Gaudí

Mary Dauterman

I was lucky visit many of Gaudí’s famous buildings in Barcelona this past summer: the Sagrada Familia, the Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, and the Casa Milà. These buildings remind me of my childhood storybooks; they are like Dr. Suess’ houses, inflated and distorted to become something surprising. When first seeing Gaudí’s work, I was amazed by his creativity. Every part seemed so foreign, futuristic, even cartoonish. But once I had seen a few buildings, I began to pick up on some of his inspiration: the natural world.

The benches at the Parc Güell are often compared to the back of a snake, slithering around an enclosure. Underneath the bench is a walkway filled with mosaic tiles. Some of the patterns on the ceiling look like sea creatures—starfish and octopi.

There is another walkway in the park that looks almost like a natural cavern, made of earthy rocks. However, there are a few details, such as the female forms that hold up the columns, remind the viewer that this area was constructed.

I really enjoyed the blend of color and form at Parc Güell. Some of his buildings, like Palau Güell are exciting in their design but not in their color. “…Gaudi had earthy and innovative ideas, so he used what were then considered ignoble materials—unfinished bright and wrought iron—extensively” (van Ryzin, 580), especially in the Palau Güell.

I was simply amazed by the Sagrada Familia. The details in this Cathedral are unbelievable. Covering every surface is something to discover. While from a distance, I thought the building looked like a massive, dripping sandcastle, covered with blobs and inconsistent, once I was inside I was shocked. It is true that “inside and out, Gaudi unleashed considerable vision,” (van Ryzin, 583). After seeing all of Gaudí’s mathematical plans for the building, from the basic structure to the interior details, I could see how important this building was for him. The very fact that he knew, that his workers knew, they would never be alive to see the finished piece, is awe-inspiring. Though the building is continually nearing completion, it is impossible to tell if it will be finished in our lifetimes.

I think Gaudí’s buildings are interesting, beautiful, and suiting to the city of Barcelona. It would be wonderful if we were lucky enough, as Brad said, to have our own Gaudí. We may have lost that chance during the controversy over the Blanton Museum, in which we lost world famous architects Herzog and de Meuron for the sake of consistency. While I do agree with taking risks in a creative sense, perhaps a college campus is not the correct place to do so.