Antoni Gaudí

1852-1926
Project made by: Ioana Tita and Antonia Zaharia
Who is Gaudí?
• Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was an architect from Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
He is the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's
works have a highly individualized and distinctive style. Most are
located in Barcelona, including his magnum opus, the Sagrada
Família.
His inspiration
• Gaudí's work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture,
nature, and religion. He considered every detail of his creations and
integrated into his architecture such crafts as ceramics, stained glass,
wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He also introduced new
techniques in the treatment of 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 which was reaching its
peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended
mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by
natural forms. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead
preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and
moulding the details as he conceived them.
Sagrada Família
The construction of the church began in 1882, and never finished. It is
thought that it will be done in 2026.
On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said
to have remarked: “My client is not in a hurry”. When Gaudí died in
1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete. After
Gaudí's death, work continued under the direction of Domènec
Sugrañes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
Park Guell
• Park Güell is the reflection of Gaudí's artistic plenitude, which belongs
to his naturalist phase (first decade of the 20th century). During this
period, the architect perfected his personal style through inspiration
from organic shapes. He put into practice a series of new structural
solutions rooted in the analysis of geometry.
• Güell and Gaudí conceived this park, situated within a natural park.
• The park was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened
as a public park in 1926. In 1984, UNESCO declared the park a World
Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudí".
Facts about Gaudi
• He was sickly when he was young and became a vegetarian at a
young age due to the advice of his physician.
• Elies Rogent, the Director of the Barcelona Architecture School once
said of Gaudi, 'We have given this academic title either to a fool or a
genius. Time will show.'
• Antoni Gaudi did not like to draw plans for his buildings. He preferred
to build 3D models of them to create a more accurate portrayal of
what he was seeing in his mind.
• His nickname is 'God's Architect' due to the many religious images
that are seen in his works.
• His first project was to make lampposts in the Plaza Real (Royal Plaza)
in Barcelona. The lanterns are still there.
• He was single his entire life.
• He died on June 10, 1926 after being struck by a tram. At the time he was
dressed in rags, and no taxi's would pick him up. Finally the police
intervened and he was taken to a hospital for the poor. This is where he
chose to stay to receive treatment once he awoke. He was 73 years old.
• 7 of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO between
1984 and 2005.
• His most famous work and masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona,
is still incomplete. Gaudi took over the construction of the church in 1883,
and worked on it until he died. The present design being worked on is
based on models he left. Depending on who you ask, the estimated
completion date for the massive church is either 2017 or 2026.