Catalan Art Nouveau: Modernist House at Colonia Guell

We return to architecture. Weird, innovative, futuristic art nouveau architecture. This is not precisely the house of my dreams although I would like to have one of my own with my own garden, my own garage and my own privacy.

Scattered across the neighborhood in the heart of old Colonia Güell, the textile industrial community run by Gaudi's mentor Eusebi Güell, there are modernist houses like this who belonged in most cases to distinguished citizens in the village. Although the workers' houses aren't that bad either.

I guess living in this place which is still inhabited must be quite an advantage since it must be protected by official institutions that want to preserve Catalan cultural patrimony. Real estate business has gone wild nowadays in Spain and particularly in Barcelona so finding a tiny, take-it-or-leave-it apartment is an adventure and a life term bleeding contract.

Having a lot with a brick house like the one in the picture would imply selling your soul to the devil.

Modernist Door and Mosaic at Crypt in Colonia Guell

So this is the entrance to the crypt in Colonia Guell, the textile complex property of Eusebi Güell. The gates to the sanctuary: a big metal door topped by an elaborate mosaic created using the trencadis technique, that consists of breaking tiles in small shards to compose an image which in this case portraits the Holy Trinity. I gave you enough detail yesterday so if you came here directly check previous post. Both Eusebio Güell and Gaudi were religious men who also had a passion for architecture, in different ways of course. In the case of the Catalan empresario it was more the will to immortalize his name and legacy. As the mosaic is the most remarkable piece in this composition I will show you a detail too.

Colonia Guell, Barcelona: Art Nouveau Stained Glass Window

Colonia Guell, was a textile community which was established in 1890 along river Llobregat like many other such water-powered industries. There was an important recession from 1885 to 1890 in this sector. Eusebi Güell, an important Catalan businessman who commisioned Gaudi many of his works (remember Park Guell), had to move his factory from Sants to his lands near the city, the municipality of Santa Coloma de Cervelló at present. In 1880 there were important steam-powered factories near Barcelona, like Can Batlló in Les Corts or La España Industrial and Vapor Güell in Sants that were slowly declining. Antoni Gaudi had started to build a church for all the community inhabitants in Eusebi's estate but it finally ended up as a mere crypt (but what a crypt!) due to the financial problems of his mentor in the middle of this economic crisis. The entrance to the crypt in Colonia Güell is quite similar to the impossible inclined column pattern imitating the aerial roots of trees in Sagrada Familia, in fact this small sanctuary served as a small scaled model for the cathedral. I took this interior picture of the stained glass windows, featuring a cross but also suggesting a big flower as elements of nature were a leitmotif in all of Gaudi's work. The image is taken in a hurry as opening hours are limited due to Mass service. So I only had 10 minutes to madly rush along the oval temple and then run up the external staircase to the unfinished part of the building where the church was supposed to be (there is only a small belfry). I was the last one to come out of the ugly fenced perimeter which makes it impossible to take a decent full scene shot. More to come tomorrow.

Park Guell Columns: Mathematical Architecture

A man playing guitar in the quietness of the 86 Doric columns below the famous terrace where many of you have been chatting and enjoying the view over Barcelona city. The colonnade may look sober in design but it is strong and stable thanks to the mathematical perfection of its architecture. Maybe that is what creates the wonderful acoustics this musician is taking profit of. The ceiling incorporates colorful mosaic plafonds that cannot be appreciated here due to the counter light effect. I liked the way this light pierced through the corridors onto the polished floors. Here is a Google Earth image of Parc Guell and specifically the terrace under which you could listen the melodic notes of this classic guitar musician or many other artists. See also these other pictures at Gaudi All Gaudi. This a digital photo but I used some lab color effect to make it look like film.

Barcelona Cultural Heritage Vandalized

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In yesterday's post I advanced the news published in El Periódico de Catalunya about the criminal acts against Barcelona's cultural heritage. I am talking about the important damage inflicted on one of the main symbols of Gaudi's legacy: The Lizard or Dragon fountain in Park Güell. There are larger pictures in this article via 20Minutos newspaper to compare with this snapshot from my archives. What are we going to show our kids? What goes wrong with society to breed such monsters? Do you think hitting with an iron bar on a beautiful thing is human?. This is not a mere incident, this is a consequence of our own mistakes. Shall we burn that hooligan in hell or shall we teach this kid before it is too late?

