Antoni Gaudí

Architect

Antoni Gaudí was born in Reus, Catalonia, Spain on June 25th, 1852 and is the Architect. At the age of 73, Antoni Gaudí biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
Antoni Gaud
Date of Birth
June 25, 1852
Nationality
Spain
Place of Birth
Reus, Catalonia, Spain
Death Date
Jun 10, 1926 (age 73)
Zodiac Sign
Cancer
Profession
Architect
Antoni Gaudí Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

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Weight
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Hair Color
Dark brown
Eye Color
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Build
Slim
Measurements
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Antoni Gaudí Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Roman Catholic
Hobbies
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Education
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Antoni Gaudí Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
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Antoni Gaudí Life

Antoni Gaud i Cornet (25 June 1852 – ten June 1926) was a Catalan architect who was recognized as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism.

Gaud's works have a highly personal, one-of-a-kind look.

The majority of the works are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the Sagrada Famlia church. Gaud's work was inspired by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion.

He considered every detail of his creations and integrated them into his architecture, such as ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging, and carpentry.

He also introduced new methods of treating waste ceramic pieces, such as trencads. Gaud became a part of the Modernist movement, which was at its peak in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries, under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques.

His work defied mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style influenced by natural forms.

Gaud seldom drew detailed plans of his projects, rather designing them as three-dimensional scale models and moulding the details as he imagined them. Gaud's work is gaining international recognition and continuing admiration and study by architects.

Sagrada Famlia's still incomplete monument is Spain's most popular monument.

Seven of his works were listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO between 1984 and 2005.

Gaud's Roman Catholic faith widened during his lifetime, and religious images appear in many of his paintings.

He was nicknamed "God's Architect" by this practice, prompting calls for his beatification.

Personal life

Gaud spent his entire life in his occupation, leaving widowed. He is reported to have been attracted to just one woman, Josefa Moreu, a Mataró Cooperative, in 1884, but no one has reciprocated. Gaud returned to the profound spiritual tranquility that his Catholic faith had offered him. Gaud is often depicted as unsociable and uncomfortable, a man of gruff reactions and arrogant gestures. However, those who were close to him described him as friendly and polite, welcoming to talk to and loyal to friends. His followers, Eusebi Güell and Josep Torras i Bages, as well as author Joan Maragall and Jacint Verdaguer, Pere Santaló, and some of his most faithful collaborators, such as Francesc Berenguer and Llorenç Matamala, stand out among others.

Gaud's personal appearance —Nordic features, blond hair, and blue eyes — all changed dramatically over time. As a young man, he dressed like a dandy in expensive suits, sporting well-groomed hair, and beard, indulging gourmet taste, frequent visits to the opera and the opera, and touring his project locations in a horse carriage. Gaud's older brother ate frugally, dressed in old, beat-out clothes, and neglected his appearance to the point that he was mistaken for a beggar after the accident that resulted in his death.

Gaud left no written documents aside from scientific studies of his work that were requested by officials, some letters to colleagues (especially to Joan Maragall) and a handful journal articles. Some excerpts from Josep Francesc Ràfols, Joan Bergós, César Martinell, and Isidre Puig i Boada's collection have been saved, above all by Josep Francesc Ràfols, Joan Bergós, César Martinell and Isidre Puig i Boada. Gaud's only written document on the subject is called Manuscrito de Reus (1873-1980), a sort of student diary in which he collected a variety of views of architecture and decorating, laying forward his thoughts. An analysis of the Christian church and the ancestral home, as well as a text about ornamentation and remarks about the desk's style are included in the collection.

Gaud, a dedicated Catalan nationalist and promoter of Catalan history, but he was reluctant to campaign for its independence. Politicians, such as Francesc Cambó and Enric Prat de la Riba, suggested that he run for deputy but he refused. His Catalan nationalism was less political and more geared toward art, history, culture, and language in comparison to some of his peers and contemporaries.

Gaud has a deep connection to his native Catalan language. When King Alfonso XIII visited the Sagrada Familia, Gaud, he refused to speak in Spanish and only talked with him in Catalan. Gaud refused to speak Spanish with Prime Minister Antonio Maura, who being a Mallorcan and therefore Catalan-speaking, ended up responding to Gaud in Catalan, thus breaking protocol in front of King Alfonso XIII. Poetry was translated into Spanish by philosopher Miguel de Unamuno when visiting Sagrada Famlia. Gaud's public speaking Catalan also spoke Catalan, despite the fact that Primo de Rivera's draconian draconian rule ruled it out of place, which has largely rejected Catalan history.

During the Floral Games (a Catalan culture celebration), he was beaten by police in a riot during the 1920 Floral Games celebrations, a Catalan culture celebration. He was beaten at a protest against the prohibition of the Catalan language by Primo de Rivera's draconian monarchy on September 11, 1924. Gaud was arrested by the Civil Guard while traveling to Sant Just i Sant Pastor to attend a mass in honor of the Catalonian patriots. Gaud refused to speak Castilian Spanish and continued speaking in Catalan, saying, "My work obligates me to pay my taxes, and I pay them, but not to avoid using my own words." He was then sent to prison, but after paying 50 pesetas bail, he was released.

