Antoni Gaudí

On my first weekend in Barcelona my sister and I did a quick tour of Gaudí's major works: Park Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Botllò, and the Sagrada Família. The lines to go inside were long and we had a full schedule, so my sister just gawked at the exteriors. His style is fanciful, unique and definitely fun to look at. But I came away only mildly impressed. Yes, his stuff distinct, but it reminded me of modern artwork: random, disjointed, and really not adhering to any sort of cohesive theme.

Last week I had more time to explore the city and ended up going inside both the Sagrada Família and Casa Milà. A more in-depth exploration of his architecture has completely changed my opinion about him. I went to the Sagrada Família first, Gaudí's massive unfinished cathedral. Construction started in the late 1800s and is moving forward slowly (they hope to be done by 2026, but that seems a little optimistic to me). Although it's still under heavy construction, it's probably the most impressive building I've ever been in. The exterior has two main facades: the Nativity facade and the Passion facade. The Nativity facade is the only major part completely while Gaudí was still alive and (naturally enough) is the most directly influenced by his vision. The entire facade absolutely crawls with details and exploring the features is a hypnotic experience. A half hour quickly slipped away as I sat outside, letting my eyes meander.

During the 1930s (after Gaudí's death) most of his blueprints and plans were burned. This means that everything built since is based off the limited plans that survived and more recent blueprints, designed "in Gaudí's style." The Nativity facade is an obvious example of this. While it doesn't really look like the Gaudí's original work, it certainly feels like it belongs on the same building. Sinewy arches and stylized statues cover the exterior, although it's not nearly as detailed as the other facade.

Once inside, impossibly high pillars reach to the (not yet completed) ceiling. Unfortunately most of the construction is going on right in the middle of the cathedral, so you can't walk around the main nave freely. You can, however, take an elevator up to the top of one of the pillars, which provides a great view of the city, surrounding neighborhood, and a close up view of the other pillars. (And, of course, you can see lots of construction.)

Surprisingly enough, my favorite place was the basement of the cathedral. The basement houses a museum that details the method behind Gaudí's madness. Nothing in Gaudí's work is as random is it outwardly appears. Being in love with nature and having an extremely strong grasp of advanced geometry, everything Gaudí built attempted to fuse these two themes. The museum shows how he incorporated natural shapes and geometric patterns into all of his work. It's hard to see at first, but the museum highlights specific sections of a building and explains where the inspiration came for the shapes, colors and patterns. Armed with this basic knowledge of his style, I walked through the rest of the cathedral with very different eyes. Pillars become a forest and stairways look like shells. Looking at his architecture turns into an adventure, trying to find hidden shapes everywhere.

After being blown away by the Sagrada Família I had to head over to see the inside of Casa Milà, his famous apartment complex. Another crazy thing about Gaudí's work is that when he took on a project he would design every single detail. Not only was he in charge of designing and constructing the building, he was also in charge of everything that went in it. Every door, every piece of furniture, every doorknob; all designed by Gaudí. I don't know how he wasn't completely overwhelmed by the scope of a project with so many details. But back at Casa Milà the main attraction is the roof, which flows and undulates all over the place. It looks like some sort of fantasy landscape, but you learn it's not just for show. Every peak is a water tower, chimney or air vent. Gaudí wanted to hide their ugly profile and this is how he did it.

Having wander through these buildings I'm now officially a fan of Gaudí. I don't think I can name five architects, but if I ever create a "top five architects" list GaudÍ is currently firmly entrenched in the number one position. I've already got 2026 circled on my calendar, or whenever the cathedral is finally finished. It will be a truly mind-boggling building and I can't wait to see it finished.