Which city is decorated with the works of Antoni Gaudi. Which building was Gaudí's last secular work? Antonio Gaudi: the most mysterious architect in history who worked miracles

Antonio Gaudi also created Park Guell (El Parque Guell - 1900-1914). In this park, Gaudi tried to embody ideas that exist in nature, but have never been implemented in architecture. The buildings seem to have grown out of the ground, all together they form a single whole, very organic, despite the variety of shapes and sizes.

The Temple of the Holy Family (full name: Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, cat. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família), sometimes inaccurately called the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Russian, is perhaps the most significant of Gaudí’s works, unfortunately never completed. The style in which the cathedral is made is vaguely reminiscent of Gothic, but at the same time, it is something completely new, modern. The cathedral building is designed for a choir of 1,500 singers, a children's choir of 700 people and 5 organs.

The temple was to become the center of the Catholic religion. From the very beginning, the construction of the temple was supported by Pope Leon XIII.

Work on the construction of the temple began back in 1882 under the leadership of architects Juan Martorell and Francisco de P. Del Villar. In 1891, construction was headed by Antonio Gaudi. The architect retained the plan of his predecessor - a Latin cross with five longitudinal and three transverse naves, but made his own changes. In particular, he changed the shape of the capitals of the crypt columns, increased the height of the arches to 10 m, and moved the stairs to the wings instead of their intended frontal placement. He constantly refined the plan during construction.

According to Gaudí, the Sagrada Familia was to become a symbolic building, a grandiose allegory of the Nativity of Christ, represented by three facades. The eastern one is dedicated to Christmas; the western one - the Passion of Christ, the southern one, the most impressive, should become the facade of the Resurrection.

The portals and towers of the temple are equipped with abundant sculpture, reproducing as if the entire living world, the dizzying complexity of profiles and detailing

Surpasses anything Gothic has ever known. This is a kind of Gothic Art Nouveau, which, however, is based on the plan of a purely medieval cathedral.

Despite the fact that Gaudi built the temple over thirty-five years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity façade, which is structurally eastern part transept, and four towers above it. The western part of the apse, making up most This majestic building has not yet been completed.

Antonio Gaudi died in Barcelona on June 7, 1926, hit by a tram near the Sagrada Familia cathedral. In an unconscious state, in shabby clothes, he was taken to the Hospital of the Holy Cross - a special shelter for the poor, from which he was never destined to leave to continue to decorate the world with the genius of his craft. His remains rest in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia cathedral. More than seventy years after Gaudí's death, construction of the cathedral continues today. Spiers are gradually being erected (only one was completed during the architect’s lifetime), facades with figures of the apostles and evangelists, scenes of the ascetic life and atoning death of the Savior are being decorated. Construction of the Church of the Holy Family is expected to be completed by 2030.

Already the fifth generation of Barcelona residents is witnessing the birth of an architectural masterpiece. But even the unfinished cathedral became a symbol of Barcelona and will remain so forever, like other works of Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi's architecture is an open book for all admirers of his talent. With his unique and at the same time controversial creation to this day - the Cathedral of the Holy Family - Antonio Gaudi joined the galaxy of his great fellow countrymen - Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro - who revolutionized modern art with their ideas.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Gaudi was a man of passionate temperament and possessed extraordinary mental abilities. At the same time, he lived in his own world, renouncing everything worldly. “To avoid disappointment, one should not succumb to illusions,” he justified himself, arguing that every person should have a homeland, and a family should have its own home. “Renting a house is the same as immigrating,” Gaudí convinced others, who had neither a family nor his own home all his life.

Hello friends. You are probably already accustomed to the fact that we tell you about interesting sights, cities, and those places on our planet that you simply cannot help but visit. This time we want to talk about Antonio Gaudi. Let's try to do without enthusiastic epithets - all of them have been said about this architect more than once. Let’s just note: without this man there would not have been the Barcelona, ​​Spain, and even the history of world architecture that we are familiar with. Go.

Antonio Placid Guilhem Gaudí i Cornet was born in 1852 in Catalonia, in the small town of Reus. He was the most youngest child V big family boilermaker Francesc Gaudí i Serra and his wife.

