A person who suffered from rheumatism, which prevented him from enjoying life. Lost his entire family and lived alone, never married. Who is he? Ascetic or limited person by illness? He is Antonio Gaudi, a great artist, architect! Antoni Gaudí y Cournet was born on June 25, 1852 in the town of Reus, Catalonia. The family already had four children, Antonio became the youngest. The master notes that it was in childhood in his father's workshop that inspiration came to him.
In 1970, Gaudi entered the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona, which he successfully graduated in 1978. From 1970 to 1882, the future master made drawings in the workshop of Emilio Sala and Francisco Villar, developed drawings of small elements of urban architecture. Gaudi's main hobby is creating his own home.
In Europe at this time, the neo-Gothic style reigned. This period is characterized by the rapid beginning of the reconstruction and restoration of churches and architectural monuments. It is here that the individual and unique emphasis of Gaudí is formed.
Some of the first glorified projects are the elegant Vicens House in Barcelona, El Capriccio in Cantabria, and the pseudo-baroque Calvet House (Barcelona). These houses are a combination of wealth and modernity, originality and uniqueness.
By coincidence, the textile tycoon Eusebi Güell becomes Antonio Gaudi's friend. In return for friendship, Gaudi gets the opportunity not to pay for the estimates of his projects, and Guell gets extraordinary and extraordinary creations. Gaudí builds chapels, wine cellars, houses and fantastic parks for the Guell family, such as the fantastic Parc Guell (Barcelona).
It was during this period that Gaudí became the most fashionable architect, who had customers who were ready to spend all their fortune on the master's bizarre architectural objects. Barcelona has been greatly transformed by Gaudí's "fluid" architecture. The Casa Mila and the fantasy Casa Batlló are prime examples.
The death of the architect was terrible and absurd. On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudí walked to the church of Sant Felip Neri. He was a member of this church. On the way, he is knocked down by a tram. The cabbies, mistaking Gaudí for an old beggar, refused to take him to the hospital. As a result, he was taken to a hospital for beggars, where they provided appropriate medical care for this segment of the population. Only a day later he was found by the chaplain of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral Mosen Gil Pares y Vilasau. But the master's condition was so bad that subsequent treatment could not help him.
The unique architectural appearance of the capital of Catalonia was magically influenced by the work of the great master Gaudí. Architect Antoni Gaudi i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the city of Reus, Catalan province of Tarragona. His parents were boiler workers, and the young genius often helped his father and grandfather, admiring the virtuoso work of their hands in the manufacture of copper products. In love with nature and observant Antonio, from childhood, he was attracted by the perfection of forms, the play of colors and lines. Love for everything natural found a way out in the work of Gaudi - the favorite materials of the master were stone, ceramics, wood and wrought iron.
There are 18 buildings in the architectural heritage of Gaudí, most of them are located in Barcelona, defining the entire appearance of the city. He was in love with this city, spoke Catalan and drew inexhaustible inspiration for creativity from the culture of his people. Among the most famous works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona are Vicens House, Terezianoc School, Bellesguard House, Guell Palace, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera House, Park Guell and, of course, the Sagrada Familia.
The mysterious symbol of the city - the Sagrada Familia
The temple is the “trademark” of Barcelona, the recognized symbol of the city. Its majestic towers make a truly unforgettable impression, the building itself is full of secrets and coded messages from Gaudí. But, perhaps, the main mystery of this masterpiece, which was conceived as a temple of atonement for sins, is its incompleteness.
The building was designed in the Gothic style, traces of it can be traced in the crypt and apse, but then the genius of improvisation changed the idea, experimenting with styles and creating his own unique architectural style. When creating the temple, Gaudi almost did not use drawings, he made sketches with his own hands, and therefore it took a lot of time to work. The architect worked on the Sagrada Familia temple for forty-three years without completing the construction. In 1926, he was killed when hit by a tram at the intersection of Gran Via and Bailen.
In 1936, Gaudi's workshops were burned down, and only 20 years later, work on the construction of the temple resumed, already in small pieces of photographs and sketches and, of course, without that magical improvisation that was inherent only to Gaudi. The construction of the cathedral continues to this day, steadily overcoming financial and other difficulties. The Sagrada Familia, located in the very center of the city at 401 Mallorca Street, annually attracts thousands of tourists who, admiring the grandeur of Gaudí's project, try to unravel its mystery ...
