Moustache - STALIN HAD ONE BUT THEN SO DID GANDHI.

Barcelona owes a large debt to Antoni Gaudi.

It’s October and the crowds are still flocking to see what this genius of Art Nouveau architecture has done to churches, parks and private property.

I first visited Barcelona in 1972, Franco was in power and the Sagrada Família was a fraction of the size it is today. It has been under construction since 1882 and not due to be completed until 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death.

I visited again in 2005 and the workers were still there.

They are still there today however the interior is almost compete and it has now been consecrated.

What struck me most this time was the detail of the interior. The organic nature of Gaudi’s initial Nouveau designs have been echoed in every aspect.

The exterior view is still marred by cranes and scaffolding but it’s the interior that gives you an insight into Gaudi’s vision.

On the same day we also visited Casa Milà or La Padrera, an innovative example of domestic architecture, designed by Gaudi and built in 1912.

He even included an underground car park.

Again I was taken by the detail of the interior. There seems to be no angular surfaces and everything has a fluidity.

Inside La Padrera is a museum that illustrates how Gaudi, influenced by nature, approached his designs in an organic rather angular way.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 at 8:09 am and is filed under Architecture, Comment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.