The Wonderful Work of Antoni Gaudi

Nicknamed “God’s Architect”, Antoni Gaudí is an eminent Spanish architect most famously known for his work on La Sagrada Família. He was born in Reus, Catalonia in 1852 and moved to Barcelona in 1870 to attend the School of Architecture. At his graduation in 1858, the director spoke of Gaudí saying “I do not know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.” Time has shown Gaudí to be a gifted architect with a unique and incomparable style.

I have traveled in 12 countries throughout Europe so far; I have visited countless museums and viewed the work of many famous artists. Recently, on a trip to Barcelona, I was lucky enough to see Gaudí’s exceptional work. I visited three of his masterpieces: Casa Batlló, Park Güell and La Sagrada Família. The imagination and talent of this man overwhelmed me. The intricacy of every wall, pillar, statue and tower is amazing. To think that one man could plan out each and every tiny artistic detail is unfathomable. His use of color, texture, and symbolism almost threw me into sensory overload, but in the best of ways.

Gaudí’s style was known in his time as “neo-Medieval” but is now categorized as a “biological style” due to his use of naturalistic forms. It’s hard to specifically classify his designs because he defied conventional styles of his time creating one-of-a-kind treasures. His work often contained some aspects of gothic architecture as well as expressionism. He also interjects: religious imagery, colorful mosaics, stained glass windows and animal/nature representations.

Casa Batlló is an apartment building conveniently located in the center of Passeig de Gràcia, the avenue where all the prestigious families of the time were living. Locals call the building the “House of Bones” because many parts resemble a skeleton. For example the columns resemble human bones, the roof is designed after a dragon’s spine and archways in the loft represent the ribcage of an animal. The building also displays Gaudí’s biomimetic style featuring no straight lines as seen in nature. In addition, the roof features a bulb-shaped tower symbolizing plant life and growth. Although the building was originally constructed in 1877 Gaudí was hired in 1904 by the Batlló family to renovate it. It was completed two years later and became the residence of the family. Nowadays the building is open for public tours during the day and can be rented for private events.

It would be impossible to visit Park Güell and not leave feeling happier than when you arrived. The panoramic views of the city from the high terraces are breathtaking. The pavilions look like something out of fairytales. The movement of the colorful walls and long bench at the entrance to the municipal gardens welcomes guests and invites you to sit and socialize. The project was originally commissioned by Eusebi Güell as a private residential park for 60 single-family homes. When the project failed the park became city property and was opened to the public in 1923. Gaudi’s signature style that mixes various textures, elements of nature, and colorful tiles intrigues me. The park is a must see while traveling in Barcelona.

The final Gaudi masterpiece (and the most awe-inspiring) I visited was his lifework, La Sagrada Família or Church of the Holy Family. He began working on it in 1883 after the previous architect (Diocese Francisco) resigned in his first year of construction in 1882. Francisco left due to disagreements with his employer Boca Bella (Chairman of the Holy Brotherhood), leaving Gaudí to takeover the design of the Christian church. In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated La Sagrada Família officially giving it the status of a basilica.

Construction of La Sagrada Família began over 133 years ago and is yet to be completed. The estimated completion date is 2026 on the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí. Originally the church’s expected completion date was much later, but due to modern technology builders believe they can finish it much sooner. Gaudí often teased that his client (God) was in no rush for its completion and therefore he could his take his time to make sure every detail was up to God’s standards.

When I got off the train and turned around to get my first view of the Basilica, I was awed by the sheer height of the towers. Outside and in, it seems to be reaching up into heaven. When the spires are completed, Sagrada Família will be the tallest church building in the world. Gaudí’s original design calls for a total of eighteen spires representing the twelve apostles, the Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists, and Jesus. I spent a full hour just walking around and taking in the outside of the building and it wasn’t long enough. The Sagrada Familia is symbolic of the lifetime of Christ. Its exterior has three facades: the façade of birth, the façade of suffering and the façade of salvation way.

The façade of birth was finished first and represents the main ideologies of Catholicism and the childhood of Jesus Christ. This façade faces east towards the rising son, symbolic of the birth of Jesus. The façade of birth was built before 1935 when the Spanish Civil War interrupted work. Since only one quarter of the church was completed before the architect’s death, this façade bears the most direct influence of Gaudi himself. He knew that he would not finish the church in his lifetime so he chose this façade to embody his ideas and decorations to serve as an example for others to follow as they completed the work he began.

The façade of birth features three doors (portals) and four Gothic bell towers. The largest door, the Portal of Mercy, is situated in the middle and is divided by a pillar displaying the “flu scene” where Mary and Josef pray to Christ. The smaller door on the right, the Portal of Faith illustrates scenes from the Gospels. Above it is the heart of Jesus filled with thorns, representing how our lack of faith was killing Christ. On the other small door, the Portal of Hope, Gaudí ironically shows scenes of despair such as the murder of children by Herod.

Gaudí designed the façade of suffering way while he was ill in 1911. It is known for its “unorthodox sculptures” and unique style in comparison to the rest of the church. Gaudí choose to use straight lines and sharp edges (in contrast to his usual curvy style) on this façade because he wanted to provoke a dramatic effect to show the brutality of Christ’s sacrifice. He used expressionism to displays the last few weeks of Jesus’ life. The suffering façade faces west like the setting sun, symbolic of the death of Christ. It also features puzzles for the public to solve such as the magic square that’s sum is always thirty-three. Many say it’s representative of Jesus’ age at death. Unfortunately Gaudí passed away before the façade was completed. Josep Maria Subirachs was hired in 1988 to sculpt scenes according to Gaudí’s original drawings. It shows the stories of the Last Supper up until the death of Jesus.

Last, but not least, the façade of bliss began construction in 2002. Just as Gaudí intended, it shows death, the last judgment, hell and bliss-- the last four events a human undergoes. Mindful that he would not be around for its completion, he simply made a general sketch of the façade, leaving other architects the artistic freedom to display their own architectural styles. Although it is still under construction it is already the largest façade of the church, featuring the four highest towers and seven entrances.

The enormous five-naved interior of the basilica has already been completed. Its layout forms the shape of a Latin cross. Just as the exterior was rich with symbolism, the interior (every door, column and area) has its own symbolic significance. As soon as I entered the church I was blown away by the details. There are no flat or plain surfaces anywhere; every wall, pillar and sculpture is unique, following the curved lines of nature. Specifically, Gaudí modeled the pillars after a canopy of trees. They differ in size, color and material, similar to a real forest. As they reach the ceiling they branch out and are illuminated by the sunlight pouring in from huge stain glass windows that line the church. Besides the trees, nature is implemented in numerous sections of La Sagrada Família: turtles, chameleons, doves, flowers, fruit and a variety of Catalonia plant species are represented. The 15-euro fee to enter the interior of the basilica will not disappoint!

Gaudí was and is to this day a genius architect who successfully implemented historical, architectural and religious significance into all of his work. He has left his imprint on the city of Barcelona and continues to attract millions of tourists each year. I love how visually stimulating his work is and look forward to returning to the Sagrada Família after its completion in the year 2026.