Antoni Gaudí redefined the identity of Barcelona with his iconic buildings, and his original architectural philosophy of harmonizing with nature continues to inspire people today.
Antoni Gaudí is an indispensable figure in the history of Spanish architecture. His name is inextricably linked to the history of modern architecture, and his works continue to inspire people even after his death. Antoni Gaudí lived his entire life and created as many as 12 of his works in Barcelona alone. More than just architecture, these works have become important elements that define the city’s identity and cultural heritage. One architect changed the map of Barcelona. Everywhere he touched, he breathed new life and soul into the city, and as a result, Barcelona became a world-class tourist destination. His life outside of architecture was unremarkable. A bachelor his entire life, Antoni Gaudí had no material desires or personal comforts. Architecture was all he cared about.
Everything he created was born out of deep philosophical contemplation and reverence for nature. Through his architecture, Antoni Gaudí wanted to convey to people the beauty and mystery of nature. His work is full of natural elements, and they are not just aesthetic decorations, but structural and functional elements of the building. In his later years, Antoni Gaudí focused his energies on his final work, the Sagrada Família, which was the culmination of his artistic and religious beliefs and, for him, not just a building but a conversation with God. But when he was killed in a tram accident one day in June 1926, he died without ever seeing the completion of the Sagrada Família that he had so longed for. It was a futile death for the architect.
There are four keywords to understand Antoni Gaudí’s architecture. They are nature, curves, iron, and tiles. His works centered around these four elements, creating a unique harmony that made his style unique and iconic. “Creation has been going on constantly through man. But man does not create. They only discover. To be original means to return to the sources of nature.” These are the words of Antoni Gaudí himself. He found the essence of architecture in nature. Nature was an inexhaustible source of inspiration for him, and he incorporated its forms, colors, and textures into his work.
He used a palm tree to decorate the iron gates of Parc Güell, a lizard symbolizing fire to guard the fountains of Parc Güell, and he described straight lines as human and curved lines as divine. In many of his works, you can’t help but marvel at the colorful and beautiful curved shapes. These curves were not just ornamentation, but his philosophical attempt to capture the flow of nature. In his architecture, curves symbolize the harmony between nature, man, and God, and through them, he gave life to his buildings.
Third, Antoni Gaudí’s use of iron was very important. He was interested in blacksmithing from an early age, and even as he grew older, if he wasn’t satisfied with the work of his workers, he would hammer iron in the forge himself. Iron was a medium for expressing both strength and flexibility in his architecture. He used it to combine the power of nature with human skill, creating ingenious structures. The iron ornaments that came from his hands brought the buildings to life and made them look like a part of nature.
Fourth, tiles are an integral part of Antoni Gaudí’s architecture. He used different colors of tiles to add life to his buildings, which made them more original and recognizable. Barcelona is home to many modern and historical buildings, but only Antoni Gaudí’s architecture fits in with the city and stands out for its natural curves and colorful tiles. His works have transcended the passage of time and continue to impress modern audiences. Antoni Gaudí’s architecture can be summarized as curves and tiles. In this way, Antoni Gaudí had his own architectural philosophy and constantly expressed himself to people, revealing his genius.
There are many buildings in Barcelona that embody his architectural philosophy, but the Sagrada Familia is arguably the best of them all. The Sagrada Familia is a neo-Gothic stone cathedral that Antoni Gaudí devoted his life to completing until his death. The beginning of the Sagrada Familia was nature. Antoni Gaudí wanted to make the building resemble human life and the entire universe. The most characteristic thing about the Sagrada Família is that it’s still being built today, with great architects working on it. Many people are surprised that a building that was under construction over 100 years ago is still in use. The building is actually funded solely by money donated to the cathedral, which is why the construction is constantly delayed. Despite the fact that the building is still unfinished, it still attracts tons of tourists. This is because of its grandeur and delicacy. Despite being unfinished, the structure is well organized enough to be open to the public. The Sagrada Família was created by inverting its shape by hanging a string of small weights from the ceiling, with many small weights attached to it. The whole structure turns architecture’s worst enemy, gravity, into its best friend, utilizing its inverted form to support the weight. The structural brilliance of the Sagrada Familia is also evident in its columns. The columns initially go up as one and then split into several branches near the ceiling, which is inspired by trees and reduces the weight of the roof that each column has to carry. It also easily solves the problem of supporting a rounded ceiling of different heights.
This detail of the building also appears in the carvings on the exterior walls of the cathedral. The façade of the Nativity, the only one Antoni Gaudí completed in large part during his lifetime, is divided into three themes: the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In it, many aspects of life are depicted: joy and sorrow, pain and joy, good and evil. In doing so, the sculpture emphasizes the inclusion of human life and the universe. In his final work, Gaudí maintained his architectural philosophy to the end, creating one of the most iconic buildings in Barcelona, and beyond, that ties together structure, function, and symbolism. The fact that Antoni Gaudí is still talked about as an architect nearly a hundred years after his death suggests that he was more than just an architect. He was a great man whose work moved and overwhelmed those who saw it. The legacy he left behind has survived his death and continues to provide endless inspiration for countless architects and artists to this day. This proves that Antoni Gaudí’s work is more than just beauty to behold, it’s art to be felt and understood. His buildings are not just structures, they are timeless artistic legacies.