Gaud's works incorporated elements of Catalan culture and identity. Gaud's involvement in the Catalan Renaissance (Renaixença, Catalan), was a romantic revivalist and cultural movement aimed at restoring Catalan language and art as well as an anti-Castilian political movement. Gaud imagined Park Güell, a Catalan patriot, as a focus of Catalan nationalism and cultural aspirations. Gaud's park included a large mosaic with the Catalan flag or dragon silhouettes, which were seen as Catalan symbols during the Renaixença due to their ties to Catalan patron saint George. Although the Park was still under construction, it was also host to the First Congress of the Catalan Language. Casa Batlló, one of Gaud's finest examples of Catalan Modernism, is regarded as "the House of the Dragon" due to its symbolism connected to Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The Sagrada Familia is decorated with many words and writings, such as on the towers and doors, and they are mainly in Catalan, such as the Lord's Prayer in Catalan on the main doors. The Palau Güell's entrance is highlighted by the Catalan coat of arms and a helmet with a winged dragon. The Muralla de Mar's project included shields and names of battles and Catalan admirals. Gaud restored the Torre Bellesguard (1900-1909), the former summer palace of King Martin I the Humane, and its spire was decorated with the Catalan flag and the royal throne. He also designed a campaign (never completed) to crown El Cavall Bernat (a mountain peak) with a view in the shape of a royal crown and a 20 meters (66 ft) high Catalan coat of arms. In addition to a banner designed for Our Lady of Reus and a monument (not completed) in Castellterçol, Catalan politician Enric Prat de la Riba were also on display. And before he became an architect, he was very interested in the history of medieval Catalonia, when it was a key player in Mediterranean politics and history. He was a member of several Catalan groups, such as Cercle Art Scorp de Sant Lluc, Lliga Espiritual de la Mare de Déu de Montserrat, Associació Catalanista d'Excursions Cientiques. The latter was a group dedicated to preserve and honor the art, landscape, history, and language of Catalunya.

Gaud was walking his daily walk to Sant Felip Neri church on June 7th, 1926, for his daily walk. He was struck by a passing number 30 tram on the Gran Via de los Corts Catalanes between Girona and Bailén streets and lost consciousness. The unconscious Gaud did not receive prompt assistance assumed to be a beggar. Some passers-by took him in a taxi to the Santa Creu Hospital, where he was given rudimentary care.

Gaud's illness had worsened sufficiently by the time he was recalled on the following day by the time he was chaplain of the Sagrada Famlia, Mosén Gil Parés, was acknowledged by the time he arrived the following day. Gaud died on June 10, 1926 at the age of 73, and was buried two days later. In the crypt of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a large crowd gathered to say their goodbyes to him.

His gravestone bears this inscription:

Early works

Gaud's first works, both from his undergraduate days and the time immediately after his graduation, stand out for their precision, geometry, and the use of mechanical considerations in the structural calculations.

Gaud's masterwork included a cemetery gate (1876), a Spanish pavilion for the Philadelphia World Fair (1876), a courtyard for the Diputació de Barcelona (1876), and a university assembly hall (1877).

Gaud's career began when he was still studying at university. He worked as a draughtsman for some of Barcelona's most respected Barcelona architects of the time, including Joan Martorell, Josep Fontserè, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, Leandre Serrallach, and Emili Sala Cortés, in lieu of paying for his studies. Gaud had a long-term friendship with Josep Fontserè, despite the fact that his family was also from Riudoms and that they had known each other for some time. Fontserè received the commission from the city council for the Parc de la Ciutadella building, which was constructed between 1873 and 1882, despite not having an architecture degree. Gaud was in charge of the Park's entrance gate, the bandstand's balustrade, and the water project for the magnificent fountain, where he created an artificial cave that demonstrated his love of nature and the organic touch he'd give his architecture.

Gaud worked with Francisco de Paula del Villar on the apse of Montserrat's monastery, laying out the niche for the Black Virgin of Montserrat's portrait in 1876. Villar will be recalled later in the Sagrada Famlia's work. He worked on a tram line extension to Villa Arcadia, Montjuc, with Leandre Serrallach. He eventually joined Jesuit in Carrer Casp and the Salesian convent in Passeig de Sant Joan, as well as the Villaricos church (Almer). Martorell also designed a proposal for a new facade for Barcelona's cathedral, but it was never accepted. Martorell, whom he always regarded as one of his leading and most influential masters, gave him unexpected fortune; he later recommended Gaud for the Sagrada Famlia.

Gaud's first work after his education as an architect in 1878 was a set of lampposts for the Plaça Reial, the Girossi newsstands and the Mataró cooperative, which was his first significant commission. In February 1878, he had graduated but not yet received his diploma, which was delivered from Madrid on March 15th of the same year. He created two models of lampposts, one with six arms, of which two were installed in the Plaça Reial, and another with three, two of which were installed in the Pla del Palau, opposite the Civil Government. The lampposts were unveiled in 1879 at the Mercè celebrations. They are made of cast iron with a marble base, and they have a design in which the caduceus of Mercury is prominent, a symbol of industry and emblem of Barcelona.

Enrique Girossi de Sanctis, a tradesman, was involved in the Girossi newsstands project, which was never carried out. It would have been a national newspaper stand-off, with 20 newsstands all over Barcelona. Each should have included a public lavatory, a flower stand, and glass panels for advertisements, as well as a clock, a calendar, a barometer, and a thermometer. Gaud designed a structure with iron pillars, marble and glass slabs, crowned by a large iron and glass roof with a gas illumination system.

