achievements was his work on the facades
of several buildings in Barcelona, including the Casa Batlló and the
Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera). The facades of these buildings
are characterized by their undulating shapes, intricate details, and
use of colorful mosaics and ceramics. Gaudi’s facades were not just
decorative, however; they were also designed to be functional. For
example, the undulating shapes of the Casa Batlló’s facade were
inspired by the shape of a dragon, and were intended to allow for
better ventilation and natural light inside the building.
Gaudi also liberated his facades and broke free from the constraints
that previously existed for traditional architecture. Using Casa Batlló
as an example of this, he liberated the facade by pushing the structural
parts (i.e., the columns) inwards then mirroring this action on the
outside of the building as seen in figure 2; this liberation gave Gaudi
a higher level of creative freedom when designing and increased the
ability of the facade to have curvature without damaging the structural
integrity of the building. Antoni Gaudi’s liberation of the facade was
a great contribution to the architectural world and continued the
evolvement of the facade towards a higher level of liberation and
greater freedom of its design. We can see that through figure 1, 2, and Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3.
3 on the right, which showcase the movement from traditional facades CLASSICAL ANTONI GAUDI- CASA BATLO FARNSWORTH HOUSE
towards modern facades (represented by the Farnsworth house).
Framed glass and not much glass. Window Larger Panes of glass supported by metal frames Large panes of glass. Full glass
looks like a hole punched through the wall. and divided. Structual integrety not damaged walls to separate physically from
Overall, Gaudi’s facades were a testament to his creativity, innovation,
due to the pocket created by the columns. the exterior
and attention to detail, and they continue to inspire architects and designers
around the world today.
Cirlot, J.E. (2002). Antoni Gaudi. Dover Publications GLASS
van Hensbergen, G. (2005). Gaudi: A biography. Harper perennial.
facade evolution