It was thanks to his father’s workshop, as Antonio himself later said, that his biography as an architect began.

His brothers and sister died, and his mother later died. This is how Gaudi’s niece ended up in his care. The three of them, together with their father, settled in Barcelona.

In 1906, his father died; by that time his health was already seriously compromised, and six years later his niece died.

A star is born

By 1878, Gaudí graduated from the school of architecture. After which he began to work as a draftsman, did a lot of auxiliary work, and unsuccessfully took part in various competitions.

What was happening around? And all around there was excitement associated with the neo-Gothic style. The idea and the very forms of this direction certainly delighted Gaudi. But he drew inspiration for his projects from the works of Viollet-le-Duc, the Spanish architect Martorel and art critic John Ruskin.

Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc - French architect, restorer, art critic and architectural historian, neo-Gothic ideologist, founder of architectural restoration. Wikipedia

A turning point in the work of Antoni Gaudi was his acquaintance with Eusebi Güell, who would later become his friend.

One of the richest people in Catalonia, Guell could afford to play around a little, making his wildest dreams come true. Well, Gaudi received in this case complete freedom of expression.

For the Güell family, Antonio created designs for the city palace, the pavilions of their estate, wine cellars, crypts, chapels and also the one known to everyone.

Bench in Park Guell

Don’t forget about the wonderful examples of furniture that the designer Gaudi came up with and embodied in the houses of Güell.

Gradually, Gaudi went beyond the framework of the then dominant styles, completely immersed himself deep into his own universe of curved surfaces and natural ornaments. And with the completion of construction at the age of 34, the architect had already become a star, whose work not everyone could afford.

For the rich people of Barcelona, ​​he built incredibly different houses - , . They all seemed to live their own bizarre lives, incomprehensible to outsiders.

Interior of Casa Mila

Love, friends, death

The genius devoted all his time to work. They say that he loved only one woman in his life - the teacher Joseph Moreau. But she did not reciprocate. In general, it is believed that the architect was a rather arrogant and rude person. Although people close to me said the opposite.

In his youth, Antonio dressed like a dandy, was a gourmet, and well versed in theater arts. In adulthood, he completely stopped taking care of himself. Often on the streets he was mistaken for a tramp.

The latter fact became, alas, fatal for the architect. On June 7, 1926, Gaudí went to church. At the next intersection he was hit by a tram. The cab driver refused to take the unkempt old man, fearing that he would not be paid for the journey.

In the end, the masters were taken to the doorstep of a hospital for the poor, where they received absolutely primitive first aid. The next day, Gaudi was found by friends, but it was no longer possible to save him. He died on June 10 and was buried in the Sagrada Familia a few days later.

Interior of the Sagrada Familia

It is interesting that in recent decades there has been a program to canonize Gaudi as a saint, the patron saint of architects.

Architecture

The life of the architect was fruitful and colorful. Bright, like its architecture. Many people believe that Gaudi created in the Art Nouveau style. However, in fact, his houses noticeably go beyond the boundaries of one style.

We have already mentioned the most famous works architect. Let's remember a few more.

One of his first works was the Vincennes House, a private residential building that Gaudí built almost immediately after receiving his diploma. And its architecture clearly shows the influence of the Spanish-Arab Mudejar style.

House Vincennes

The master's next creation was the summer mansion El Capriccio in the town of Comillas.

Construction was carried out by order of a relative of Güell. And Gaudi himself never even visited the construction site. This building is known primarily for its constructivist feature - the horizontal distribution of space.

In the territory of León stands another ode to the Gothic, created by Antonio - the Botines House. This seven-level building is practically devoid of external decor. The austere appearance is set off only by the artistic forging of the grille.

But let's go back to Barcelona. Yet this is where it is located most of creations of the great architect.

Casa Calvet is another private house built by Gaudí.

It was built as apartment building. Here you will no longer see even a hint of Gothic. The design of the building is quite ascetic, which harmonizes well with other buildings in the area.

But look closely and you will see a lot of important little things: hammers on entrance doors depict bedbugs, textile bobbins at the entrance remind of the owner’s profession, floral ornaments hint at the hobbies of the owners of the house.