Gaud's first big project, for Salvador Pagès i Anglada, was the Cooperativa Obrera Mataronense (Mataró Workers' Cooperative). The Mataró project, which included a factory, a worker's housing estate, a social center, and a services building, but only the factory and the services building were complete. Gaud used the catenary arch for the first time in the factory roof, using a bolt assembly system invented by Philibert de l'Orme. For the first time in the services building, he used ceramic tile decoration. Gaud lays out the site on account of solar orientation, another hallmark of his works, as well as landscaped areas. He also created the Cooperative's banner, which featured a bee, a sign of industriousness.

Gaud's company in May 1878 designed a display cabinet for the Esteban Comella glove factory, which was on display in the Madrid pavilion at the Paris World Exhibition that year. It was this work that attracted the attention of entrepreneur Eusebi Güell, who was visiting Bordeaux; he was so impressed that he returned to Gaud on his return, kicking off a long friendship and professional association. Güell became Gaud's top patron and sponsor of several of his major projects.

Gaud's first project was the construction of the furniture for the Palacio de Sobrellano in Comillas, which had been constructed by Joan Martorell, Gaud's instructor, at the request of the Marquis de Comillas, Güell's father in law. Gaud upholstered a chair, a bench, and a prayer stool; the bench was upholstered with velvet, finished with two eagles and Marquis' coat of arms; the bench stands out with the motif of a dragon, which was created by Llorenç Matamala; the prayer stool is decorated with plants.

Gaud participated in the construction of the theater in Sant Gervasi de Cassoles, which now forms a part of Barcelona, in 1878; Gaud did not participate in the construction of the theatre, which now stands out. With a marquetry of Arab influence, he conceived the furniture and counter for the Gibert Pharmacy the following year. He made five drawings for a procession in honour of poet Francesc Vicent Garcia i Torres in Vallfogona de Riucorb, where this celebrated 17th-century writer and a friend of Lope de Vega was the parish priest. Gaud's project was centered on the poet and many aspects of agricultural life, such as reaping and harvesting grapes and olives; however, Gaud's plans were not carried out as a result of organizational constraints.

He made a proposal for the renovation of the Cathedral of Sant Pacià, belonging to the Colegio de Jestrance in Sant Andreu l Palomar, between 1879 and 1881: He made the altar in a Gothic style, the monstrance with Byzantine influence, the mosaics and the lighting, as well as the school's furniture. During 1909's Tragic Week, the church catches fire, but only the mosaics of "opus tesselatum" are preserved, presumably by Italian mosaicist Luigi Pellerin. He was given the opportunity to decorate the Cathedral of Monte Jess-Marine (1880–1882) in Tarragona: he made the altar in white Italian marble and its front part, or antependium, with four columns featuring medallions of polychrome alabaster, adorned with rosaries, angels, tetramorph symbols, and the dove of the Holy Ghost; and the choir stalls, which were destroyed in 1936.

He conceived an electric lighting scheme for Barcelona's Muralla de Mar, or seawall, but it was not realized. It consisted of eight large iron streetlamps, massively decorated with plant motifs, friezes, shields, and names of battles and Catalan admirals. Gaud's submission was based on several of his earlier research, including the fountain for the Plaça Catalunya and the Provincial Council's courtyard, the same year he competed for the construction of the San Sebastián social center (now town hall).

The gazebo for Alfonso XII's visit to Comillas in 1881 was a new challenge for the Güell-López's for Comillas. Gaud designed a small pavilion in the shape of a Hindu turban, coated in mosaics and adorned with a slew of small bells that jingled continuously. It was later moved to the Güell Pavilions.

In 1882, he built a Benedictine monastery and a church dedicated to the Holy Spirit in Villaricos (Cuevas de Vera, Almer), for his former teacher, Joan Martorell. It was of neo-Gothic style, similar to the Convent of the Salesians that Gaud had also planned with Martorell. In the looting of the Sagrada Famlia in 1936, it was not carried out, and the project was not carried out, and the project's were shattered. At a country residence named La Cuadra in Garraf (Sitges), baron Eusebi Güell's home for the second year, he was charged with the construction of a hunting lodge and wine cellars. The wine cellars, but not the lodge, were constructed a few years ago, but not the lodge. Martorell worked on three other projects, including the Jesuit School in Carrer Caspe; the Convent of the Salesians in Passeig de Sant Joan, a neo-Gothic project with an altar in the center of the crossing; and the façade of Barcelona's cathedral, which was eventually won by Josep Oriol Mestres and August Font i Carreras.

Gaud's recommendation for the Sagrada Famlia was influenced by Gaud's collaboration with Martorell. Josep Maria Bocabella, the founder of the Devotees of Saint Joseph Association, was the architect of the church, which acquired a complete block of Barcelona's Eixample district. The project was initially contracted to Francisco de Paula del Lozano, who supervised the construction of a neo-Gothic cathedral, which began in 1882. However, Villar resigned due to disagreements with the construction board, and the job was handed over to Gaud, who completely redesigned the scheme, except for the portion of the crypt that had already been completed. Gaud spent the remainder of his life in the church, which was supposed to be the synthesis of all of his architectural discoveries.

Gaud developed a series of works with a distinct oriental flair during these years (India, Persia, Japan), as well as Islamic-Hispanic art, mainly Mudejar and Nazari. Gaud used ceramic tile decoration extensively, as well as Moorish arches, columns of exposed brick and pinnacles in the form of pavilions or domes.

