Barcelona

Among the very nice architecture in Barcelona, many of the most famous buildings were designed by catalan architect Antoni Gaudì, in the Art Nouveau style, called Modernismo in Spain, during the first half of the 20th century.

La Pedrera

Among the buildings designed by Gaudì, the first I saw is La Pedrera, a collective housing building also called Casa Milà.

La Pedrera detailsLa Pedrera corridorLa Pedrera facade Its facade is undulating, and the flats are also free from an orthogonal structure. Gaudì designed the building up to all its details.

Exhibition in La PedreraAttic in La PedreraAttic in La PedreraFurniture in La Pedrera A furnished flat is open to visitors. The attic has a structure based on catenary arcs and holds an exhibition about Gaudì.

Patio of La PedreraChimneys of La PedreraTerrace of La Pedrera The terrace is a unique place, with an irregular floor, structures adorned with broken ceramic tiles, and surprising chimneys. It opens on the patios.

Park Güell

Park Güell The Güell Park is a big garden above Barcelona, designed by Gaudì. It contains assembled stone furniture and columns, and numerous elements lined with broken ceramic tiles called trencadís.

Ceramic-lined benchCeramic-lined benchGaudì’s house A house which was Gaudì’s residence is located in the park. One of the most famous elements is a belvedere terrace rimmed with a bench tiled with broken ceramic.

Covered alleySpire The terrace is above the entrance of the park, where two pavilions are located, one of them with a ceramic-tiled spire. There is also a covered alley with tilted columns and a curved portion.

Broken ceramic medallionsCeramic-lined roofColumns Close to the entrance, you discover that the terrace rests on columns. The ceramic-lined roof includes colourful medallions.

Dragon The most famous part of the park is a fountain in the shape of a ceramic-lined dragon, placed above a pond between the stairs of the entrance.

Sagrada FamíliaSagrada Família temple

The Sagrada Família is a basilica which has been under construction since 1882, designed by Antoni Gaudì.

Passion facadeNativity facade In 2007, the apse, two facades and the nave have been built. The Nativity facade is teeming with detail, and the Passion facade includes impressive sculptures.

NaveRoofStained-glass windowDoor Once through the entrance door, you discover the finished part of the temple, its stained-glass window, the roof of the nave.

TowersStaircaseAisles The aisles support benches. A spiral staircase goes up along the wall. It is possible to climb up the towers of the Nativity facade.

Rose windowNave facadesTower top The towers and columns are topped by decorated pinnacles. While climbing down the towers, facades and the rose window of the temple can be observed.

Scale modelBuildingBuilding The temple is a construction site, and the machines and workers are busy. An exhibition includes explanations and scale models.

Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló facade The Casa Batlló is a residential building designed by Gaudì in 1905 for a rich family on the trendy Passeig de Gràcia avenue, with flats above the main flat of the Batlló family, an attic and two big terraces.

Casa Batlló roofCasa Batlló facade Its undulating facade is lined with a mosaic of broken ceramics, includes surprising windows and a ceramic tiles roof.

Main roomStaircaseCeiling From the ground floor, a grand staircase allows access to the noble floor and to the main room with its swirling ceiling.

Dining roomDining room ceilingTerrace On the same floor, the dining room has an embossed ceiling and opens on the terrace decorated with ceramics.

StaircaseStaircaseFacade on the terrace side The facade on the terrace side is less colourful but as undulating as the main one. A stairwell with a sea inspiration allows access to the flats.

AtticAtticAttic The shared attic has whitewashed walls and a catenary arcs structure allowing light in.

RoofRoofChimeys On the roof, chimneys watch over the terrace, where you can admire the other side of the rounded roof and its ceramics decorations.

SidewalkWoodWindow knob Everywhere, construction details are superb, woodwork as well as other materials, down to the sidewalk floor tiles.

Barcelone also has old neighbourhoods including the gothic area, and two areas which were urbanized for the 1888 and 1929 Universal Exhibitions and the 1992 Olympic Games.

El Barri Gòtic facadeEl Barri Gòtic streetEl Barri Gòtic

El Barri Gòtic is the catalan gothic area of Barcelona, with narrow streets and decorated facades.

Plaça ReialArchives of the Crown of AragonArchives of the Crown of Aragon The Museum of History is close to the gothic cathedral, with a very nice courtyard, which includes an impressive stairwell. The Plaça Reial is closer to the sea.

Sant Pau del Camp monasterySant Pau del Camp monastery

In the El Raval area, the Sant Pau del Camp romanesque monastery was founded at the beginning of the 10th century.

ChurchCloisterCloister Its small cloister is very peaceful, between the harsh light and shade, and its church with barrel vaults is full of shadows and a few light spots.

MosaicSculptureSculpture The floor is lined with mosaics. The sculptures include a grumpy lion and a disappointed figure. A palm tree grows along the walls.

Crossing in the L’Eixample areaL’Eixample

In 1850, once the fortifications were demolished, Barcelona expanded along an orthogonal layout, visible in the L’Eixample area.

Ciutadella park

This park is close to the sea and was the location of the Universal Exhibition of 1888.

GreenhouseZoology museumTriumphal arch I can be reached through a triumphal arch and an avenue of palm trees, and there is a Museum of zoology and its cold greenhouse among other buildings.

Montjuïc hill

The Montjuïc hill was the location of the 1929 Universal Exhibition and of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Caixa FòrumMuseum of Art of Catalonia At the northern entrance, an avenue lined with exhibition halls is dominated by the Palau Nacional. Close to the entrance, there is also the Caixa Fòrum building.

Pavillon Mies van der RoheMies van der Rohe pavilionMies van der Rohe pavilion Facing the Caixa Fòrum, the Mies van der Rohe pavilion is an exemple of modern architecture, a minimalist assembly of planes with a nice patio.

Barcelona harbourCastell de MontjuïcTelecommunication tower Higher on the hill is the Torre Calatrava telecommunication tower, and on the top the Castell de Montjuïc, a fort towering over the harbour.

Barcelona shoreBarcelona panorama The fort also gives a wide panorama of the city of Barcelona.

Cable car A big cable car goes down from the hill to the ramblas de mar on the harbour.