Gaudi's Casa Batllo

Aside from the floors and some of the walls, there's not a straight line to be found in this building. Welcome to imagination gone wild. Antoni Gaudi renovated an existing apartment building both inside and out using sinuous, flowing forms and brightly coloured mosaics. This is only one of his amazing works, but it happens to be the one we visited this afternoon.

Above you see a window overlooking the street. here's the same window from the inside showing details of the suble stained glass colours in the top.

This is the front room with a divider also echoing the circular glass design.

Here's the ceiling in the living room.

This is one side of the large llight well that brings natural light to interior rooms. It's tiled in blue with the colours deepening as they get to the top.

Another view on a different level, closer to the top.

This is the attic, very simple but still curvy.

And here's the rooftop with fanciful tiled chimneys

This building was commissioned by some wealthy people who wanted a unique house. I think they got one!  There were other modernist architects working in Barcelona arounf the turn of the century, but Gaudi was the most far out there. Each of his buildings is different, but they all have curves and mosaics and they are all works of art that go far beyond architecture.

By the way, there is an excellent film on this man's work, simply called Gaudi. It's worth searching out.