He built the Casa Vicens between 1883 and 1888, commissioned by stockbroker Manuel Vicens i Montaner. It was constructed with four floors, with facades on three sides and a huge garden, including a monumental brick fountain. The house was surrounded by a wall of iron gates, adorned with palmetto leaves, created by Llorenç Matamala. The house's walls are made of stone alternated with lines of tile, which imitate yellow flowers typical of this area; the house is topped with chimneys and turrets. The polychrome wooden roof beams stand out in the interior, with floral motifs reminiscent of papier maché; the walls are covered with vegetable motifs, as well as paintings by Josep Torcasana; and, finally, the floor consist of Roman-style mosaics of "opus tesselatum." The smoking room, which is particularly prominent on the ceiling, has been decorated with Moorish honeycomb-work, reminiscent of the Generalife in Granada's Alhambra.

Gaud designed the Sant'simo Sacramento chapel for San Félix de Alella's parish church, as well as some topographic sketches for the Can Rosell de la Llena country residence in Gelida, who died in 1883. In the Cantabrian town of the same name, he was given a commission to build a small annex to the Palacio de Sobrellano, for the Baron of Comillas. El Capricho, Máximo D. Quijano's orders, was built between 1883 and 1885. Cascante i Colom, Gaud's fellow student, was the architect who ordered the building. It has an elongated form, on three levels, and a cylindrical tower in the shape of a Persian minaret that has been entirely covered in ceramics in an oriental style. The entrance is flanked by four columns supporting depressed arches, with bird and leaves decorated throughout the Casa Vicens' capitals. The main lounge, with its large sash window, and the smoking room with a ceiling made of a false Arab-style stucco vault are notable.

Gaud conducted his second commission from Eusebi Güell, which now stands on the outskirts of Barcelona, between 1884 and 1887. Güell had a country residence in Les Corts de Sarrià, which consisted of two separate houses, Can Feliu and Can Cuyàs de la Riera. Joan Martorell, an architect, had constructed a Caribbean-style mansion that was demolished in 1919 to make way for the Royal Palace of Pedralbes. Gaud decided to renovate the house and install a wall and porter's lodge. He completed the stone wall with several entrances, the main entrance with an iron gate in the shape of a dragon, adding to Hercules and the Garden of Hesperides' myths. The stable, covered longeing ring, and a porter's lodge; the longeing ring has a rectangular base and catenary arches; the porter's lodge has three small buildings, the central one being polygonal with a hyperbolic dome; the other two buildings are smaller and cubic; the porter's lodge is rectangular; The three three three chimneys are topped by ventilators in the form of chimneys made of ceramic tiles. The walls are made of masonry in various shades of reds and yellows; in some regions, prefabricated cement blocks are also used. The Pavilions are now the real Cátedra Gaud of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia's Real Cátedra Gaudra Gaud.

Gaud's acceptance of a commission from Josep Maria Bocabella, the Sagrada Famlia's promoter, for an altar in the Bocabella family's oratory, who had received permission from the Pope to have an altar in their home in 1885. The altar is made of varnished mahogany, with a slab of white marble in the center for relics. It is decorated with plants and religious motifs, including the Greek letters alpha and omega, signifying the beginning and end, gospel phrases, and photographs of Saint Francis of Paola, Saint Teresa of Avila, and the Holy Family, as well as a curtain of crimson embroidery. It was made by cabinet maker Frederic Labria, who also worked with Gaud on the Sagrada Famlia.

Gaud received a significant new commission from Güell shortly after: the construction of his family's home in Barcelona's Carrer Nou de la Rambla. The Palau Güell (1886–1888) continues the tradition of large Catalan urban mansions like those in Carrer Montcada. Gaud carved a majestic parabolic arch above iron gates, adorned with the Catalan coat of arms and a winged dragon helmet, which was the work of Joan O'ós. The triple-height entrance hall is a notable feature of the palace's main room, and it is notable for its double dome, parabolic within and conical on the outside, a Byzantine art feature. Gaud used an original system of catenary arches and columns with hyperbolic capitals for the gallery on the street façade, a style he never used here. He crafted the interior of the palace with a sumptuous Mudejar style decoration, in which the wood and iron coffered ceilings stand out. The chimneys on the roof are a striking feature, especially when the cathedral tower, which is the exterior termination of the dome's interior, is covered with ceramic tiles and topped with an iron weathervane.

Gaud built the Compa Trasatlántica pavilion in Barcelona, the Marquis of Comillas' property, during the event's Maritime Section. He designed it in a Granadi Nazari style, with horseshoe arches and stucco decoration; the building survived until it was opened in 1960, the Passeig Martim. In the aftermath of the gala, Mayor Francesc Rius i Taulet presented the Saló de Cent and the grand staircase in Barcelona City Hall, as well as a chair for the queen Maria Cristina; but the chair was not made; the queen's chair was not provided.

Gaud was inspired by mediaeval Gothic art but wanted to improve on its structural solutions during this period. Neo-gothic was one of the most popular historicist styles at the time, mainly as a result of Viollet-le-Duc's theoretical research. During his stays in León and Burgos, Gaud studied examples in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Roussillon in depth, as well as Leone and Castillian buildings, and were led to the conclusion that it was an imperfect design, with major structural problems only partially addressed. He minimized the need of buttresses by using ruled surfaces, and banished crenellations and overactive openwork in his works.