Casa Batllo in Barcelona
Casa Batlló ("Battle", Batllo » ) - one of the many masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, an elegant example of the Art Nouveau style, so widespread in Catalonia at the beginning of the 20th century. Casa Batlló was built in 1904-1906 at 43 Paseo de Gracia. Gaudí reconstructed the house, applying his signature style: multicolored and sparkling mosaics, curved lines, expressive forms, quaint balconies, a fantastic roof with tiles in the form of fish scales.
The local name of the house is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones). It really recognizes the images of bones and internal organs some giant mysterious animal. The roof of the house is covered with arches, which creates associations with the back of a dragon. According to the generally accepted opinion, the rounded detail to the left of the center, ending with a turret with a cross, represents the sword of George the Victorious (Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia), thrust into the back of the dragon.
House Mila (Casa Mila, La Pedrera)
Casa Mila in Barcelona is one of the best examples of the architectural concept of Antoni Gaudí. To some, its facade resembles oncoming waves, and to others - a stone mountain with caves. The Barcelona people jokingly call it La Pedrera (Quarry).
Gaudí took his inspiration from nature as usual while building this home on the corner of the lively Paseo de Gracia and Rue Provença. The concept of modernity here is something living, fluid, moving, you can distinguish between caves, the sea, the underwater world. The view from the rooftop to Barcelona is just as amazing, there are no railings, and the gardens and mysterious figures seem to hang over the abyss.
In 1984, the Mila house was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and today the last floor houses a museum dedicated to Antoni Gaudi, the rest of the floors are given over to luxury housing.
Park Guell
Another famous project of Gaudí is Park Guell, located behind the Lesseps square, on the street Olot. The park was built from 1900 to 1914, but, unfortunately, like the Sagrada Familia, it was not finished.
The park, a joint project of Gaudí and the entrepreneur Güell, was a very promising idea: on the slope of one of the hills of the Barcelona plain, it was planned to build a green town for the rest of wealthy citizens. However, an economic crisis broke out, and construction had to be frozen. Gaudí was able to only partially make his dreams come true - one wall of the proposed park was built.
At the entrance to the park, you are greeted by two cozy "gingerbread" houses, made following the example of the fortress towers, separated by spectacular iron gates (in one of these houses, Gaudi himself later settled). A staircase, decorated with sculptures of phantasmagoric animals covered with mosaics, leads upstairs, among them - the characteristic Gaudi lizard, a symbol of good luck and prosperity, found in almost every work of the master. The staircase leads to the spacious Hall of a Hundred Columns, the highlight of which is that the roof is at the same time a winding balcony, and the cornice of the colonnade is the back of a continuous bench that borders the entire upper square. From here one of the best views to the city.
Park Guell is considered one of the works of Gaudí where his imagination was most expressed. The house where the architect lived in 1906-1926 is now a museum named after him.
House Vicens
One of the first works by Antoni Gaudi is Vicens' house, which is located at 18-24 Carolinas Street. In 1878, a young entrepreneur, Manuel Vicens, commissioned the construction of his house at that time to the novice architect Antoni Gaudi. For reasons beyond his control, the construction was postponed for 5 years, and this was a salvation for the young Gaudi, who simply did not know how to design a house: the construction site was rather narrow, and it was necessary to build in a row of almost “ground-in” friend to friend buildings.
As a result, Gaudí's imagination could not fully roam, the house was built very simply, without frills and curved lines. To enliven the image, the architect decided to decorate the facade of the building using numerous bay windows and tiled decor. The base of the walls in natural stone has been complemented by a rough brick finish. However, the main attraction of the house was given by the colorful tiled decoration of walls and windows and an insane mixture of styles: Gaudí used techniques of different traditions, combining the incompatible, sculpting yellow flowers from tiles, installing Moorish turrets on the roof and decorating the garden with an art nouveau wrought-iron fence. The result is a fine example of modernism and a testament to the eternal genius of Antoni Gaudí.
If you are heading to Barcelona, be sure to visit these attractions, priceless heritage of Antoni Gaudí. Contact bytelephones Center of services for business and life in Spain "Spain in Russian" , and we will help you organize interesting individual or group excursions tounforgettable creations of Antoni Gaudi.
