Architectural Icons Pt2

Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí was born on 25th June 1852, died on 10th June 1926.

Gaudí was a Catalan architect known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, sui generis style.

Most are in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família.

His passions influenced Gaudí's work in life.

Architecture, nature, and religion influenced 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 techniques in treating materials, such as trencadís which used waste ceramic pieces.

Under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Modernista movement, reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, his work transcended mainstream Modernism, culminating in an organic style inspired by natural forms.

Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works instead of creating them as three-dimensional scale models and moulding the details as he conceived them.

Gaudí's work enjoys global popularity and continuing admiration and study by architects. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete Sagrada Família, is the most-visited monument in Spain.

Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Gaudí's Roman Catholic faith intensified during his life, and religious images appear in many of his works.

Gaudí's work earned him the nickname "God's Architect "and led to calls for his beatification.