PA3. VIEWS_The Architects from their works

The architect that I studied on the practice was Antoni Gaudí, a catalan arquitect, whose distinctive style is characterized by freedom of form, voluptuous colour and texture, and organic unity. Most of his works took place in Barcelona, although most of his career was spent with the construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família), which was unfinished at his death in 1926.

La Sagrada Familia is an example of one of his most shocking and known works. This breath-taking church is built around natural forms. La Sagrada Familia contains various architectural styles, like for example: gothic, catalan modernism and art noveau. Gaudí took inspiration from animals and plants to design the basilica and depicts stories from the Bible, so the basilica can be seen as a visualized Bible. He keeps involving nature into his designs as for example in the entrance, he uses turtles as the base of a pillar, this symbol means the balance between the land and sea.

La Sagrada´s Familia interior includes many notable elements that gives Gaudí’s building its fame, like for example that it involves nature and avoids straight lines, the pillars from inside have the shape of tree trunks to make the visitors feel like they are inside a forest, rather than in a Roman Catholic church. Also in one part of the building, the ceiling is covered with different patterns which resemble flowers. Gaudí was also very spontaneous and brave when it came to mix colors as he shows in many of his works. In this building he used colors to express different feelings on the glass windows.