Hello friends. You are probably already accustomed to the fact that we tell you about interesting sights, cities, those points on our planet that you simply cannot fail to visit. This time we want to tell you about Antoni Gaudi. Let's try to do without enthusiastic epithets - they have all been said about this architect more than once. Let's just note: without this person, Barcelona, Spain, and even the history of world architecture would not have been familiar to us. Go.
Antonio Placid was born Guillem Gaudí y Cornet in 1852 in Catalonia, in the small town of Reus. He was the youngest child in big family the boiler-maker Francesc Gaudí y Serre 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 later his mother died. So in the care of Gaudi was the niece. The three of them settled in Barcelona with their father.
In 1906, his father died, his health had already been severely undermined by that time, and six years later his niece died.
The birth of a star
By 1878, Gaudí graduated from the school of architecture. Then he began to work as a draftsman, did a lot of ancillary work, unsuccessfully took part in all kinds of competitions.
What was happening around? And the excitement reigned around, associated with the neo-Gothic style. The idea and the very forms of this trend certainly admired Gaudí. But he took inspiration for his projects from the work of Viollet-le-Duc, the Spanish architect Martorell and art critic John Ruskin.
Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc - French architect, restorer, art critic and architecture historian, neo-Gothic ideologist, founder of architectural restoration. Wikipedia
The turning point in the work of Antoni Gaudi was the acquaintance with Eusebi Guell, who would later become his friend.
One of the richest people in Catalonia, Guell, could afford to play a little naughty, making his wildest dreams come true. Well, Gaudi received in this case complete freedom of expression.
For the Guell family, Antonio created projects for the city palace, the pavilions of their estate, wine cellars, crypts, chapels, as well as the one known to everyone.
Bench in Park Guell
Don't forget about the beautiful pieces of furniture that the Gaudí designer came up with and brought to Güell's homes.
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Gradually, Gaudi went beyond the then dominant styles, completely immersed himself in depth own universe curved surfaces and natural ornaments. And with the completion of construction at the age of 34, the architect has already become a star, whose work not everyone could afford.
For the wealthy of Barcelona, he built incredible houses unlike each other -,. All of them seemed to have lived their bizarre, incomprehensible lives to the outsider's eyes.
Mila House Interior
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. It is generally believed that the architect was a rather arrogant and rude person. Although people from the inner circle said the opposite.
In his youth, Antonio dressed like a dandy, was a gourmet, well versed in theatrical art. In adulthood, he completely stopped taking care of himself. Often on the streets he was mistaken for a vagabond.
The latter fact became, alas, fatal for the architect. On June 7, 1926, Gaudi went to church. At the next intersection, he was hit by a tram. The cabman refused to take the unkempt old man, fearing that he would not be paid for the journey.
In the end, the craftsmen were taken to the doorstep of the hospital for the beggars, where the first absolutely primitive help was found. The next day, Gaudi was found by acquaintances, but it was already impossible to save him. He died on June 10, a few days later was buried in the Sagrada Familia.
Interior of the Sagrada Familia temple
Interestingly, in recent decades, a program has been underway to canonize Gaudí as a saint, patron saint of architects.
Architecture
The life of the architect was fruitful and vibrant. As bright as its architecture. Many believe that Gaudi worked 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 House of Vincennes, a private residential building that Gaudi built almost immediately after receiving his diploma. And its architecture clearly shows the influence of the Spanish-Arabic Mudejar style.
House Vincennes
The next brainchild of the master was the summer mansion of El Capriccio in the town of Comillas.
Construction was commissioned by a relative of Guell. And Gaudi himself never even visited the construction site. This building is known primarily for its constructivist feature - the horizontal distribution of space.
On the territory of Leon stands another ode to the Gothic, created by Antonio - Dom Botines. This seven-level building is practically devoid of external decoration. The strict look is set off only by the artistic forging of the lattice.
But let's get back to Barcelona. Yet it is here that most of creations of the great architect.
House Calvet is another private house built by Gaudí.
It was built as a tenement house. Here you will not see even a hint of Gothic. The design of the building is quite ascetic, which is in good harmony with other buildings in the area.
But take a closer look, and you will see a lot of important little things: knockers on the front doors depict bedbugs, textile bobbins at the entrance remind of the owner's profession, floral ornaments hint at the hobby of the owners of the house.
And, of course, the symbol of Barcelona, and maybe the whole country - the Sagrada Familia or 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.