The Teresian College (Collegi des Teresianes), 1888–1889), in Barcelona's Carrer Ganduxer, was the first example, and San Enrique de Ossó commissioned it. Gaud fulfilled the command's request that the building be erected in accordance with their vows of poverty. He fabricated a simple house with bricks for the exterior and some brick elements for the interior. Wrought ironwork, one of Gaud's most popular products, was seen on the façades. A row of merlons suggests a castle, a possible reference to Saint Teresa's Interior Castle. The corners are crowned by helicoidal columns and culminate in a four-armed cross, typical of Gaud's work, as well as ceramic shields bearing various symbols of the order. The interior features a corridor that is renowned for its series of catenary arches. These graceful arches are both decorative and support the ceiling and the floor above. The catenary arch was an excellent building element for Gaud, and it was able to carry high loads with slender masonry.

Gaud's next appointment came from a clergyman who had been a boyhood buddy in his native Reus. Astorga's new bishop, Joan Baptista Grau i Vallespinós begged Gaud to create a new episcopal palace for the city because the previous building had caught fire. It was built between 1889 and 1915 in a neo-Gothic style with four cylindrical towers, surrounded by a moat. The stone with which it was built (grey granite from El Bierzo's immediate area) is in harmony with the cathedral's immediate area, as well as the surrounding landscape, which in late 19th-century Astorga was more apparent than today. The porch has three large flared arches, constructed of ashlar and separated by sloping buttresses. Columns with ornate capitals and ribbed vaults on pointed arches are attached to the structure, and Mudejar-style merlons stand atop the tower. Gaud retired from the project in 1893, after the death of Bishop Grau, due to divisions with the Chapter, and Ricardo Garca Guereta completed it in 1915. The Way of Saint James Museum, which passes through Astorga, is now housed.

The Casa de los Botines, a León textile merchants owned by Simón Fernández Fernández Fernández Fernández and Mariano Andrés Luna, who were also commissioned by Eusebi Güell, was another of Gaud's projects outside of Catalonia. Gaud's proposal was a stunning neo-Gothic style building with his signature modernist imprint. The building was used to store shops and textile shops on the lower floors, as well as apartments on the upper floors. Solid limestone walls were used to build it. Four cylindrical turrets are propping by slate spires, and an iron grille surrounds the building. A clock and a sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon in the Gothic facade style, with its cusped arches, is part of Llorenç Matamala's work. It was the Caja Espaa's headquarters as of 2010.

Claudio López Bru, second Marquis of Comillas, hired Gaud in 1892 for the city of Tangier, Morocco, (at the time a Spanish colony). The initiative included a church, hospital, and school, and Gaud's Gaud developed a quadrilobulate ground-plan floor plan floor plan, complete with catenary arches, parabolic towers, and hyperboloid windows. Gaud deeply regretted the project's demise, but he's continued to build his layout with him. Despite this, the initiative influenced the Sagrada Famlia's work, in particular the towers' paraboloid shape resembles Missions'.

In 1895, he built a funerary chapel for the Güell family at Montserrat's abbey of Montserrat, but little is known about this building, which was never built. At La Cuadra de Garraf (Sitges), Eusebi Güell's property, construction finally began on the Bodegas Güell, the 1882 project for a hunting lodge and some wineries. The wineries were constructed between 1895 and 1897, under the direction of Francesc Berenguer, Gaud's aide. The wineries have a triangular end facade, a series of chimneys, and two bridges connecting them to a new building. It has three floors, the bottom one for a garage, an apartment, and a chapel with catenary arches in the center, with the altar in the center. It was completed with a porter's lodge, notable for the iron gate in the shape of a fishing net.

Gaud's widow, Jaume Figueras, commissioned Gaud to renovate the Torre Bellesguard (1900-1909), King Martin I the Humane's former summer palace. Gaud conceived it in a neo-Gothic style, honoring the former building as much as possible, and attempting to incorporate the architecture into the natural setting. This inspired his decision for the building of a local slate. The building's ground-plan measures 15 x 15 meters, with the corners oriented to the four cardinal points. It is taller than it is wide, with the four-armed cross, the Catalan flag, and the royal spire. The house has a basement, ground floor, first floor, and an attic, as well as a gable roof.

Gaud developed his personal style during this period, inspired by nature's organic shapes, putting into use a whole variety of new architectural designs resulting from his deep analysis of ruled geometry. He created a strong creative freedom and an imaginative ornamental style in addition to this. His works exhibit a rich structural richness, with volumes and volumes that are devoid of rational rigidity or any classical model.

Hijos de Pedro Mártir Calvet, Gaud, commissioned the Casa Calvet (1898-199) in Barcelona's Carrer Casp. The façade is constructed of Montjuc stone, studded with wrought iron balconies and topped with two pediments with wrought iron crosses. The gallery on the main floor, decorated with plant and mythological motifs, is another notable feature of the façade. Gaud used a Baroque style for this project, evident in the use of Solomonic columns, floral ornamentation, and the style of the terraced roof. He received the award for the best building of the year from Barcelona City Council in 1900.

Gaud's most famous work is the Casa Clapés (1899–1901), a 125 Carrer Escorial commission by artist Aleix Clapés who collaborated with Gaud on occasion, such as in decorating the Palau Güell and the Casa Milà. It has a ground floor and three apartments, stuccoed walls, and cast-iron balconies. Its authorship was unknown until 1976, when the architect's signed plans by Gaud were discovered. He renovated the house of Dr. Pere Santaló, which was located in 1900, at 32 Carrer Nou de la Rambla, a work of equal importance. Santaló was a friend of Gaud's who accompanied him during his stay in Puigcerdà in 1911. It was he who suggested manual labor for his rheumatism.

