Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi is one of the most unique architects of the modern times. His style is a blend of neo-gothic and art-nouveau, but it also has surrealist and cubist elements. He is one of Spain’s most internationally recognized architects who left his mark throughout Barcelona and Catalonia. His unusual vision and creative designs worked as a magic to these historic regions. He brought a new movement into the world of architecture through his unique sense of art.
Antoni Gaudi was born in 1852, in Catalonia. He was the son of a copper smith and was the first in more than four generations to have left the family tradition of metal work. He obtained his diploma from the Provincial School of architecture in Barcelona, in 1878. He was involved in several small projects as a student. He was one of the only four students at Provincial School of Architecture to be granted the title of Architect by the school’s director. Gaudi was strongly influenced by Medieval books, Gothic art, Oriental structures, the Art Nouveau movement, and certainly the glory of nature.
Casa Vicens was one of his earliest major assignments. This house was built for Manuel Vicens Montaner on Carrer de les Carolines, in the Gracia quarter of Barcelona from 1883 to 1885. This building was mostly made up of straight faces but had vast decorations. Casa Vicens incorporates a brilliant display of ideas and an "enormous explosion of imagination." In his later projects, he used complex shapes and curves, but still kept his unique ornamentation. Many of Gaudi’s later work were commissioned by Guell family which helped him to become famous in Barcelona. These projects include residential mansions, estates and an urban park. Palau Guell (1886-1888), Pavellons Guell (1884-1887), Colonia Guell (1898-1908) and Guell Cellars (1895-1898) and Park Guell (1901-1914) are among these projects. Gaudi also made a new building for the Convent School Colegio Teresano (1888-1889) and remodeled an apartment building, Casa Batillo (1904-1906). Casa Mila, an apartment building designed for the Mila family, was Gaudi’s last civil building (1906-1910). Gaudi also worked outside of Barcelona but the outside world was not influenced by Gaudi’s work until long after his death.
Temple de La Sagrada Familia or Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family was considered Gaudi’s masterpiece and became his most famous structure. It was started by Francisco del Villar in Barcelona. Gaudi became the official architect and took over the construction in 1884. At this time, Gaudi was only 31 years old. Gaudi changed the plans, after some time, so that the temple was no longer being built in the Gothic Revival style. Since 1908, Gaudi centered all his efforts on the temple. He worked on the building until his tragic death in 1922, when he got hit by a streetcar.
In conclusion, Antoni Gaudi is an architect who dedicated his life in building extraordinary structures. His works have style of their own. Gaudi’s structures are sculpture-like with colorful ornamentations and details. His works reveal that he was greatly influenced by the Catalan movement and Art Nouveau. He succeeded in not only developing intricately designed exteriors but also fantastic interiors.