Gaudí also made his contribution to the field of landscape architecture and small forms. These include:
- Artigas gardens
- lanterns of the royal square of Barcelona
- Mirallas gate and many others.
On several occasions he worked in conscience with other masters.
These were the life and work of a genius who changed our understanding of architecture.
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, Catalonia
La Sagrada Familia
Anthony Placid Guillem Gaudí y Cournet(also Antonio; cat. Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí i Cornet, isp. Antonio Plácido Guillermo Gaudí y Cornet ; June 25, Reus, Catalonia - June 10, Barcelona) - Spanish (Catalan) architect, most of whose fantastical work was erected in Barcelona.
Biography
Family
Antoni Gaudí y Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona, Catalonia. According to other sources, the place of birth was Riudoms - a place located 4 km from Reus, where his parents had a small Vacation home... He was the fifth, youngest, child in the family of boiler houses of the master Francesc Gaudí y Serre and his wife Antonia Cournet y Bertrand. It was in his father's workshop, according to the architect himself, that a sense of space awakened in him. Gaudí's two brothers died in infancy, the third brother died in 1876, and soon after that his mother also died. In 1879, his sister also died, leaving a little daughter in the care of Gaudí. Together with his father and niece, Gaudi settled in Barcelona, where his father died in 1906, and six years later, his poor health niece. Gaudí was never married, moreover, he was a misogynist. From childhood he suffered from rheumatism, which interferes with playing with other children, but does not interfere with long solitary walks, to which he had an addiction all his life. The limited mobility due to illness sharpened the observation of the future architect, opened the world of nature to him, which became the main source of inspiration in solving both artistic design and constructive tasks.
Becoming
In 1870-1882, Antoni Gaudi worked under the supervision of architects Emilio Sala and Francisco Villar as a draftsman, unsuccessfully participating in competitions; studied crafts, doing many small jobs (fences, lanterns, etc.), also designed furniture for his own home.
Also during these years, a project appeared in a restrained Gothic, even "serf" style - the School at the Monastery of St. Teresa (Barcelona), as well as an unrealized project for the buildings of the Mission of the Franciscans in Tangier; the neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga (Castilla, Leon) and Dom Botines (Leon).
However, his meeting with Eusebi Guell was decisive for the realization of the young architect's plans. Gaudí later became a friend of Guell. This textile tycoon richest man Catalonia, not alien to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudí got what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without looking back at the estimate.
Gaudí designs the pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona for the Guell family; wine cellars in Garraf, chapels and crypts of Colonia Guell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló); fantastic Park Guell (Barcelona).
Notoriety
Soon, Gaudí transcended the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, forever moving into a world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakable, style.
The house of the manufacturer in Barcelona, the so-called Palace of Guell ( Palau Güell), was the artist's answer to the patron. With the completion of the construction of the palace, Antoni Gaudi ceased to be an unnamed builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, and soon turned into "almost impermissible luxury." For the bourgeois of Barcelona, he built houses one more unusual than the other: a space that is born and develops, expanding and moving like living matter - Mila's house; a living, quivering creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy - Casa Batlló.
Customers who were ready to throw out half of the fortune for construction initially believed in the genius of the architect, who was paving the way for a new path in architecture.
Death
On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudí left home to go on his daily journey to the church of Sant Felip Neri, of which he was a parishioner. Walking absent-mindedly along Gran Via de las Cortes Catalanes between the streets of Girona and Baylen, he was hit by a tram and lost consciousness. The cabbies refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money and documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. In the end, Gaudí was taken to a hospital for beggars, where he received only primitive medical care. Only the next day he was found and identified by the chaplain of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral Mosen Gil Pares y Vilasau. By that time, Gaudi's condition had already deteriorated so much that the best treatment could not help him.
Gaudí died on June 10, 1926 and was buried two days later in the crypt of the cathedral he had not completed.
