Antoni Gaudi

Timeline:

• 1852 Born 25 June in southern Catalonia, Spain
• 1878 Completed his study of architecture in Barcelona
• 1883-1926 La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
• 1887-93 Archbishop's Palace, Leon
• 1900-14 Park Guell, Barcelona
• 1904-06 Casa Batllo, Barcelona
• 1906-10 Casa Mila, Barcelona
• 1910 Societe Nationale de Beaux-Arts in Paris exhibited Gaudi's work
• 1926 Dies 10 June in Barcelona

Politics:

Gaudi was influenced by the "Renaixenca", a cultural and political movement that sought to gain sovereignty from Spain. He promoted the Catalan movement by incorporating Catalan culture into his designs. Barcelona was the centre of his activities and his work gave Barcelona architecture of its own that was entirely unique.

Gaudi's style:

"The straight line belongs to Man. The curved line belongs to God"

Having lived in Spain for six years, Gaudi quickly became one of my favourite Spanish architects. Gaudi is internationally recognised for his extraordinary design concepts that attempted to reconcile architecture and nature. Gaudi's work was greatly influenced by natural forms (especially evident in Casa Batllo) and his work has been labeled as "Organic Architecture".

Gaudi adorned many of his buildings with coatings of colourful broken tiles and glass fragments that formed mosaic patterns. This use of colour added a sense of vibrancy and his work animated surrounding avenues. This gives viewers a genuinely breathtaking visual experience.

Suggested reading and websites:

1. Modern Architecture, Jonathan Glancey
2. 50 Architects You Should Know, Isabel Kuhl, Kristina Lowis and Sabine Thiel-Siling
3. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Casa_Batllo.html

Below is the begnning part of a 7 series BBC documentary all about the life and work of Antoni Gaudi. It is extremely informative and I would recommend watching the entire series.