He created two banners for the Orfeó Feliuà (of Sant Feliu de Codines), made of brass, leather, cork, and silk; and Our Lady of Mercy of Reus, based on the pilgrimage of the Reus people of Barcelona, with a portrait of Isabel Besora, the Virgin's shepherdess to whom the Virgin appeared in 1592, work of Aleix Clapés and a rose and the Catalan flag. The shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Reus, Gaud, was not undertaken in the same year because the board deemed it unsustainable. Gaud's reaction to this denial was disastrous, leaving a lot of sadness toward Reus, which may have contributed to his later assertion that Riudoms was his place of birth. Gaud, a British engineer who was commissioned by Hermanegild Miralles i Anglès, only built the wall around the entrance, of undulating masonry, with an iron gate topped with the four-armed cross from 1900 to 1902. Domènec Sugraes, assistant architect of Gaud, designed the house for Seor Miralles later this year.

The Park Güell (1900-1914), Gaud's most significant new initiative at the start of the twentieth century, was unveiled by Eusebi Güell (1900-1914). It was supposed to be a residential estate in the style of an English garden city. The scheme was a failure: of the 60 plots, only one of which the site was divided, was sold. Despite this, Gaud's genius and application of several of Gaud's innovative architectural techniques were developed at the park entrances and service areas, demonstrating Gaud's ingenuity and bringing together several of his innovative design ideas. The Park Güell is located in Barcelona's Càrmel district, a rugged area with steep slopes that Gaud negotiated with a system of viaducts integrated into the terrain. On both directions, the park's main entrance is marked as a porter's lodge and an office, and the site is surrounded by a stone and glazed-ceramic wall. These entrance buildings are an example of Gaud's nefarious reign, with Catalan vaults that form a parabolic hyperboloid. After passing through the gate, steps lead to higher levels, with sculptured fountains, including the dragon fountain, which has become a symbol of the park and one of Gaud's most recognised symbols. These steps led to the Hypostyle Hall, which was supposed to be the resident's market and was constructed with large Doric columns. A large plaza in the form of a Greek theatre with the famous undulating bench covered in broken ceramics ("trencad"), Josep Maria Jujol's work. The park's show home, created by Francesc Berenguer, was Gaud's residence from 1906 to 1926, and now houses the Casa-Museu Gaud.

Gaud contributed to a worldwide initiative, the Rosary of Montserrat (1900-1916). It was a series of sculptures that evoked the mystery of the Virgin, who tells the rosary, and it was deposited on the way to Montserrat's Holy Cave. This project featured the best architects and sculptors of the period, and it is a striking example of Catalan Modernism. Gaud created the First Mystery of Glory, which represents the Holy Sepulcher. A statue of Christ Risen, the work of Josep Llimona, and Dion's Renart's sculptured the Three Marys. Gaud's second major project for Montserrat was never completed: it would have included the crowning of El Cavall Bernat (one of the mountain peaks) with a view in the shape of a royal crown and incorporating a 20 meters (66 ft) high Catalan coat of arms into the wall, as shown by the photographer.

Gaud decorated Isabel Güell López, Marchioness of Castelldosrius, and Eusebi Güell's daughter. The house was constructed in 1885 and renovated between 1901 and 1904, but during the Civil War, it was destroyed by a bomb. Gaud took part in the interior of the Bar Torino, property of Flaminio Mezzalana, which is located at 18 Passeig de Gràcia; Gaud supervised the decoration of the el Salón rabe of the establishment, which does not exist anymore.

Pere Campins i Barceló, the city's bishop, was involved in restoring the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Palma de Mallorca (1903-1914). Gaud planned a series of projects, including removing the baroque altarpiece from the nave and placing them in the presbytery, lighting the cathedral, enforcing the Gothic windows of the Royal Chapel and filling them with stained glass, placing a large canopy over the main altar and finishing the decoration with paintings. Joan Rubió i Bellver, Gaud's assistant, was in charge of this project. Josep Maria Jujol and the painters Joaqun Torres Garca, Iu Pascual, and Jaume Llongueras were among the participants. Gaud's initiated the project in 1914 due to differences with the Cathedral chapter.

The Casa Batlló (1904-1906), one of Gaud's most important and striking works, is located in the province of Gaud. Josep Batlló i Casanovas was commissioned by Josep Batlló i Casanovas to renovate an existing building that was built in 1875 by Emili Sala Cortés, Gaud, and added a fifth floor for the workers. Domènec Sugraes, Joan Rubió, and Josep Canaleta all supported him in this project. The façade of Montjuc features warped ruled surfaces; the columns are shaped with vegetable decoration; Gaud retained the rectangular shape of the old building's balconies, with iron railings in the form of masks, giving the remainder of the façade a more prominent demulating appearance. Gaud also faced the facade with ceramic fragments of various colors ("trencad"), which Gaud obtained from the Pelegr glassworks' waste material. A skylight backed by an iron structure in the shape of a double T, which rests on a line of catenary aches. The helicoidal chimneys are a prominent feature of the roof, topped with conical caps, shrouded in clear glass in the center, and ceramics at the top, with clear glass balls filled with sand of various colours. The façade, which is topped with two layers of brick and faced with glazed ceramic tiles in the shape of scales (in shades of yellow, green, and blue), that mimic a dragon's back; on the left side, there is a cylindrical turret with anagrams of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; and Gaud's four-armed cross.

In 1904, commissioned by painter Llu's Graner, he created the interior of the Sala Mercè in Barcelona's Rambla del Drac (Dragon's Caves), inspired by the Coves del Drac (Dragon's Caves). Graner also built a detached house in Barcelona's Bonanova district, of which only the foundations and the main door were built; the building would have had three openings: for people, cars, and birds; or the porter's lodge of the Park Güell.