Chronology of buildings
The style in which Gaudí worked is referred to as Art Nouveau. However, in fact, in his work, he used elements of a wide variety of styles, subjecting them to creative processing. Gaudí's work can be divided into two periods: early buildings and buildings in the style of national Art Nouveau (after 1900).
| 1883-1888 | House Vicens UNESCO World Heritage Site ", |
|---|---|
| 1883-1885 | El Capriccio, Comillas (Cantabria) |
| 1884-1887 | Guell Estate Pavilions, Pedralbes (Barcelona) |
| 1886-1889 | Palau Guell, Barcelona - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, |
| 1888-1894 | School at the Convent of Saint Teresa, Barcelona |
| 1889-1893 | Episcopal Palace in Astorga, Castile (Leon) |
| 1891-1892 | House Botines, Leon |
| 1883-1926 | Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, |
| 1892-1893 | Franciscan Mission in Tangier (not built) |
| 1895-1898 | Wine cellars Guell, Garafa - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, |
| 1898-1900 | House Calvet, Barcelona |
| 1898-1916 | Chapel and crypt of the Colonia Guell, Santa Coloma de Cervello |
| 1900-1902 | Figueres House on Bellesguard Street, Barcelona |
| 1900-1914 | Park Guell, Barcelona - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, |
| 1903-1910 | Artigas Gardens, 130 km from Barcelona, foothills of the Pyrenees |
| 1902 | Villa Catllaras, La Pobla de Lille |
| 1901-1902 | Manor Mirallas |
| 1904 | Warehouses of the Badia blacksmith's artel |
| 1904-1906 | Casa Batlló |
| 1905 (May) | Hotel Attraction, New York (not completed) |
| 1904-1919 | Reconstruction Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca |
| 1906-1910 | House Mila (Quarry), Barcelona - included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, |
| 1909-1910 | Parish School of the Sagrada Familia Church of the Atonement, Barcelona |
Interesting facts from the biography of Antoni Gaudi
Antoni Gaudi: Hotel "Attraction"
- Gaudi's childhood was spent by the sea. He carried the impressions of the first architectural experiments throughout his life. Therefore, all of his houses resemble sand castles.
- Due to rheumatism, the boy could not play with the children and was often left alone. Clouds, snails, flowers attracted his attention for a long time ... Anthony dreamed of becoming an architect, but at the same time he did not want to invent anything. He wanted to build the way nature builds, and considered the sky and the sea to be the best of the interiors, and the tree and clouds as the ideal sculptural forms.
- When a school teacher once noticed that birds can fly thanks to their wings, teenager Anthony objected: domestic chickens also have wings, but they cannot fly, but thanks to their wings they run faster. And he added that a person also needs wings, only he does not always know about it.
"Menagerie" on the roof of the House of Mila
- When Antoni was a student at the University of Barcelona Architecture Seminar, his supervisor could not decide whether he was dealing with a genius or a madman.
- Gaudi chose the cemetery gate as the topic of the educational project, and it was the gate of the fortress - they separated the dead and the living, but they testified that eternal peace is just a reward for a decent life.
- Gaudí had different eyes: one was myopic, the other was farsighted, but he did not like glasses and said: "The Greeks did not wear glasses."
- “It's crazy to try to portray a non-existent object,” he wrote in his youthful diary.
He hated closed and geometrically correct spaces, and the walls drove him downright crazy; avoided straight lines, believing that a straight line is a product of man, and a circle is a product of God.
Later he will say: "... the corners will disappear, and matter will generously appear in its astral rounds: the sun will penetrate here from all sides and the image of paradise will appear ... so, my palace will become brighter than the light."
Dragon gate in the pavilions of Villa Guell (1887)
- In order not to "cut" the room into pieces, he came up with his own unsupported ceiling system. Only 100 years later did a computer program appear capable of performing such calculations. This is NASA's program for calculating space flight trajectories.
- He considered a model of excellence egg and as a sign of confidence in its phenomenal natural strength at one time wore raw eggs that he took with him for breakfast, right in his pocket.
- Friends noted his absolutely fantastic dexterity, such as the ability to catch flies in flight with his left hand.
- Gaudí was a craftsman in the highest sense of the word. He designed not only buildings, but also amazing furniture, fancy fences, gates and railings. He explained his amazing ability to think and feel in three dimensions by heredity: his father and grandfather are blacksmiths, one of his mother's grandfathers is a cooper, another sailor is “people of space and disposition”.
His father was a coppersmith, and this fact undoubtedly influenced Gaudi's passion for artistic casting. Many of Gaudí's most striking creations are made of wrought iron, often with his own hands.
- In his youth, the architect was a zealous anti-clerical, but then he became a staunch Catholic. Last years the architect spent as an ascetic hermit, fully devoting all his strength and energy to create immortal cathedral Holy Family, which became the supreme embodiment not only of his unique talent, but also of his earnest faith.