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Moderniste Tower in Park Guell, Barcelona

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No, this is not Disney Land. It is a little older than that. You are watching a tower located inside Park Güell, Barcelona. In fact the spire is part of a house where the park's museum is. It is mostly appreciated by tourists for the furniture designed by Gaudi who used to live there for some time. I have a closer shot which I will show you in the future. Today I think is better to contemplate the harmony between a unique piece of architecture and nature.

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Tours of Barcelona: Park Guell, A Visionary's Whim

Like the water that flows through these small gargoyles or spouts connected to a gutter, visitors of all kinds come and go as part of the many Tours of Barcelona to enjoy the architectural design of a master applied to the natural environment of the mountain, in other less pompous words, Park Guell, the whim of a visionary architect, Antonio Gaudi, who was commissioned by Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, Count, textile industry businessman, art patron and friend.

Following the Count's idea he was supposed to build a luxury garden city made of private plots surrounded by common greens, based upon a British model by Ebenezer Howard thus the name Park and not Parc as in Catalan. The project was interrupted in 1914. Only three plots had been sold from a total amount of 60. The estate was sold in 1918 by Eusebi's heirs to the city council and became a public park.

Recommended: Some good tips for a Tour in Barcelona can be found in the travel section of The New York Times as Fodor's Choice

Park Güell: A Personal Approach

Here is a sort of mixture between reality and canvas. I exaggerated the frame around the main subject which is the entrance to Park Güell by Gaudi. 

 It looks better from the distance I guess. I have a long way to go till I learn photography. 

 Have a nice weekend everybody.

Sagrada Familia: Carrying the Cross

Once more I show you a scene from the Passion of Christ (not the film) at Sagrada Familia and one more time I am in a hurry. I am devoting more time to the pictures than to the post itself. As a matter of fact this is a photoblog not a journal or a diary. On the other hand, I know many of you are fed up with touristic pictures but some others can see beyond the obvious and admire the unrefutable beauty of Catalan patrimony. This picture is dedicated to architecture lovers. Are we daily bloggers carrying our own cross for the sake of others? That I leave up to you, but believe me sometimes it feels like redemption.

Remodeled Spires in Sagrada Familia

These are the spires of Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi showing off a brand new look after so many years of cranes and protective hoods. The cathedral was spectacular alright but those colorful tips are the cherry on top of the cake. Nice weekend everyone!

Recomended: I know many of you are after some good photography tips and links. This one is in my opinion one of the most attractive. I suggest you check the beginners guide for example: Photonhead

Gaudi Window Fantasy in Park Guell

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Some "insignificant" details in Gaudi's architecture are difficult to accomodate within the context of his time, take for example this whimsical window that looks torn out of its frame, right at the entrance of Park Güell.

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Gaudi Animals: Snakes in Park Guell

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This is my first 2007 post so who better than Gaudi to emphasize the whole idea of Barcelona Photoblog. A new year of daily pictures begins. In ten months I have known fantastic fellow bloggers all over the world, I have had moments of joy and sadness, days with lots of visitors and days with almost none, but above all I have enjoyed a new experience which is promoting Barcelona through my photographs, rediscovering my own city thanks to your interest, your time and your rewarding visits. Thank you very much, best wishes and Happy 2007!

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Gaudi Animals: Snails in Sagrada Familia

Not too long ago I showed you the picture of two lizards by Gaudi on Sagrada Familia's cloister walls. 

To enhance this aspect of Gaudi's creation, that is the use of mythology and animals in his work I leave you with these snails that seem to crawl as slowly as my posts go appearing this week.

Remember that modernisme was very fond of nature elements, floral or animal. I cannot imagine the faces of Gaudi's fellow citizens looking at these snails feeding on a giant lettuce wall.