And, of course, the symbol of Barcelona, ​​and maybe the whole country - the Sagrada Familia or the Sagrada Familia.

This is probably the most famous long-term construction. Various architects have worked and are working on its creation. One of them was Gaudi. It was his work that formed the basis for the appearance of the building.

Gaudi also made his contribution to the region landscape architecture and small forms. These include:

• Artigas gardens
• lanterns of Barcelona's Royal Square
• Mirallas Gate and many others.

Repeatedly he worked together with other masters.

This was the life and work of a genius who changed our understanding of architecture.

Thank you for subscribing to our blog updates. Goodbye!

After the capital, Madrid, has many attractions to surprise and captivate tourists. Among the huge number of architectural advantages, perhaps the most popular are palaces and buildings of Barcelona are the creations of the great architect Antonio Gaudi.

In his youth, he was a real “dandy” fashionista who loved a relaxed lifestyle. After forty years, Gaudi became the complete opposite - a true Catholic, led an almost monastic lifestyle, and adhered to strict fasts.

It is difficult to understand the brilliant architect, but everyone admires his creations. Gaudi's works are not subject to any templates; each building is special, unique and, to a certain extent, mystical. Almost all of the architect's works are under UNESCO protection and make a worthy contribution to the architectural appearance.

Casa Vicens

This is the first pompous structure in Gaudí's architectural collection. Even then, the young architect demonstrated his originality and unique style, turning an ordinary private villa into a work of art. The house was built by order of Manuel Vicens. The architect's creation is referred to as early modern. However, the Spanish-Arab Mudejar style is visible in the concept and decorative solutions, in particular in the upper part of the structure. The facades are decorated with various decorative elements, turrets, bay windows, balconies, striking with their beauty even from afar. The exterior of the building is complemented by the original grilles of gates, windows and balconies designed by Gaudí.

No less effort was spent on the interior of the villa.

Years of construction: 1883—1888.

Location: st. Carolines (CarrerdelesCarolines), 22-24, Barcelona Grazia district.

Casa Mila (La Pedrera)

Crazy emotions and surprise - this was the reaction of the city’s citizens after the construction of the building; people seemed completely at a loss in front of Gaudi’s architecture. Few were ready for such a bold creation. To others, the shape of the facade reminded sea ​​waves, coming one after another. The whole building, like a living creature, moves and breathes. Barcelona residents even came up with an ironic name for it: “La Pedrera”, which means “The Quarry” in Catalan.

House Mila is complex and curvilinear: broken outlines contrast with the wavy surface of the facade. The design of the building is quite well thought out: the ventilation system is natural, which allows you to do without air conditioning, there are no load-bearing or supporting walls, and there is an underground garage. The project also provides for elevators, although they were installed much later. Three courtyards - one round and two elliptical. The decorative design of the house shows natural theme- which was characteristic of the Art Nouveau style.

Years of construction: 1906—1910.

Location: intersection of Passeig de Gràcia Boulevard with Carrer de Provença.

Park Güell

Parc Güell decided to create the Catalan industrialist Ausebi Güell as a green park area in the style of the then fashionable English garden city concept. Güell was a fan of talent and style genius artist and a real philanthropist of Gaudi. It was his financial support helped implement many of the master’s projects.

An interesting corner of the park is the central entrance with two fantastic houses. The main staircase with fountains leads to the hypostyle hall - the “Hall of a Hundred Columns”, where 86 Doric columns are located. From the main square of the park, a network of footpaths and trails stretches around. All roads are designed to separate vehicles from pedestrians. On the territory of the park there is a house-museum of Gaudi, where the architect once lived. The museum has examples of furniture created by Antoni Gaudí, in particular furniture from Casa Batllo and Casa Mila.

Years of construction: 1900—1914.

Location: Carrer Olot street, 15-20 minutes. drive from the city center.

The park is open in November-February from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in March and October from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in April and September from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., from May to August from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily, including holidays.

Palace Güell

Palace Güell is a pearl of Catalan Art Nouveau, an early work of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona. The architect designed the residence palace for the Güell family.

