Barcelona is the home of many things – great tapas, Estrella beer, possibly the most famous football club in the world, and modernist architectural legend Antoni Gaudi.
Gaudi’s buildings and parks are everywhere in Barcelona and his style of architecture is now synonymous with the Catalan city. There’s plenty of places to visit, some of which are a little on the pricey side. But we made it to the family home of Palau Guell and, of course, Gaudi’s still in progress masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia.
I love Gaudi’s work. I realise it’s a bit of a Marmite type of architecture but there’s something about it that appeals to me. It’s fantastic in the literal sense of the word so I guess as fantasy fan I may be predisposed to like his heady mixture of colour, light, curves and creatures. His work is the closest I’ve see to a fairy tale made real.
It’s a struggle to put the feeling of being in these buildings into words. Palau Guell was a dark, warm, golden womb. It’s carved, curved edges are topped by tactile spires, covered in rainbow tiles. It’s a home, albeit one with a definite magical air.
The Sagrada Familia is most definitely not a home. It’s a redefinition of a sacred space. And space is a good word for it. Still under construction, it’s not due to be finished until 2026. Walking inside is akin to walking into a cathedral on some distant planet. This place wasn’t so much built as grown. Pillars stretch, undulating to the towering ceiling. Glass of every hue makes rainbows across every surface. Staircases wind away to the heavens, and the alter shimmers with gold.
Pictures and words can’t do the place justice, unfortunately, so if can, you should get there and see for yourself. One thing I would recommend for the Sagrada Familia is to get there early.
Anyone else visited the Sagrada Familia or other examples of Gaudi’s work? What were your thoughts
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