SP23 Modernist Route

Guided visit in English to the main modernist buildings (Casa Batlló, la Pedrera, Casa de les Punxes). The owners were wealthy industrialists of the early 20th century, who competed to have the most beautiful house. To do so, they hired the best architects. The first house, Casa Batllo, built by Gaudi, represents the different parts of a dragon: the tiles represent its scales, and the balconies are shaped like the bones of a dragon's prey. The dragon's tail is evoked by the interior staircase. The spire on the roof represents Saint George's sword. Another architect, Domenech i Montaner, built the house next door.We then took a look at the exterior of another house built by Gaudi for the Milan family: La Pedrera. As a very religious man, Gaudi also loved nature. The shape of the house is reminiscent of waves. The facade is merely ornamental, not structural; it doesn't support the building, which explains its large number. At the height of modernism, a house called the Casa de las Punxas was built in medieval style in 1908. It was nicknamed the House of the Needle.

Thanks to this visit the students learned a lot more about the history of Barcelona, especially about its wonderful architecture and its main architects.