By Zexi Zhang
La Sagrada Familia at night and during the day
When people think of Barcelona one of the first things that would come to mind would be their football team, because who doesn’t love a good competitive sport. But following right behind that, would be the stunning architecture that decorates the streets of Barcelona.
It’s bold, it’s distinctive, it’s harmonious, it’s colorful. Barcelona creates the perfect harmony between the old Romanesque, gothic styles versus the colorful, contemporary modern aspects of its city. These buildings leave us breathless as we take in the beauty of what Barcelona has to offer.
The most beautiful visionary pieces that Barcelona displays are built by a Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudi. If you’ve never heard of his name before visiting Spain, you’re bound to come across it every so often once in Barcelona and you most definitely will be gaping at his works in person as well.
The entrance to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's most well-known work that's still in progress well after his death
Antoni Gaudi
Gaudi was born in 1852 and began his architectural career in 1870 and created beautiful masterpieces such as Park Guell, Casa Batllo, The Bellesguard Tower, Casa Mila, and most importantly, La Sagrada Familia, which is still being worked on to this day almost 100 years after his death.
A display of all of Gaudi's work
Gaudi was a prodigy of his time and a genius in the architectural field. He had a talent for working with space and volume and transforming the space into something magical. Instead of just designing an area though, Gaudi felt the space and was able to reflect his feelings into his works.
His works are known for their modernist style as he worked with stones, ceramic mosaic tiles and stained glass. His unique style inspired many after him through its vivid colors and use of different textures. His buildings were vibrant with different colors as he also combined multiple materials together.
His most legendary and prominent work is a work in progress still, the La Sagrada Familia, which is an undisputed symbol of Barcelona. And another one of his works that has gained notable attention is Casa Batllo that leads its visitors through a marine inspired dream world.
La Sagrada Familia
The official start date of this basilica was March 19 of 1882. And now 140 years later, this Roman Catholic church is still undergoing construction.
The timeline of La Sagrada Familia and miniature replicas of the basilica
The reason why La Sagrada Familia is taking so long to be built is because the construction of it is solely funded through visitors and donations. In addition, the Coronavirus pandemic also ushered a halt to the construction of it.
“I remember coming here when I was younger and seeing La Sagrada Familia under construction and now I’m back almost ten years later and it still looks the same!” laughed Emily Phelan, a tourist visiting from Scotland.
La Sagrada Familia is an expiatory temple used as a place for people to commemorate the reparation of sins against God or the holy word. Sagrada Familia translates to Sacred Family and it is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church.
Upon stopping into the grand cathedral, it feels as if the sky just opened up as visitors gawk at the high rise ceiling and the pillars that seem to be lifting it up into the heavens above. Guests can’t help but be mesmerized at the grand sight and the stained glass windows that loom on above, casting a beautiful array of colors.
The beautiful pillars that seem to expand the area
In the center of it all is a row of seats for visitors to just sit and relax and reflect on their troubles or achievements as they share this moment with God.
Alana Maklouf, a student studying abroad in Barcelona found peace as she sat there in deep concentration. “I think I was sitting there for 20 minutes or something, but it felt so soothing just to be able to sit there and take in everything.”
She isn’t the only one who felt that way as many other visitors were also found sitting in their own bubble of thoughts.
After getting over the initial shock of having something so magnificent standing before your eyes, guests can explore the cathedral and learn more about the meaning behind it and its towers.
Afterwards guests can take a step outside and take in the beauty from the other side of the cathedral where more images of Jesus and the cross are etched into the monument.
Through it all, this grand basilica will take you through a spiritual enlightening journey as you learn more about the construction of this grand masterpiece and enjoy the designs of Gaudi.
Information about the backstory of La Sagrada and Joan and Lluc
Casa Batllo
The beautiful mosaic tiles of Casa Batllo from outside
Not far off, like a 23 minute walk, is Casa Batllo, another masterpiece built by Antoni Gaudi. It was built in 1877 and finished around 1904/1906.
Casa Batllo is a house built through a modernistic point of view. Casa Batllo translates to House of the Dragon, which is reflected in the scaling of the ceramic tiles that’s supposed to symbolize a dragon’s body.
The whole house is supposed to give off a fun house sort of vibe as visitors are brought from one room to another with an audio guide and tablet for visuals.
“It was so cool to see what Gaudi had in mind for the room and then compare it to what the room actually looked like through the tablets we were given. It was like looking in through a portal into an alternate universe” said Bridget McHugh, a tourist from America who came to Barcelona to study abroad.
The underwater vibes of Casa Batllo as it immerses its guests in an underwater experience
The rooms were inspired by underwater life through the blue color tone and the designs that represent sea animals. The building itself seems like something based off of a coral reef and the materials used look like something found in the ocean.
As you walk through each room you will be amazed that such a house like this exists and people used to live in it!
The tour then leads you to the rooftop where you can take in the view of Barcelona from above. Here, the imagery of a dragon is more prominent as the roof looks like the body of a dragon with the shingles acting as dragon scales and the slope as the dragon’s back.
The dragon-esque rooftop with a rooftop bar as well!
This exhibit really lets the guests into Gaudi’s head as they see his visions come to life and he brings his imagination into reality.
Gaudi has left his mark in this beautiful city, giving Barcelona many more sights to see. His legacy will forever remain a constant as people from all over the world will come visit Spain just to see his works. His architectural style beautifully expresses his talent and intelligence and he creates masterpiece after masterpiece that seems to open the door to a whole other world.
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