Tags
Antoni Gaudi, architecture, art, Art Noueau, Barcelona, Casa Battlo, travel
When I stepped inside Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batllo in Barcelona, I felt like I was back on La Gitana, swimming through the coral beds and sea caves. Mesmerized by the mysterious and fantastic shapes I found at every turn, and dazzled by the kaleidoscopic colors that surrounded me, as if refracted through streams of light.
There are no straight lines in this house that floats upward four floors on spiral stairs. The rooms have no corners, only softly rounded contours, detailed by wisps, curls, and bubbles, as if sculpted by waves and etched with sea-foam. Light streams through every window and down stair shafts and through stained glass.
Follow me from ground floor to roof to see more of Gaudi’s masterpiece. All the photos are my own except where otherwise noted. More photos can be found at the link below.
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was a Spanish architect from Catalonia. His most famous works, Casa Battlo and the Sagrada Familia cathedral, are located in Barcelona. While he was part of the Modernisme or Art Nouveau movements, his work was highly distinctive, elemental and organic, influenced by nature. He took particular pleasure in detailing his creations, working in ceramics, stained glass, woodwork, and often created the furnishings in his homes.
I’ll have more of his work in another post on his Sagrada Familia.
– Viajar lo cura todo
CC photo by Mstyslav Chernov on Wikipedia
Photo by Chongming 76 from Wikipedia
CC Photo by Sara Torones on Wikipedia
CC Photo by Sara Torones on Wikipedia
All photographs are mine except where otherwise noted.
Deborah J. Brasket 
Nice! We saw this from the outside, but did not go in. We did do Sagrada Familia and Park Gruell, so I feel like I got my dose of Gaudi while in Barcelona.
There’s so much of Gaudi in Barcelona! Hard to see it all in one visit especially. We only saw this and the cathedral, both so inspiring!
Nice piece of writing about Antonio Gaudi as well as this building. Thanks a lot for the set of those nice photos.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it, Elena.
I visited Sagrada Familia 35 years ago and went up into a tower. I’ll be interested to see your visit. This post is wonderful. I can’t get enough Gaudi and you have a real feeling for his work. Thank you.
Thank you, Claudia. I didn’t get to do a tower visit. I wonder how much has changed in 35 years? Amazing they are still working on it!
I did a little research and in comparing it with my visit in 1983 it’s a totally different experience now, I think. Back then, it was really some towers and walls surrounding a giant open space. There was no roof at all and I remember large piles of stones in the open space. At that time I wondered how it ever could be finished with so much work to be done. The tower trip was terrifying but exhilarating, and I remember bats swooping all around the top of the tower outside the area where we were – I went there at late afternoon/dusk. Truly an experience. I would like to see it today, but I think I might miss the openness and the kind of wildness the scene had back then.
I love the “wildness” of the scene you describe. It still has a lot of that. It’s still incomplete. the forest-like interior still retains some of the wildness, the fantastic height of the ceilings, etc. No bats :). But they would have fit right in.
wow! It is hard to believe this magical place actually exists!!! SO cool! Thank you for sharing with us, Deborah!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Mackenzie! It’s fun to share things I love.
Ohh, this house. I didn’t know it existed, so thank you Deborah. ❤ What a magical place to visit and it has sparked some creativity in me. So, thank you again. Hugs for you. ❤ Xx
It was magical! I’ll be interested in what creativity it has sparked in you. I’m feeling the same.
Ohh Deborah, it really did. I have been collecting sea glass, little stones (like flat slate pebbles) and shells from the beach. It’s industrial across the water, so all sorts get rinsed and smoothed by the sea. I made a picture for a friend of mine who got married recently. When I saw the pictures of the Mermaid house and read about your cave adventures, I saw a mermaid picture. I’m going to try it this weekend. How about you? What did it spark in you? Hugs Xx
I could spend HOURS here. Thank you for sharing. Magical.
Me too! So happy you enjoyed this.
Reblogged this on lampmagician.
Thank you for the reblog! I love when that happens.
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