To quote my guidebook “Barcelona’s Modernisme buildings arose during La Renaixenca, a period of great artistic and political fervour that was deeply connected to Catalan identity, and which transformed early 20th Century Barcelona into a showcase for Avant Garde architecture”
Most people associate this with Antoni Gaudi but he wasn’t alone. He had many contemporaries all of whom followed the same principles that Gaudi is so well-known for. It was also not confined to Catalonia, the same moves were seen across Europe where it was just given a different name such as Art Nouveau in the UK.
The style is very much about curves or at least using the curve to bring everything together. Unifying architecture with nature was also a key theme as seem in the branching tree-like columns of the Sagrada Familia. Despite the name seeming to indicate a rejection of older styles, in fact the reverse was true and many inspirations from Gothic, Islamic and Renaissance can be seen. It was also responsible for reviving many traditional artisan trades especially in stone-work, stained glass and tile-work, especially Trencadis (the use of ceramic fragments to create mosaics, best seen in Park Guell)
I wrote a post about the Sagrada Familia, the incomplete pinnacle of Modernisme but we saw many other of their creations on our wander through the city so I thought a post dedicated to them was in order. So as Rafael McTell once sang “Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of Barcelona”
I chose our apartment on the basis that it had a roof terrace and overlooked La Pedrera (“The Quarry”) and its very odd chimneys on the roof
They reminded me of chess pieces and they have the trademark Trencadis mosaic effect again
Its one of the most striking buildings and gleamed white in the sunshine
As with all these buildings the balconies and their railings are a central, eye-catching feature
It also looked pretty fine lit up at night
Just down the road and perhaps the weirdest of all these buildings is Casa Batllo. The photos don’t really do justice to the colour and the decoration. Due to its position and the trees that screen it its hard to get a decent photo
It’s a bizarre combination of resinous curves, blues, greens and purples. Supposedly even weirder on the inside but like all things Barcelona, costly to visit
It looks especially fine at night. In fact it was the very first building we saw when we emerged from the train station after our flight
The usual “the photos don’t do it justice” remark applies
I think eclectic sums this one up. Not sure I’d want to live in it but its stunning regardless. Me and the kids loved it, TBF was less certain
Next door is Casa Amatller, designed by Pui i Cadafalch, one of Gaudi’s contemporaries. A heady mix of gothic, dutch and other styles
This dormer window and balcony caught my eye
And a couple of doors down is the Casa Lleo Morera by Domenech i Montaner. Together with the previous two buildings it forms the Manzana de la Discordia (block of discord!)
I’ve no idea what this roof decoration is but many buildings in Barcelona have them
Nearer the centre of the city is the Palau de la Musica Catalana. The exterior decoration is amazing, but it’s squeezed into a really narrow collection of streets and almost impossible to get a decent photo
As with all these buildings its stunning on the inside as well and expensive to tour. Must be a fab place for an evening concert
I’d also chosen our apartment as it is right in the heart of the L’Eixample district where most of these Moderniste gems reside.
We had an hour or two to kill on our last full day so we took a wander around the streets to look at some of the lesser known buildings. This one is the Palau del Baró de Quadras
The front of this building was interesting, La Casa Comalat
It was the rear of the building that was really eye-catching
It reminded me of the resin secretions that you see in the “Alien” movies or more possibly bones, muscles and sinews, again linking back to Gaudi’s use of the curves of nature
Considering its tucked away on a back street it’s quite an extraordinary sight
This one is Casa Serra with its fairytale feel and ornate balcony. Its home to some vague and meaningless government department of street light maintenance or some-such.
This bizarrely roofed example is the Fundacio Antoni Tapies
The Palau Montaner is less weird than the previous one but stunning on the outside. Apparently its even more stunning on the inside but it was always surrounded by barriers and police so I assumed it must be home to some important Catalan person involved in the recent situation
I liked this one because of the name, Casa Thomas. I have a mate with the Thomas surname so I was pleased he had a building named after him and so was he when I sent him a picture!
They really do put a lot of effort into bay windows and balconies in these buildings
I think this one is the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona
A more modern style design, the Casa Manuel Llopis Bofill
This one came as a surprise, a very fine church tucked away in a residential zone. The Parròquia de Sant Francesc de Sales
My personal favourite was the Casa de les Punxes (House of Spikes)
Probably down to my childhood love of fairytale castles and their pepperpot roofs
As well as the roof, the decorations, window boxes and balconies are all very striking
It seemed to catch the sun whenever we walked past it hence I took lots of photos
Its red brick facade and roof caught the sun and contrasted beautifully against the blue sky
An (admittedly not terribly interesting) fact, it’s the only fully detached building in L’Eixample
I’m going to borrow a phrase my good friend Mark used when he was Barcelona last year. I don’t know very much about architecture but I like what Gaudi and his colleagues did in Barcelona. All of the buildings were unique in some way and almost every other building bears their influence. Turns a wander around this area of the city a real stroll of discovery
surfnslide 