GAUDÍ ARCHITECTURE, part 2

Possibly our favorite Gaudí building in Barcelona was the Casa Batlló,
redesigned from an existing building by Gaudí between 1904 and 1906.

It is nicknamed the Casa dels ossos (House of Bones) because of its skeletal appearance.

The interior courtyard and light well is decorated with blue and white tiles, shading from darker at the top near the opening
to the roof and lighter towards the bottom so as to give the illusion that there is the same amount of light throughout the space.

The details throughout the building are incredible.

The staircase from the courtyard to the main apartment on the next floor up is likewise amazing.

The second-floor apartment is open to the public.

The overall theme seems to be the ocean: the flow and shape of the waves, the colors of the creatures found in it.

Even the back of the building reveals interesting features.

Gaudí's playfulness can again be seen in the chimneys on the rooftop.

The use of broken tiles of different colors (a common Catalan design) here take the shape
of a dragon's back (the dragon and Saint George, after all, also a symbol of Catalonia).

Inside the roof, another of Gaudí's signature elements can be seen: the use of catenary arches.

Click here to see Gaudí's designs on display in Park Güell.

Close this page to see our photos from another of Barcelona's neighborhoods.