After walking down a street flooded with traditional Barcelona architecture, one building in particular stands out. This building is very tall and full of colors, funky architecture, and beautiful windows. The building being bragged about is no other than Casa Battló Gaudí also known as Gaudi’s House.
If you are bored and looking for something fun and unique to do, this experience is definitely worth the money. Gaudí’s house showcases so of the most amazing art, structures and architecture in the world. Discovering information about the different rooms and simply enjoying the architecture is a very fulfilling experience
Entering
Buying tickets online is the way to go as they make walking into the house much easier. You simply skip the line, and proceed to grab your audio guide. This audio guide was unique compared to the interactive apps one might find on some of the other tours. Each person is given a personal phone. As you travel to each room, you simply dial the number shown in the room and information is provided to you based on the room you are in.
Living room and Entryway
You quickly learn as you walk with the audio guide and throughout the house that Gaudí drew a lot of inspiration when designing his house from the sea. If you look closely, small patterns can be seen on the ceiling as you walk throughout certain rooms in the house. These patterns resemble turtle shells. These turtle shells can also be seen in the downstairs part of the house.
On the walls, limestone and animal skins can also be spotted. Observation is key when walking through this enormous house as everything has a purpose, including the walls and ceilings. What made this experience so unique was the fact that everything had a meaning to it.
Though it is not hard to spot the type of print on the walls or the ceilings, if you look closely, you can see the skins change as you walk throughout the house
The Study
The study was a personal favorite. Gold 24k skin can be seen in the room. It is said Gaudí did this because he believed it reflected important matters. Refractory surroundings are used to manage heat as well.
Curved seats near the chimney are also a stand-out feature. It was not common to have these kinds of seats in your house but Gaudí found it more welcoming and cozier.
Main Floor and Living Areas
These rooms were not too crowded, but many people were also viewing the house. Many stood off to the side to observe each detail of the rooms. When we got to the living areas, a tourist by the name of Gabi was asked her favorite part of the room. “The stained-glass windows by far.” When asked why she stated, “They light up the room in a unique way.” How she felt about the stained-glass windows was something others agreed on.
The windows sifted light in the different rooms. Depending on how many and the placement, it would completely change the mood of the room. Beautiful blue swirls could be seen at the top of the windows adding cooler colors into the room.
This was common in his house as his goal was to completely transform the living room into a chapel. Gaudí stated by simply opening the doors, you should be able to see a clear representation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Another iconic feature of the living room is the spiral ceiling. The curves lead to a beautiful chandelier in the middle that lit up the room in a satisfying way. Each of the curves reached out to a different corner of the room making your eyes naturally follow them and focus on the center.
The floor, though it may seem like normal wood was actually built that way to reflect the Sistine Chapel of Modernism. This is something the audio guide did an amazing job highlighting as many would overlook it.
Up the Stairs
Though many people can be spotted when observing the other rooms, going up the many flight of stairs is something you may get to experience by yourself. Warm light can be seen as you walk up the steps giving the home a cozy feel. It felt as if you were walking up to your own room in the home.
The stairs were marble with blue tones which helps continue the blue and sea theme of the house. If you look straight up in the house, you can see what feels like a never ending wall of blue and tiles. Like many of the other features of the house, Gaudí stated he truly wanted to resemble the ocean here.
The different tiles, windows, blue color and stained-glass really makes you feel like you are embracing the ocean.
The doors on each floor showed off a curved shape, something that Gaudí loved to do, but you don’t find as much in modern day homes. It is definitely uncommon which is why it was so nice to observe the different types seen throughout the house.
The stairway is also referred to as the patio of lights. Natural lights, cool and warm lighting are all types you observe as you climb to the top of this building.
As you walk up the steps, you also get a chance to view Gaudí’s bathroom. This may not seem as exciting on paper, but it feels surreal when experiencing it. It gives you time to truly imagine how life may have been like for him and how his daily routine could have gone. The bathroom also has many differences to modern bathrooms such as different color tiles, patterns and open windows.
The Top
Once you reach the top of the house, the view is remarkable. You can see major parts of Barcelona along with more multicolored animal skin that we once saw before in the lower parts of the house. Lights hang above your head and many people can be seen grabbing a bite to eat or enjoying a drink while taking in the surrounding art.
Another amazing feature was a special fountain Gaudí had at the top of the house. Very few people were in the room while viewing this fountain. One other person viewing the fountain was asked his thoughts on it. Jacob stated, “I like how the water looks like it will never run out.” The features of this fountain can be compared to a modern day
l as the water makes its way to the edge and keeps flowing.
Final Remarks
When you think the tour is completely over, there is still one more room to experience. This room is a 3D experience, taking the work of Gaudí and filling up the entire room with it. Many different images, words and pieces of art splash throughout this room and allow you to immerse yourself in his work one last time before leaving. It is truly the perfect way to end your visit.
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