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Located in the center of Barcelona, on the Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district, Casa Batlló is a building designed by architect and designer Antoni Gaudí.
This building is part of a row of four houses created by modernist architects known as the Block of Discord (Illa della Discordia).
Let’s find out more about Casa Batlló and why you should visit it!
If you want to fully lose yourself in the magic of Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló, make sure to book our private tour of Barcelona and the works of Gaudi!
History of Casa Batlló
The Casa Batlló we see today in Barcelona was not always like this.
The first building that was created on this site was commissioned by Lluís Sala Sánchez in 1887 and it was a classical building. This house was the property of Josep Batlló, who chose to buy this house because of its location. Casa Batlló is, in fact, located in Passeig de Grácia, an area that used to be considered very prestigious by locals.
In 1904, Josep Batlló decided that he wanted to restore his house so that it could look audacious and like no other. He hired architect Antoni Gaudí, hoping that he would satisfy his request. Josep Batlló wanted to tear the whole house down and rebuild it from the start but fortunately, Gaudí made him realize that this was unnecessary and that some restoration was enough for the building to be unique.
Gaudí managed to complete the restoration of the house in 1906. By that year he had fully changed the looks of this house by adding new floors and expanding the entrance of light. This building was also a candidate for the Barcelona City Council’s award for the best building of the year but it unfortunately lost.
The unique design of this building
As mentioned before, Gaudí was capable of putting together something unique for the Batlló family, creating a remarkable building that is nowadays considered part of the Art Nouveau (Modernisme).
The building is, in fact, filled with irregular windows and sculpted stonework that make it look like Antoni Gaudí was trying to avoid straight lines to give this house a softer look. Here are some interesting aspects of this building:
- THE ROOF: the roof of this building is arched and it presents a dragon back design. Gaudí managed to build something that would look like this by using mosaics in different colors;
- THE EXTERIOR FAÇADE: the façade of this building is quite particular because of its undulating lines. It’s divided into three sections and it’s decorated with mosaics in different colors, starting from golden and orange to green and blue;
- THE LOFT: Even though this part of the building didn’t have much value in the family’s daily life, it is known for its simplicity and shapes. It presents, in fact, sixty arches;
- THE NOBLE FLOOR: this is the main floor of the building that was only opened to the public in 2002;
CONCLUSION
The beauty and uniqueness of Casa Batlló made it possible for this building to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and nowadays it’s one of the most beloved tourist attractions in Barcelona.