The façade of the building is somewhat reminiscent of world-famous Venetian palazzos, with two rounded wrought iron arches designed for the passage of carriages. The interior decoration of Palais Guell speaks of the individuality of the author - marble columns, the roof is covered precious stones in the Mudejar style, the giant dome provides daylight, Venetian wooden blinds are decorated with ceramics, and on the roof there are chimneys in the shape of fancy figures.

Years of construction: 1885—1890.

Location: Carrer Noudela Rambla.

Colonia Güell

Gaudi designed a custom-shaped church and crypt for his friend and regular customer Ausebi Güell. The crypt has five passages: a central one and two in opposite directions. The originality of Gaudí's style is evident inside and outside the building. The windows protrude beyond the walls, and at the top of the door there is a mosaic composition.

The crypt is built of basalt bricks with stone mosaics, which gives the structure an archaic appearance.

Years of construction: 1898—1914.

Location: Santa Coloma de Cervellóó near Barcelona.

Casa Batlló

Casa Batllo was built in 1877 for textile tycoon Josep Batllo i Casanovas. In 1904-1906, Antonio Gaudi completely redesigned the lower floor and mezzanine, created original furniture, added a basement, an attic and a stepped roof.

The main façade is impressive: as if a giant dragon lay down along the entire length of the building. In the design we will not see straight lines, there are wavy outlines everywhere. The elegant and functional attic of the house is organized using parabolic arches, which are repeated in other projects.

Location: st. Passeig de Gràcia, 43 in the Eixample district.

Temple of the Holy Family (La Sagrada Familia)

The Sagrada Familia is Gaudí's most famous and last unfinished work. The church was designed back in 1892, but has not yet been completed. Since then, the cathedral has been periodically restored and completed with donations from parishioners. Completion of construction is expected no earlier than 2026. Antonio Gaudi devoted many years to work on this project. Thanks to his ambition Church of the Holy Family became a unique combination of Art Nouveau and Gothic style.

Gaudi did not compose preliminary plans work, he improvised. He was constantly at the construction site and interfered with the progress of work. Sometimes Gaudi even stopped work and demolished what was built, coming up with something more interesting. According to his plan, the church has three facades: the southern facade “Passion of Christ”, the eastern one – “Resurrection”, the northern one – “Nativity”, and twelve towers - each of which symbolizes one of the twelve apostles.

Location: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, Mallorca metro station.

Cascade Fountain

Cascada was designed by Joseph Fontzere in 1881, especially for the 1888 World's Fair. Then young Gaudi was an assistant to the master. The source of inspiration is the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome. The creations of Fontzere and Gaudi are located in the Ciutadella Park (Park de la Ciutadella) - famous place in Barcelona.

Location: north-eastern part of the Old Town, Passeig Picasso 5.

The architecture of the center of Barcelona does not leave many indifferent; here you want to walk with your head held high to enjoy the beauty of the buildings built in the Art Nouveau style. Incredibly, it is impossible to find two identical houses in the center of Barcelona! No matter how harmonious the architectural style of this city looks, here with incredible success completely dissimilar architectural masterpieces coexist. Despite the abundance of talented architects in the Art Nouveau era in Barcelona, ​​the name of one literally became a symbol of the city. Certainly, we're talking about a great genius or a madman - Antonio Gaudi: according to legend, upon receiving his diploma in 1878, Professor Gaudi said: “I don’t know, gentlemen, to whom we are presenting the diploma - a genius or a madman!” This dispute still reigns among fans and opponents of Gaudi. Despite this, Antoni Gaudi created more than two dozen buildings, houses, parks, cathedrals and decorative elements in Barcelona, ​​seven of which are included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.