Park Güell: Chocolate, Candy and Marzipan

Remember Hansel and Gretel story where two kids find a house in the woods made of chocolate, candy and marzipan, well maybe you imagined something like this. I don't think Brothers Grimm were alive to see this masterpiece of Catalan modernisme so I guess Gaudi read a lot of fairy tales. 

One of the major works of Gaudí in Barcelona, Park Güell is a public park made of gardens and architectonic elements like this beautiful house with an incredible roof made using the trencadis technique, that consists in breaking tiles to compose a mosaic. As usual Gaudi went beyond many architects of his time and of generations to come. 

Gaudi's Lizard at Park Guell, Barcelona

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Resuming my visit to Park Güell, and browsing my pictures I found this closeup of Gaudi's lizard with a beautiful tourist in the background. I guess I could have entitled the post as the Beast and the Beauty but I prefer better keywords in my headings. The reason I came this close is simple, the monster (looks like the Big White in famous Jaws jumping out of the water) is so "photo trodden" that you can't hardly take anyone by surprise. From here I would like to thank my anonymous model for her casual appearance in the image.

Recommended: A new tool to search for amazon products called Amaznode. I am not promoting anything here but it called my attention for its innovative performance. Say for example you look up "Gaudi" in the books section, a whole bunch of interconnected thumbs with the book covers in 3d appearance start multiplying in front of your face.

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Nativity Façade Detail in Sagrada Familia

This is a detail of the Nativity Façade by Gaudi. An explosion of imagination, the artist at his most. 

I like those wingless angels blowing the trumpets. Did you know that Gaudi firmly believed that angels had no wings and so it goes that no angel in the basilica is represented as such?

Composed by Portal of Hope, Portal of Charity and Portal of Faith and with Joseph, Jesus and Mary as the center in each of them, Nativity façade  is my opinion much more attractive to the eye.

Parc Guell: Serpentine Bench in the Afternoon

Parc Guell is a place to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon when long shadows and golden rays of the sun magnify the complex geometry in Gaudi's architecture.

Don't let those unique images you take only once in your lifetime be adorned by blown up skies or the strong highlights on the numerous white tiles of the serpentine benches of the famous hallmark in Barcelona.

I thought I had arrived late to the park the other day, even the little museum inside was about to close but once at home and going over my photographs I was very pleased with the light and colors of the vanishing afternoon.

Other posts about Park Guell

Trencadis Lizard by Gaudi at Park Guell, Barcelona

Famous lizard by Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 1926) using mosaic technique called trencadis. 

According to Wikipedia "Trencadís (Catalan pronunciation: [tɾəŋkəˈðis]) is a type of mosaic used in Catalan modernism, created from broken tile shards. The technique is also called pique assiette. This mosaic is done using broken pieces of ceramic, like tiles and dinnerware" 

So many times photographed, in so many angles, with so many different exposures and cameras. 

This is another must see, so I don't know how you are going to combine Park Güell with Palau de la Música, the tour on the bus, the museums, the restaurants, Sagrada Familia and Las Ramblas (missing something here? I bet I am!). 

If you want to know more about mosaic and particularly Gaudi's or Jujol's work (his collaborator) visit The Joy of Shards.

Trencadís Serpentine Bench at Park Guell, Barcelona

Serpentine bench by Gaudi

From 1900 to 1914 Antoni Gaudi directed the construction of this park for Eusebi Güell. 

In 1923, Güell's family gave the estate property to the city. Another jewel for mankind to treasure. How many people came to sit on this bench, how many couples , how many families? 

I gathered some images trying to be original but this was no virgin territory. You almost have to elbow your way to take a decent picture. The sun is disappearing fast leaving behind soft golden tones on top of the broken shards of tile, no one in the way, I can't believe it. Click.

Gaudi: Lizards at Sagrada Familia

For those of you who are fond of gargoyles,mythological beings,gods or goddesses, serpents, unicorns, gryphs or lizards I let you catch a glimpse of Gaudi's work on the façade of Sagrada Familia facing the upper side of the city also known as mountain side. It is a part that we tend to ignore as it reminds us of some other average churches but if you take a closer look you discover strange creatures for a church or impossible spires multiplying by the dozen on top.