Antoni Gaudi - A genius ahead of his time.

The personification of abstraction, Antoni Gaudi was a genius of modernist architecture unparalleled in his ability to take real-world objects (especially animals) and turn them into architectural wonders renowned for their beauty. Gaudi was a controversial figure in the architectural world, especially in Barcelona, where some of his most famous works are located. “Casa Mila”, also known as “La Pedrera” by the locals, was undoubtedly one of his most controversial works when it was first built, but is celebrated in modern-day for its distinctiveness and audacity. Gaudi left a lasting impression on the world of architecture and is still celebrated both for his dauntlessness as well as his genius.

Gaudi was someone who was not afraid to tale risks; from designing the roof of a house to look like a mosaic-scaled dragon, to a church that’s taken well over 100 years to complete, ostentatiousness was certainly a specialty of his. He was eccentric, robust, and gave little care to the criticisms of others, even his own clients; a truly mad genius of equal parts deranged and wonderful. He had a way of transforming spaces into something that fills you with wonder and overpowers you with emotion from the second you step in; I have visited Barcelona multiple times simply to witness his work, and I can confidently say that nothing quite compares to it. La Sagrada Familia, possibly his most well-known work, was unlike anything else as if I had been transported to another dimension where I felt so inconsequential compared to the towering beams and masterful bending of light; it was nothing short of humbling, and an experience like none other. However, despite his undisputed genius, much of his work is still surrounded in controversy, none as much as Casa Mila, which I will soon discuss.

In 1905, two wealthy members of the bourgeoisie commissioned the architect Antoni Gaudi to design and build a home for them on the Passeig de Gracia, which at the time was the most important avenue in Barcelona. Gaudi constantly changed its design during the building process, stating that he did not want the materials or the space he was working with to limit the end-product. He entered into debates with the city and the health department, and even with the clients themselves over how the building should be completed. When the work was finished, it was widely criticized; some called it eccentric, and others called it genius. The locals began to call it “La Pedrera”, a name that the would-be house would later come to adopt, due to its resemblance to a stone quarry. Today, the building is a certified world heritage site, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Barcelona along with most of his other works.

No architect in history has had so much of an influence on one city as Antoni Gaudi has in Barcelona. His eccentric and often controversial architectural works are now considered some of the greatest innovations of modernist architecture in history, a testament to the fact that he was a genius far ahead of his time. However, perhaps his greatest contribution to the world of architecture was his ability to turn organic subjects into inspiration for his work, proving that nature provides inspiration in the most unexpected ways.