Barcelona is an exciting cosmopolitan city, which offers unusual and well-known buildings of Spain’s most famous architect Antoni Gaudi.
Maybe you don’t know about Gaudi or architecture, but once you start walking the streets of Barcelona you will identify a Gaudí building, as they are distinctively apparent. Antoni Gaudi was an architect from Reus, Catalonia, Spain. He was a practitioner of Catalan Modernism and his style was very individualized, distinctive and dramatic. Gaudi was a true entrepreneur and kept true to his aesthetic style.
Casa Vicens is Gaudí’s first important building, as it was a summer home commissioned by a prominent Barcelona family. This imaginative home has Islamic architecture influences in its façade and some of its rooms. Gaudi liked to use a technique called trencadis, which is a type of mosaic used in Catalan Modernism. Trencadis is created from broken tile shards and is evidenced in the beautiful facade of Casa Vicens. A highlight of walking the streets of Barcelona are the glimpses of Catalan Modernism and Gaudi’s whimsical, wonderful creations.
