This will probably be the last post in Antoni Gaudi series.
Gaudi was a talented artist and a craftsman as well as a
visionary architect who was way ahead of his time. Not many understood and
appreciated his genius.
But among the selected few who sincerely admired and
supported Gaudi for years and commissioned the architect with significant
projects was Count Eusebi Guell.
He was a prominent entrepreneur and a devoted friend of
Gaudi.
As soon as the wast park area on the far outskirts of
Barcelona was acquired in 1900 the idea to create and ideal futuristic village
for the wealthiest was born. Or maybe it was the other way around. The
architect had so many exuberant ideas that he needed the opportunity to present
itself to implement the playful side of his many talents.
It was supposed to be 60 homes scattered on a hilly park
area, but wealthy Barcelonans showed little interest in moving to the suburbs
and only two cute gingerbread gatehouses with spiky wrought iron gates were
completed by 1914 when hardships of WWI put the whole project to the infinite
halt.
So far were accomplished the market area with leaning columns and wavy ceilings with
mosaic medallions, a query like promenade gallery, landscaping and the stairs
with the psychedelic lizard fountain which became one of the landmarks of
Barcelona much later.
And of course the famous serpentine bench on the esplanade
over the market covered entirely with
unique mosaics. Bright colors and intricate patterns were created in collaboration
with another Moderniste architect Josep
Maria Jujol. In fact it was Jujol who
put it together using the technique of trencadis
, or broken bits of tile (trencar
means to break in Catalan).
Not to mention the tiny cozy pink castle like house built
for Gaudi by his follower architect and right-hand man Francesc Berenguer i
Mestres, were Gaudi lived for 20 years with his niece who looked after him.
Unfortunately not much of original furnishings and décor survived, but
ornamented tile floors, ceiling medallions and moldings did. And the views from
the windows could be fantastic if it wasn’t for
later ugly building developments of 60-70 which inevitably are sticking
out, making clean shots next to impossible.
The whole park today is beautiful and lush but in a high
season heat there may be more visitors than trees. And it’s quite hilly, so be
prepared for a good work out.
The main attraction of the park beside the unique
landscaping and relief are numerous mosaics which are everywhere. There’re so
many ornamental ideas for textiles. Every close
up could be turned into fashionable print, fantastic fabric pattern and
very modern one. Sheer paradise for aspiring textile designer.
Needless to say that souvenir industry benefits heavily transferring
the colorful fragments on t-shirts, umbrellas, glassware , ceramics and
countless trinkets.
When all these mosaics are shining and playing with colors on funny roofs,
window casings, a bit squashed tower, harmfully ferocious lizard/dragon, serpentine
border/bench, walls an fences and all this rainbow happens on the green
backdrop of abundant vegetation, surrounded by palms and trees and exotic
flowers it’s breathtaking beautiful.
The ceiling floral ornament and the stairs in Gaudi's house.
Promenade query-like gallery
This necklace is inspired by mosaics.
I acquired
a couple of handmade artisan glass beads recently and designed this shiny piece.
Thank you for coming.
*All imagers copyright by Natalie Rapoport.