He built the Taller Badia workshop for Josep and Llu's Badia Miarnau, blacksmiths who worked with Gaud on several of his commissions, including the Batlló and Milà houses, the Park Güell, and the Sagrada Famlia. It was a simple stone building on 278 Carrer Nàpols. He also created hexagonal hydraulic floor tiles for the Casa Batlló around this time, but they were eventually used for the Casa Milà; they were a green hue and were decorated with seaweed, shells, and starfish. These tiles were later selected to pave Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia.

He also built the Chalet de Catllaràs in La Pobla de Lillet in 1904 for the Asland cement factory, which was owned by Eusebi Güell. It's a simple structure but it's very original, in the shape of a pointed arch, with two semi-circular flights of stairs leading to the top two floors. The original staircase was largely updated when the cement works were closed, and when it was eventually restored, its appearance was dramatically changed. Can Artigas Gardens were built in the same area as the famous park in Barcelona between 1905 and 1907, in a region called Font de la Magnesia by textile merchant Joan Artigas i Alart; men from the Park Güell area were also involved in the project, similar to Barcelona's famous park.

He built a bridge over the Torrent de Pomeret, between Sarriè and Sant Gervasi in 1906. This river flowed directly between two of Gaud's creations, Bellesguard and Chalet Graner, and so he was able to cross the chasm. Gaud designed an interesting structure out of juxtaposed triangles that would support the bridge's frame, replicating the style of the viaducts he created for the Park Güell. It would have been made of cement and would have had a length of 154 meters (505 ft) and a height of 15 meters (49 ft); the balustrade would have been covered with glazed tiles, with an inscription dedicated to Santa Eulàlia. The initiative was not accepted by the Town Council of Sarrià.

Gaud assumed that he participated in the building of the Tortura del Vallès in collaboration with his disciple Francesc Berenguer, but that the project's authorization is uncertain or to what extent they contributed to it. Gaud's earlier work, such as the Casa Vicens or the Güell Pavilions, was evoked by the building's design; it had an entrance gate in the shape of a fishing net; it was recently installed in the Park Güell. In 1939, the building was demolished. He created a new banner for the Corpus Christi procession in Barcelona Cathedral, this time for the Guild of metalworkers and blacksmiths. It was a dark green with Barcelona's coat of arms in the upper left corner and a photograph of Saint Eligius, the guild's patron, with typical tools of the trade. In July 1936, the banner was first burned.

The Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera (1906-1910), was another of Gaud's major projects and one of his most admired works, and was one of Pere Milà i Camps' most commissioned works. Gaud built the house around two large, curved courtyards, with a building of stone, brick, and cast-iron columns and steel beams. The façade is constructed of limestone from Vilafranca del Penedès, except for the upper level, which is covered in white tiles, eliciting a snowy peak. It has a total of five floors, as well as two large interior courtyards, one circular and one oval. The staircases leading to the roof, topped with the four-armed cross, and the chimneys are among the notable features of this collection, which are coated in ceramics and with designs that suggest mediaeval helmets. Josep Maria Jujol and the painters Iu Pascual, Xavier Nogués, and Aleix Clapés completed the interior decoration. The façade was supposed to be completed with a stone, metal, and glass sculpture for Our lady of the Rosary, accompanied by the archangels Michael and Gabriel, who stood at 4 meters in height. Carles Mani, a sculptor, had a sketch drawn but the project was scrapped due to the 1909 Tragic Week.

Gaud had a monument in his honor in 1907 to commemorate King James I's birth centennial. It would have been held in Placa del Rei, and would have included the restoration of three vases above the cathedral's buttresses, as well as the completion of its towers and cupola; and finally, the opening of a large square next to the chapel's towers (now the Plaça Ramon Berenguer el Grand). The initiative was not carried out because the city council opposed it.

Gaud devised a proposal for a skyscraper hotel in New York City commissioned by two American developers whose names are unknown. It would have been 360 meters (1,180 ft) high (taller than the Empire State Building), with a more prominent central section and a four-volume flanked by four volumes housing museums, art galleries, and concert halls, with architecture similar to the Casa Milà. It would have five large rooms, one dedicated to each continent.

The Colnia Güell, an industrial village in Santa Coloma de Cervelló (1890–1918) was the final project for his great patron, Eusebi Güell. The factory, service buildings, and housing for the employees were all built in 1890, and the factory, service buildings, and housing for the employees were all constructed. What would have been the colony's cathedral was built by Gaud in 1898, but the first stone was not laid until October 1908. Unfortunately, only the crypt (known today as Crypt of the Collagen) was constructed, but Güell's sons abandoned the scheme after his death in 1918. Gaud designed an oval church with five aisles, one central aisle, and two on either side. He believed it to be completely integrated into nature. Gaud's first use of paraboloid vaults in architecture precedes the crypt, with a porch of hyperbolic paraboloid vaults. The large hyperboloid stained glass windows in the crypt stand out, with flower petals and butterfly wings. Castellfollit de la Roca's circular brick pillars alternate with slanted basalt columns.

Gaud's career culminated in this naturalistic style, resulting in a synthesis of all of the solutions and styles he had explored until then. Gaud achieved perfect harmony between architectural and ornamental elements, between plastic and aesthetic, between function and appearance, between container and content, bringing together all arts in a single, unified unit.