Top 10 must-see Gaudi creations in Barcelona:

1. Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia Cathedral is called “Gaudi’s dream”, since he knew that he would not have time to complete the construction during his lifetime, but being a very religious person, he considered this project his main creation in life. Unfortunately, after his death, Gaudi’s drawings for the construction of the cathedral were lost and they were restored through conversations with the architect’s inner circle. For more than a century, the cathedral has not been completed; the completion date is constantly being postponed, until this moment estimated date scheduled for 2030, but of the 18 Sagrada Familia towers planned by Gaudí, only 8 were built. Interestingly, the local authorities do not sponsor construction works and the cathedral is being built with its own funds, collected from entrance tickets and donations. However, despite its unfinished appearance, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is the most visited attraction along with Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Sagrada Familia Cathedral is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

2. Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo

Casa Batlló in Barcelona is a residential building on the central street of Barcelona, ​​Passeig de Gràcia, rebuilt by the architect Gaudí in 1904 - 1906 for the textile magnate Josep Batlló i Casanovas. The uniqueness of this building lies in the complete absence of straight lines; wavy lines appear both in the external decor and in the interior decoration of the house. There are many interpretations of the mysterious appearance of the main façade, but the most common interpretation is the legend about the figure of a giant dragon, which Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, defeated in order to save the beautiful princess. The House of Ballier is called the “house of bones”, as the columns and balconies on the main facade are interpreted as the bones and skulls of girls eaten by a dragon, according to legend.

3. House Mila

Another residential building built for the seven Mila Passeig de Gràcia in 1906-1910 in Barcelona. The design of Casa Mila was innovative for its time: the building is a reinforced concrete structure with load-bearing columns without load-bearing or supporting walls; a natural ventilation system has been thought out here, which makes it possible today to refuse air conditioning in hot Catalan weather; There are elevator shafts and an underground garage. Casa Mila was Gaudí's last secular work before he devoted himself entirely to the Sagrada Familia and the first 20th-century piece of architecture to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4. Palace Güell

One of early works Gaudi for an admirer of his talent and friend, Catalan industrialist Eusebi Güell. From the outside, Palace Güell resembles a Venetian palazzo, but inside, traditional Gaudí elements can be traced: a combination of Art Nouveau and Gothic styles, wavy lines, chimneys on the roofs made in different forms and decorated with mosaics. Palais Güell is Gaudí's only building in the old town of Barcelona and is located on Carrer Nou de la Rambla. In 1984, the palace was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

5. Park Guell

The most famous park in Barcelona is in the Gràcia district, created by Gaudi from 1900 to 1914. Initially, Park Güell was conceived as a purely investment project, for which Eusebi Güell acquired 15 hectares of land, which were divided into 62 plots for the construction of private mansions inside a common garden, but only 2 plots were sold: the distance from the center of Barcelona did not attract the local bourgeoisie. On the territory of the park there is the house of Gaudi himself, where he lived from 1906 to 1925, and the Güell mansion, as well as business card parka - the famous winding bench.

6. House of Vicens

House Vincennes

Vincennes House (Casa Vicens) is one of the first buildings of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, ​​the house was designed in 1878 at the same time the young architect received his diploma. Casa Vicens was built for the family of Manuel Vicens, a brick and ceramic tile manufacturer, so the decoration of the main façade of the building is a tribute to the activities of the owner.

7. House Calvet

Casa Calvet

House Calvet (Casa Calvet) is another famous private residential building, built for the widow of the textile manufacturer Pere Martir Calvet i Carbonel in 1898-1900 by the architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. Casa Calvet was originally planned as an apartment building: the lower floor was allocated for retail space, the mezzanine for apartments for homeowners, and the upper floors for rentals. It is interesting that it was for the construction of this house, and not for other Gaudi houses in Barcelona, ​​that the architect received the Barcelona Municipal Prize for the best building of the year in 1900. There are no Gothic or medieval allusions here; the building is decorated in the Baroque style.

8. Bellesguard or House of Figueres

House Figueres

House Figueres

House Fingares, or Bellesguard as it is commonly known, was built between 1900 and 1916 for the widow of a food merchant, Maria Sages. Built on the slope of Mount Tibidabo, the mansion resembles a castle. The fact is that the architect was inspired by the story that the summer residence of Marty the Human was once located here - the last king Catalonia.

9. St Teresa's College

St Teresa's College

The school at the monastery of Saint Teresa is a recognized decoration of Barcelona, ​​but its construction was not an easy task for the architect. Given the severely limited budget adopted by the Order, whose motto was asceticism and frugality, it was necessary to abandon most decorative delights and follow Gothic traditions.

