Barcelona And Antoni Gaudi

“Who knows where the road may lead us, only a fool would say

Who knows if we’ll meet along the way

Follow the brightest star as far as the brave may dare

What will we find when we get there”

Lyrics from “La Sagrada Familia” by the Alan Parsons Project

To visit Barcelona is to enter the world of Antoni Gaudi. What was he? Genius or nut job? Inspired or crazy? And what was his work? Flamboyantly brilliant or belligerently ostentatious? The bravest of designs or art for art’s sake? Inspired architecture or the world’s first Disneyland? Whatever your take on it, he still has everyone talking almost a century after his death. 

For our part, it’s beyond stunning. Gaudi’s work takes adventurous to a different level, is art on the grandest of scales, the depths of one man’s passion delivered on the most permanent of canvasses, none of which rules out the whimsical aspects which indisputably border on the ridiculous. Sublime meets surreal and returns to sublime.

Twenty or more years ago I used to be a regular visitor to Catalunya, and developed a theory as to why this particular environment gave rise to the likes of Gaudi, Joan Miro and others, avant garde pioneers in their individual fields. My theory was that the Catalan people, oppressed and deprived of their own nation and alienated from their own identity, desired recognition for being different and unique within whatever constraints were placed upon them, especially in Franco’s time. Such an environment would, I thought, be the perfect breeding ground for courageous artists (in that word’s broadest sense) to make the precise statement: “notice us Catalans, for we are different”, and for Catalan people to laud one of their own.

Gaudi was a sickly child who missed much schooling through ill health, but along the way developed an all-consuming passion for everything Catalan – so much so that in later life he broke protocol by refusing to speak to the King in Castilian Spanish, forcing the King to use an interpreter. When Gaudi was handed his degree in architecture, the Director stated: “We have given this academic title to either a fool or a genius. Only time will tell”.

Gaudi’s work reflects his love of nature, particularly the nature of the Mediterranean region, as well as his deep Catholic faith. His gargoyles are often contented lizards rather than snarling monsters, his pillars are pines, the broken-tile effect which we all know as a Gaudi trademark represents the skin of reptiles. He noted the lack of symmetry in nature, that no two shapes are identical, that no plane or curve is perfect, and brought this in notable style to his work: there isn’t, for instance, a single 90-degree angle in the entire Sagrada Familia structure.

La Sagrada Familia is moving into its final phase, more than 140 years after construction began. Gaudi took over as chief architect one year into the project and put together a design and construction plan which he knew from the outset would last way beyond his lifetime. In those 140 years only the Spanish Civil War and COVID have halted works completely, but the entire project is now making faster strides towards completion somewhere around 2030, thanks in part to technological advances.

Outside, La Sagrada Familia is adorned with imagery, religious icons and Mediterranean wildlife, the more you study its undulating shapes, the more you see. The different facades and the individual, incredible spires each tell a story, each has a dedication. Inside, one is delivered into a fantasy world of art, architecture, religion, humour and innovation, all beautifully integrated: this place is fast becoming one of the World’s must-see buildings. It has moved on considerably since I last came here around 20 years ago – if you’ve been before, then come again, it is a different place today. And it is fabulous.

Look up towards the ceiling: support pillars are giant pine trees, the ceiling is the forest canopy. Sunlight plays through stained glass and skylights, reproducing the dappled sunlight of the forests, those pillars are asymmetrical and uneven, everything irregular, every last item able to be interpreted as something it isn’t. It’s a marvellous, stunning fantasy world without ever betraying Gaudi’s devotion to the Catholic faith.

Progress with construction meant that La Sagrada Familia was finally consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, some 127 years into the building programme. Gaudi’s dream is within touching distance of becoming reality.

And so to another Gaudi masterpiece. Parc Guell still packs a considerable visual punch with its seemingly endless ability to surprise and delight, not to mention to make you say “how did he even think of that?!”. Gaudi’s signature multi-coloured broken tile mosaics adorn benches, walls and statues, elevated walkways sit on misshapen viaducts which are disguised as tree roots and rock formations, tight corners lead to unexpected panoramic views. Roofs of alfresco hallways are supported by pillars where only some are vertical – the rest are slightly off kilter – then suddenly one pillar is absent altogether, creating a lack of symmetry which simultaneously confuses and pleases the eye.

Finally to Casa Battló. If anyone is considering a trip to visit Gaudi’s works, then save Casa Battló till last, for this is where, with absolute freedom to explore his own mind, Gaudi was let off whatever leashes he had ever been held back by. Paid by a rich family of considerable social standing who had recently acquired the Passeig de Gracia property, Gaudi set about creating something which must surely be one of the most incredible private dwellings on Earth. 

The natural world again dominates, but this time is complemented by marine themes which take the visitor on a remarkable journey. Whatever was this house like: what a stunning place for the family Battló to host those society parties. Gaudi augmented his outlandish themes with clever use of light and space, never forgetting the ostentatious: the huge picture windows which overlook the street weren’t just unheard of, they enabled the family to show off to even the highest levels of society. 

Casa Battló is a searching look into Gaudi’s mind, the modern day visit with audio guide is seriously well put together. La Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell and Casa Battló are of course not the only Gaudi creations to see in Barcelona, but they are three which leave you spellbound. We leave the last of the three just a little bit stunned, and understanding Gaudi’s weird and wonderful mind not one bit more than we had at the outset. It’s not easy to see inside the mind of someone who can think, and design, on this scale.

Gaudi died in 1926. Having at one time been a dandy within Barcelona society, his life had come to be dominated by the Sagrada Familia project, during which time he went from sporting the finest clothes to living almost recluse-like, unmarried, maintaining relationships with only his closest of friends. He became, reportedly, arrogant and dismissive towards all but those chosen few.

So disheveled was his appearance by now that when Gaudi was struck by a tram and fell unconscious in the street, he was mistaken for a sleeping beggar and ignored by passers-by. Once in hospital, only rudimentary treatment was administered for the same reason. By the time a friend located him, and his identity became known to the medics, it was too late, and Gaudi died within three days.

The public lined the streets of the city for Gaudi’s funeral. His death may have been ignominious, but his life and achievements were celebrated with joy. And they still are, almost a century later.