In a simple yet ingenious building, the Sagrada Famlia schools, a small school for the workers' children, the first example of his final stage can be seen. It was constructed in 1909 and has a rectangular ground plan, including three classrooms, a vestibule, and a chapel. Following the traditional Catalan method, it was constructed of exposed brick in three overlapping layers. The walls and roof have an undulating shape, giving the structure a sense of lightness but also strength. The Sagrada Famlia schools have led by example of constructive genius and have been a source of inspiration for several architects, including simplicity, energy, originality, usability, and geometric excellence.

Gaud spent a short visit to Vic, where he was tasked to design the lampposts for the city's Plaça Major in honor of the first centennial of Jaume Balmes' birth in May 1910. They were obelisk-shaped lamps with basalt rock bases from Castellfollit de la Roca and wrought iron arms topped with a four-armed cross; they were decorated with vegetable themes and included Balmes' birth and death dates. They were demolished in 1924 due to inadequate maintenance.

Gaud designed a coat of arms for his patron in the same year as Eusebi Güell's ascension to the title of count. He created a shield with the lower part in a Gaud style. In a nod to Col. Güell in Santa Coloma de Cervelló, he divided it into two parts: the dove and a gear wheel on the right, assembling Coloma de Cervelló (coloma is Catalan for dove) with the term ahir pastor (yesterday Shepherd). An owl perched on a half-moon — a symbol of prudence and wisdom — with the phrase avuy senyor (today Lord). The shield is topped by a helmet with the count's coronet and the dove symbol of the Holy Spirit.

He built two pulpits for the church of Santa Maria in Blanes in 1912, embellished with the Holy Spirit's dove, and the names of the four evangelists and the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit; the Epist pulpit had the names of the apostles who wrote epistles (Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Judas Thadeus, and Saint James the Great), with the three theological virtues and the Pentecost In July 1936, these pulpits were first incinerated.

Gaud devotes himself almost entirely to his magnum opus, the Sagrada Famlia, a synthesis of his architectural evolution from 1915. The crypt and the apse have been completed, the rest of the church is designed in an organic style, imitating natural shapes with their abundance of ruled surfaces. He wanted the interior to be like a forest, with inclined columns like branching trees, helicoidal in form, and designed for a simple but robust structure. Gaud incorporated all of his previous experimental findings into this project, including works like the Park Güell and the Collegia Güell crypt, in order to produce a cathedral that is both functionally sound, harmonious, and visually pleasing.

The Sagrada Famlia has a cruciform architecture, with a five-aisled nave, a transept of three aisles, and a chapel with seven chapels. It has three façades dedicated to Jesus' birth, passion, and glory, and when completed, it will have eighteen towers: four on each side, four on the transept invoking the evangelists, and one on the Virgin apse, as well as three on the central tower that will reach 172.5 meters (566 ft) in height. The cathedral will be surrounded by two sacristies near the apse and three large chapels: one for Assumption in the apse and the other for the Baptism and Penitence chapels at the west end; also, the building will be surrounded by a cloister constructed for processions and to isolate it from the outside. Gaud used a lot of symbolic imagery in the Sagrada Famlia, both in architecture and sculpture, designating each part of the church to a religious theme.

Only the crypt, apse, and a portion of the Nativity façade were completed during Gaud's life. Domènec Sugraes took over the building after his death; thereafter, it was directed by several architects. Jordi Bonet i Armengol assumed responsibility in 1987 and is continuing as of 2011. Llorenç and Joan Matamala, Carles Mani, Jaume Busquets, Joaquim Ros i Bofarull, Etsuro Sotoo, and Josep Maria Subirachs (creator of the Passion façade) have all contributed to the sculptural decoration. Completion is not expected until at least 2026.

Gaud's involvement in the last years of his life, apart from his contribution to the Sagrada Famlia, he worked on a monument in his honour: in 1916, he conceived a monument in his honour on the Passion façade of Sagrada Famlia. He made a sketch of the scheme, but it was ultimately unsuccessful, and he made a plaster bust of the bishop, according to Gaud. It was placed in the Sagrada Famlia, where it would have been a member of the church, but it was destroyed in 1936. Enric Prat de la Riba, a commemoration of this Catalan politician, was the subject of another commemoration monument project that was also not realized. The project, which dates back to 1918, would have included a tall tower with two porticos and a spire topped with an iron structure flying the Catalan flag. Llu's Bonet i Gard, Gaud's assistant, did the sketches for the project.

Gaud was ordered by the Franciscan Padre Angélico Aranda to build a church dedicated to the Assumption in Ranca, Chile's capital. Gaudapologized and said he was occupied entirely with the Sagrada Famlia, but he did draw some sketches of the Assumption chapel, which more or less corresponded with Padre Aranda's requirements. Sadly, this scheme was not realized, though Chilean architect Christian Matzner's plans to start the work are still on the drawing board. Michelle Bachelet, the President of Chile, has revealed that building will begin in 2015, with an estimated completion in 2017 and a cost of $7 million. When it is finished, it will be Gaud's first building to be built in the Americas.

Gaud was consulted about the construction of a monumental train station for Barcelona in the same year (the future Estació de França). Gaud suggested an iron structure in the form of a large suspended awning, a solution that was perhaps delayed in time; perhaps because of this reason, the head engineers were unlikely to accept Gaud's bid. The Colónia Calvet chapel in Torelló, 1923, and a pulpit for Valencia are the last known architect works. Gaud continued to work exclusively on the Sagrada Famlia from then on until his death.

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