10. Lanterns on the Royal Square of Barcelona

The lanterns on the Royal Square in Barcelona are the first and perhaps the only state commission of Gaudi in Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudí is a Catalan architect known for his whimsical and fantastical buildings, most of which are located in Barcelona, ​​Spain. His work belongs to the Art Nouveau style, but he used elements very different styles and created a completely new architecture.

During his life he created more than 20 architectural masterpieces. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, but all of them, without exception, are popular tourist destinations.

Gaudi had a phenomenal mind. He almost never worked with drawings; he did all the calculations in his head, and his main tools were imagination and intuition. Gaudí's gift lay in his amazing ability to draw a building in his imagination and then embody it in stone.

For the birthday of Antonio Gaudi, Lifeguide I have prepared for you 7 of the most famous works of this brilliant architect:

1. House of Vicens (1883-1885)

This house in Barcelona was Gaudí's first independent construction. Casa Vicens is a motley mixture of different architectural styles, the most striking and recognizable of which is the Moorish “Mudeja” style. Structural forms and ornamental solutions reflected Gaudí's taste for oriental art, primarily Moorish, Persian and Byzantine.

2. Park Guell (1900-1914)

Fairytale houses, a bench in the shape of a snake, fountains, sculptures - this is all the famous Park Güell. Covering an area of ​​17.18 hectares, the park is located in the upper part of Barcelona and is a combination of gardens and residential areas. Park Güell was conceived as a green residential area in the style of the garden city urban planning concept that was fashionable in England at that time.

3. Casa Batllo (1904 - 1906)

Casa Batllo, or as it is also called the House of Bones, was built back in 1877. And if it weren’t for Antonio Gaudi, who was given the order to reconstruct the building, it would have remained an ordinary house. The most remarkable feature of Casa Batllo is the almost complete absence of straight lines in its design. The wavy outlines appear both in the decorative details of the facade, carved from hewn stone, and in the interior design.

All decorative elements of the house are completed the best masters applied arts. The forged elements were created by the Badia brothers, the stained glass windows were created by glassblower Josep Pelegri, the tiles were created by P. Pujol i Bausis son, and other ceramic parts were made by Sebastian i Ribot.

4. House Mila (1906-1910)

The design of this Gaudi building was innovative for its time: a well-thought-out natural ventilation system makes it possible to avoid air conditioning, interior partitions in each of the apartments of the house can be moved at your discretion, and there is an underground garage. Three courtyards (one circular and two elliptical) are characteristic design elements that the architect constantly turned to in order to fill the spaces in his buildings with enough light and fresh air.

5. El Capriccio (1983-1885)

Rubén Hoya

El Capriccio is a summer mansion on the Cantabrian coast in the town of Comillas near Santander, Spain. This quaint little palace, built in the Art Nouveau style, belongs to early period creativity of Gaudi. Multi-colored paints were chosen for the exterior decoration of the building. The base was decorated with rustic yellowish-gray stone; the façade was lined with strips of colored bricks alternating with bright majolica tiles. Relief majolica depicted graceful flowers and sunflower leaves.

6. Palace Güell (1885 - 1890)

aussiewig

Palace Güell is a city residential building in Barcelona, ​​built by order of an admirer of Gaudi’s talent, the Catalan industrialist Eusebi Güell. In this building, the Catalan architect combined the traditional rectangular structure and coffered ceilings of medieval palaces with innovations such as the parabolic arch, which was also characteristic of Gaudí’s later work. The palace has four main floors, plus a basement (ground floor) and a flat roof with a terrace.

7. Sagrada Familia or Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (1882 - present time)

This is the most famous long-term construction in Spain - the temple has been under construction for more than 130 years! In accordance with Gaudí's project, the structure was to be crowned with many monumental towers soaring upward, and all elements of the scenery were to receive deep symbolic meaning related to the Gospel or church rituals. Realizing that work on the temple would not be completed during his lifetime, Gaudí also planned many of the interior details.

According to the data, construction of the temple is planned to be completed in 2026.

In this video you can still take a look at what this impressive design should look like in the end: