Barcelone regorge d’exemples d’architecture d’Antoni Gaudí, un architecte très innovateur qui a vécu de 1852 à 1926. Il a fait parti du groupe des Modernistes, un style architectural qui s’apparente à L’Art Nouveau ou au Jugendstil. Il privilégiait les lignes courbes et fut beaucoup influencé par la nature dans ses conceptions architecturales. Ses réalisations sont tellement différentes de toutes nos idées préconçues de l’architecture qu’elles surprennent toujours. Parfois, on se dit qu’il devait “en fumer du bon” car l’effet final est tout à fait féérique.
Nous vous présentons ici deux de ces réalisations majeures à Barcelone: La Pedrera et la Casa Batlló. Ne craignez rien: un article complet vous attend bientôt sur sa réalisation la plus connue, la Sagrada Familia!
Barcelona has a number of examples of Antoni Gaudí’s architecture, a very innovative architect who lived from 1852 to 1926. He was part of the Modernist group, an architectural style that is similar to Art Nouveau or Jugendstil. He favoured curved lines and was greatly influenced by nature for its architectural concepts. His accomplishments are so different from our preconceived ideas of architecture that they always surprise. Sometimes we may think he was “high on something” because the final effect is quite out of this world.
In this article, we present two of his major achievements in Barcelona: La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. Don’t worry: a full article will soon appear on his most famous achievement, the Sagrada Familia!
Casa Milà (ou La Pedrera)
Construite de 1906 à 1910 comme hôtel particulier, cet édifice contient maintenant un musée, des appartements privés et des bureaux. / Built from 1906 to 1910 as a private mansion, it now includes a museum, private apartments and offices.
L’extérieur de la Casa Milà, tout en courbes. / The outside of Casa Milà, all in curves. (Photo – Pierre)
La terasse est probablement l’aspect le plus fascinant de cet édifice avec ses cheminées et bouches d’aérations en véritable œuvres d’art. / The roof is probably the most interesting aspect of this building with its chimneys and air vents created as works of art. (Photo – Suzanne, Pierre)
Gaudí attachait beaucoup d’importance à la lumière naturelle. Ces fenêtres donnent sur une cour intérieure ronde. / Gaudí favoured natural light for his buildings. These windows are facing a round inner courtyard. (Photo – Suzanne)
L’appartement du 4e étage converti en musée pour mettre en évidence les éléments de décor créés par Gaudí. Il était très attentif aux détails. / The 4th floor apartment converted in a museum to showcase decorative elements created by Gaudí. He was very attentive to details. (Photo – Pierre)
Casa Batlló
Rénovée par Gaudí de 1905 à 1907, cette maison est toujours privée mais une grande partie est ouverte au public ce qui permet d’admirer le génie de Gaudí dans les moindres petits détails. / Renovated by Gaudí from 1905 to 1907, this home is still private, but much of it is open to the public which allows the visitors to admire the genius of Gaudí in the smallest details.
La facade de la Casa Batlló. / The front of the Casa Battló. (Photo – Suzanne)
L’intérieur de la Casa Batlló est absolument superbe et on pourrait passer des journées à observer tous les détails. / The interior of Casa Batlló is absolutely superb and one could spend days observing all the details. (Photo – Pierre, Suzanne, Pierre)
La terrasse, comme celle de La Pedrera, offre des cheminées et des bouches d’aération toute à fait originales. / The roof, as with the one at La Pedrada, contains very original chimneys and air vents. (Photo – Pierre, Suzanne, Pierre)
[Auteur/Author: Suzanne et Pierre]
Les voyages de Suzanne & Pierre 
Those are really cool. You must’ve been clicking like crazy…Did you have to replace your shutter? 😉
Hey Richard: You are right, we did click like crazy and there will be more of these pictures on Flickr eventually. But the shutter survived the excitement!!!
When I see these types of pictures, it makes me angry that the architects today are so constrained by costs (particularly for public buildings) that all we get are high rise rectngles with no character. While I may not share a taste for the style, I can appreciate the artistry and craftmanship.
Hi Jacqui: You are right that today’s architecture (and mostly in Canada) is very boring – square boxes with windows. There are some interesting modern buildings in Europe where they seem to pay a bit more attention to design than we do in North America. Gaudi’s style is very particular but I must admit that we took quite a shine to it but I can understand that it isn’t to everyone’s taste.
Such romantic buildings
They are…a good definition for them.
Sagrada Familia….
I’m remembering an Alan Parsons album regarding to Antonio Gaudi – “Gaudi”(Arista rec,1986). Music and you beautiful photographs are a great illustration to a world created by this this significant person. I love a architecture subjects against a blue sky which you made. Well done and thanks!
Malik.
Thanks Malik. We were lucky to get 3 very sunny days during our visit. The Gaudi’s buildings are also very photogenic so it is easy to make good pictures.
You were in BCN! Next time, you should look at the work of Domènech i Muntaner, another architect of the period. His work is less revered but equally entrancing.
Also, Casa Batlló isn’t technically a Gaudí building — he was commissioned to spruce the place up after he became very trendy. All of his touches are literally stuck on (like the facade) and weren’t original to the structure which was designed and built by Sala i Cortés.
We did have a look at some of Domènech’s work but didn’t go inside like the Palau de la Musica. We found that it was getting too expensive to visit all of them. I might put up a picture of the Palau de la Musica in a future post. We will have more pictures of Barcelona on our Flickr accounts and there will be pictures of some of the other Modernist’s architects which we all enjoyed.
As for the Casa Batlló, you are totally right and I knew about it but didn’t explain it properly. I think it still can be considered a Gaudi’s building because he redid almost everything inside and outside…The inside was quite spectacular though the entrance price isn’t cheap!
I should write up a thing about BCN because Casa Batlló is by far the most expensive thing and it’s not worth it (imho) as you can see quite a lot from outside and if you go to a nearby shop, you can go see the back from their garden. Next time, you should check out the Palau de la Musica, it’s #1 on my list of places for people to visit.
Indeed, you should as you know the city and it would be good to post your advice. However, we thought that it was worth going inside as the details of the décor are totally amazing if you pay attention to it. It was indeed too expensive but for us we were glad to have gone inside. I think they may have opened more of the house to visitors recently so we got to see quite a bit and we spent close to 2 hours in the house and took millions of pictures. As for the Palau de la Musica, we simply ran out of time. 3 days isn’t much in Barcelona.
I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to have a private tour, drinks and dinner in Casa Mila. It is a fascinating and interesting building, very organic, as you say, natural. I loved it.
Hi Peter: You are then very lucky and I envy you. On the public tour, you don’t get to see more than one floor plus the terrace and the attic so not a complete tour though pretty amazing. I had read that you could do private function in the house which must quite spectacular.
Magnificent captures… this would have had me using up a couple of batteries… lovely share…
Thanks. We didn’t go through multiple batteries but did take lots of pictures. This is only a selection of what we took. More will be posted on our Flickr accounts (see links on the left side menus under Photos) but not all there yet.
You have done a wonderful job of portraying the spirit of Gaudi. I was there several years ago and was amazed at how prevalent he was. Did they ever finish the cathedral?
Thanks Tina for your kind words. We truly enjoyed the work of Gaudi. The cathedral is still a work in progress and it isn’t expected to be finish until 2026 (or maybe even later.) You can see the progress of the work on this post.
We were in Barcelona for the first time in 2012 and will be back again in May…..Have much more of Gaudi to explore. Wonderful post and photos!
Thanks Ciindy. I am glad you enjoyed this post and have fun exploring the work of Gaudi in May…