- Gaudí was crushed between two trams on June 7. They say that tram traffic in Barcelona first began on this very day, but this is just a beautiful legend.
- Antoni Gaudi's talent was, of course, widely known in Catalonia - sketches of his folded vaults can be found in the travel album of a still very young Le Corbusier. However, it was only in 1952 that Gaudí was truly "discovered", 26 years after his death, when a huge retrospective exhibition of his works took place.
- The famous architect has every chance of becoming the most "avant-garde" saint in history. catholic church... After all, the Sagrada Familia is a neo-Gothic style, perhaps only in spirit, from the church canons in the project there are only general outlines.
- Spanish Catholics have repeatedly asked the Pope about the possibility of canonizing Gaudí.
Notes (edit)
Literature
- Gaudí. Architect and artist. Author: D. Rowe Publisher: White City, Moscow - 2009;
- Gaudí is a bullfighter of art. Biography. Author: Giese Van Hensbergen (translated from English by J. Goldberg);
- Gaudi's masterpieces. Auth .: Khvorostukhina S. A .;
- Antonio Gaudi. Author: L. A. Dyakov;
- Antonio Gaudi. Salvador Dali. Author: L. Bonet, K. Montes;
- Antonio Gaudi: A Life in Architecture. Author: Rainer Zerbst;
- Gaudí: Personality and Creativity. Authors: Bergos J., Bassegoda-i-Nonnel J., Crippa J. (photographer Llimargas; translated from English by T. M. Kotelnikova);
- The Best of Barcelona (album). Ed .: A. Campana; Barcelona (Russian edition) - 2003;
- Antonio Gaudi // Architects. Biographical Dictionary. Author: I. I. Komarova
- All of Barcelona. Collection "All Spain". Russian edition. Editorial Escudo de Oro S.A., Barcelona.
- Gaudí. Russian edition. Editorial Escudo de Oro S.A., Barcelona.
- Antonio Gaudi. Author: Bassegoda Nonel X., Per. with Spanish M. Garcia Ordonez Ed .: V.L. Glazychev. - M .: Stroyizdat, 1986;
- All Gaudí. - Editorial Escudo de Oro, S.A., 2006. - S. 4-11. - 112 p. - ISBN 84-378-2269-6
- N. Ya. Nadezhdin. Antoni Gaudí: "Castles in the Air of Catalonia": Biographical Stories. - 2nd ed. - M .: Major, Osipenko, 2011.192 p., Series "Informal biographies", 2000 copies, ISBN 978-5-98551-159-8
Links
| Portal "Personalities" | |
| Portal "Architecture" | |
| Antoni Gaudi in Wikiquote | |
| Antoni Gaudí at Wikimedia Commons | |
| Project "Spain" |
The Spanish architect Gaudí and his houses, which have become iconic in world architecture, have turned the capital of Spain, Barcelona, into an architectural gem. In what style did a unique, gifted person work, who additionally combined an artist, a sculptor and a builder? What is the secret of his work? What is the fate of a genius?
Gaudí - style at the service of tradition
The founder of his own architectural style, Antoni Gaudí y Cornet The Catalan architect, born on June 25, 1852, expressed the peculiarities of the culture of his homeland with his work through the fusion of architectural styles and traditions. It does not fit into any architectural trend. His work is unique and completely different from generally accepted concepts. And the power of the aesthetic experience of Gaudí's creations only becomes greater over time.
There is not a single straight line in its structures. Architectural forms flow from one to another. He modestly built according to the laws of Nature and did not strive to surpass it.
What is the originality of Gaudi's style?
In 1878, the director of the Barcelona School of Architecture, Elies Rogent, said of Antonio at a graduation ceremony: “We have given this academic title to either a fool or a genius. Time will tell". At first, Gaudi participated in competitions without success, studied crafts, designed fences, lanterns, and furniture.
“There is nothing invented, everything originally exists in nature. Originality is a return to the origins, ”the master said about his works. Business card Gaudí's style has become an expression of natural forms in architecture.
Gaudi's style is
- the world of uneven surfaces, which we observe in nature;
- design solutions proposed by nature;
- decorativeness that exists in nature;
- continuation of the space created by nature.
Five years after graduating from the School of Architecture in Barcelona, he received his first important commission from the owner of a ceramic factory, Manuel Vicens.
Dashing trouble - the beginning: the house of the ceramist magnate Vicens
Casa Vicens (1883-1888) - a residence for the owner of a ceramic factory, which is clearly reflected in the façade of the "trencadis" (ie the use of ceramic waste). Gaudí decorated the facade of the house with a mosaic of pieces of tiles, which was completely unusual in the use of building materials.
At this time in Europe, there was an interest in the neo-Gothic style with the motto "Decorativeness - the beginning of architecture." Gaudi also adhered to this rule in his works. His work at the time was reminiscent of the Moorish (or Mudejar) style of architecture, which is a unique blend of Muslim and Christian design in Spain.
A private house once a year, on May 22, opens its doors to visitors. Everyone can appreciate the detailed design of the building, from the mosaic of the exterior decoration to the stained glass windows and wall paintings.
Incredible luck and Gaudi's only unrequited love
In 1878, Antoni Gaudi decided to showcase his work at the Paris World Exhibition. His work made an impression on the richest man in Catalonia, esthete and philanthropist, Eusebi Guella. He gave Antonio what every creator dreams of: complete freedom of expression with an unlimited budget!
Gaudí performs projects for the family
- the pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona;
- wine cellars in Garraf,
- the chapels and crypt of the Colony of Guell (Santa Coloma de Cervello);
- the fantastic Park Guella and its palace in Barcelona.
This was the best and at the same time sad period in the architect's personal life. The only girl who turned out to be worthy of his attention, Joseph Moreu, did not reciprocate. Embracing destiny, Gaudí devoted himself entirely to creativity and religion.
Royal garden in the style of Gaudí
The first large-scale project Gaudí carried out for his great patron, Eusebi Güell, were the pavilions of the estate. Construction took place between 1883 and 1887. Landscape design the park of the Count's summer residence, which has now become a park Royal Palace, entrance gates, pavilions, stables carry characteristics early period of creativity.
The most interesting work in the complex was the northern cast-iron gate. They are decorated with floral motifs in style, and a medallion with the letter "G". An impressive feature is the large wrought iron dragon with glass eyes.
This is the same Ladon that turns into the Serpen constellation for stealing golden apples. Its shape corresponds to the arrangement of the stars in the constellation.
Palau Güell (1885-1890)
The residence of the patron's family was the first building of the architect, in which structural elements also serve as a decorative function. Antonio uses steel supporting structures as decoration.
On the façade of the building, two pairs of large gates stand out, through which horse-drawn carriages and carriages could proceed directly to the lower stables and cellars, while guests could climb stairs to the upper floors.
The soul of the creator is looking for new forms. From the outside, the house has a calm façade reminiscent of a Venetian palazzo. But the interior and roof make up for the lack of Gaudi elements in the exterior.
The living room of the Palacio Guella with a Gaudi-style star ceiling In the central living room, an unusual parabolic dome is dotted with circular holes that make the ceiling starry during the day.
The silhouettes of chimneys and ventilation shafts leading to the roof take on various fantastic shapes. The roof resembles Park Guell.
The rich interiors of the palace combine works of arts and crafts, intarsia (wood inlays) and custom-made furniture.
The decoration of the walls and flat vaults of the palace is peculiar. In 1984, the Güell Palace, along with other architectural masterpieces of Gaudi, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Expression of the Gaudí style in the architecture of Park Guella
Between 1900 and 1914, Gaudí worked on the creation of an English-style residential parkland. To realize the garden-city concept that was fashionable in those years, Güell purchased 15 hectares of land for the construction of 62 private mansions. The economic setbacks of the project forced its heirs to sell the park to the city. It now houses the Gaudi House Museum.
For this site, Gaudi designed two magnificent entrance pavilions that serve as gates. A large ornamented staircase leads to the Hypostyle Hall, conceived by the architect as a market place. The esplanade is surrounded by a long serpentine bench made of precast concrete blocks clad in ceramic mosaics.
Devoted to his principles, Gaudí used only local materials. He designed the system of streets and viaducts in such a way that their construction had minimal impact on environment... They were adapted to the landscape as much as possible.
This principle makes his architecture and some researchers of his work call Gaudi's style eco-modern.
Gaudí and his houses "Bone" and "Quarry"
With his inimitable style, Gaudí becomes the most fashionable architect in Barcelona. It turns into "unaffordable luxury", creates one more unusual house than the other. The Spanish bourgeois spend their fortunes on the implementation of the artist's brilliant ideas.
Casa Batlló or a house from Bones. Barcelonians also call it "Yawning" and "House-Dragon", such a varied facade. Gaudi's style is a reverently reverent relationship with the Creator that was established in childhood. Rheumatism limited the boy to play with his peers, but did not interfere with long solo walks on horseback.
Observing the world around him, the architect drew inspiration for solving structural or decorative problems of architecture for clients. In his work, he used elements of a wide variety of styles, transforming them into a special direction called Spanish ( modernismo).
Why did the city authorities criticize the Bone House?
A living, quivering creature was the fruit of the architect's whimsical fantasy - the residential building of the textile magnate Casa Batlló. Gaudi reconstructed an existing building in 1904-1906, awaiting demolition. He used typical structural elements of Catalan architecture: ceramics, stone and wrought iron.
Despite the fact that the work was criticized by the city, in 1906 the city council of Barcelona recognized it as one of three best buildings of the year.
Due to the radical design during the construction, Gaudi violated all the bylaws of the city. And not because he is a "mischievous", but because the author's style went beyond the limiting framework of traditional architecture and urban planning. The powers that be had to change the laws.
Which building was Gaudí's last secular work?
House Quarry in Barcelona in the style of GaudíIn 1906, another big loss happens in the life of an architect: his father died, a blacksmith and boiler master, Francesc Gaudí y Sierra, died. According to Antonio, it was in his father's workshop that he felt space as living matter. His father taught him to understand the beauty of the objective world and instilled in him a love of architecture and drawing.
This is not the first loss in the life of a master. Born as the fifth child in the family, this year he was left all alone with his niece in the care, whom he buried after 6 years.
It was during this period that Antonio's new ideas were embodied in the house for the Mila family (casa Mila, 1906 - 1910). His innovation was as follows.
- He thinks over the natural ventilation system, which makes it possible to abandon air conditioners.
- Constructs a building without load-bearing and retaining walls (reinforced concrete structure with load-bearing columns). This makes it possible to move the interior partitions in each apartment at your own discretion. Today this technology is popular among the builders of monolithic frame houses.
- Arranges an underground garage.
- Each room in the house receives a window, which is also unusual for the early 20th century. There are three patios for this.
The undulating façade is a harmonious mass of all kinds of stone, which, along with the wrought iron balconies, was nicknamed “the quarry” or La Pedrera by the Barcelona people.
One of the most interesting constructive solutions of Gaudí is the attic of the house. The hall, once intended for washing and drying clothes, today has become a place for a permanent exhibition of Gaudí's work and life.
This building was the first building of the twentieth century, included in the UNESCO heritage (1984). And during construction, the customer and the builders paid more than one fine for violation of generally accepted standards.
Mila House was the last secular work before the architect devoted himself entirely to the work of the Atonement Temple of the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia). He no longer took new orders, but worked on the completion of current projects.
Colony Guella Crypt
The word "colony" does not at all carry the burden of "corrective labor." You can read what it is on the Zen Architecture channel.
The crypt, in this case, means the lower floor of the church, the construction of which Gaudi began in 1908 and completed in 1914 by order of his friend and patron Eusebi Guella. The architect was tasked with providing the cultural and religious basis for the life of the town of workers employed in the manufacturing of the industrialist.
Interior of the crypt of the church in the Colony of Guella. The columns are made of basalt, bricks and limestone depending on the load. Following his principles, Gaudí organically blended the church into the landscape of the area. For the interior, he designed amazing benches made of wood and iron, reflecting his roots as a hereditary blacksmith.
If you are interested, read more about the masterpiece crypt of the Colony Guell on the Zen Architecture channel.
The brilliance and poverty of the architect Gaudí
Dandy in his youth, a gourmet and theatergoer, traveling in his own carriage, in adulthood began to lead ascetic image life. On June 7, 1926, a 73-year-old man, dressed in a shabby suit and without documents, was hit by a tram. Unaware that he was a great architect, the victim was taken to a beggar's hospital. The next day, the chaplain (the main creation of Gaudi, to whom he dedicated more than 40 years) found him and transferred him to another hospital. But the best doctors were powerless.
You will recognize the architecture of Antoni Gaudi, his houses in Barcelona, which have become the World Heritage of Humanity, even if you are not at all familiar with his work. continue to build and hope to be completed by 2026.
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