The huge open-air architectural museum attracts tourists who dream of touching the beautiful and admiring amazing masterpieces. The unique city of contrasts is one of the most beautiful on the Mediterranean coast. The eternally young and free capital of Catalonia has repeatedly changed its appearance.
First of all, Barcelona is famous for its unique architecture, which is rather difficult to describe in words. It harmoniously combines old and new, modern and classic, making the Spanish pearl unique.
A bit about the architecture of the VIII-XVI centuries
If we talk about the peculiarities of the architecture of Barcelona, then we can not fail to mention the three main styles on which various historical events left their mark - Moorish, Romanesque and Gothic.
Moors are children of the desert, with special trepidation related to life-giving moisture, and it is no coincidence that fabulous works in stone of this direction abound in cozy courtyards with luxurious fountains. Also, during the construction of the VIII – XI centuries, domed forms, numerous arches and bizarre columns were used, creating a sense of unreality.
Romanesque structures are powerful impregnable fortresses that grew during the period when the Crusades against the Moors began. Buildings made of rough stones were not decorated with decorative elements, but with numerous towers with small loophole windows.
After the XIII century, a new style is actively developing - the Gothic, which was created by Catholic monks preaching an ascetic lifestyle. Majestic temples appear with a large number of chapels and peaked towers with spiers directed towards the sky. Absolutely smooth surface of the walls was decorated with original ornaments.
However, many structures have a mixed style, since their construction could last several centuries.
The riddle of the great genius
The charming Catalan capital is most often associated with the name of the brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi. The architecture of Barcelona is much more than just works of art of great talent, but a huge number of travelers rush here to personally enjoy the monuments built by the master. The most fantastic architect of all time worked in an unusual direction: he absorbed mystical Gothic and all national styles. Having left an invaluable legacy, he created perfect creations that give the city a special charm.
The personality of a genius is a mystery, and his work captures the hearts and souls of people at first sight. Antonio deified nature, so he transferred its laws to the architecture of Barcelona.
Casa Batlló resembling a dragon figure
The most unusual home of the tourist center is Casa Batllo - an unusual building that stands out from the rest. The texture of its walls resembles the dragon's scaly skin, columns and balconies - human skulls and bones, and the roof looks like a ridge of a mythological monster. A hewn stone was used to create the facade, and the courtyard is decorated with ceramic tiles shimmering in the rays of sunlight. The gigantic fire-breathing serpent is struck by the spear of St. George the Victorious, and the role of a weapon of retribution is played by a small turret on the roof.
Unique monument
Casa Batlló, protected by UNESCO, is a masterpiece of architecture, in which there are no straight lines, and wavy outlines are observed in all details. From a usual, unremarkable building, the genius managed to make an authentic monument of the progressive architecture of Barcelona. Located in the Eixample district, it arouses the keen interest of visitors to Catalonia, who think that the house is about to come to life and begin to travel around the city.
Officially it is believed that Casa Batllo is the standard of Art Nouveau, but experts say that Gaudi created his own style, which does not look like anything.
Complete merger with nature
The delightful architecture of Barcelona includes one of the most striking sights of the capital of Catalonia - Park Guell. This is an example of how an unsuccessful commercial project has become a favorite vacation spot for tourists and citizens. The stunningly beautiful Parque Güell is a symbiosis of human genius and natural naturalness.
At the beginning of the last century, the wealthy industrialist E. Guell thought about a green garden city in the English style and hired an architect to create an ecological housing. However, the entrepreneur's idea was expected to fail, and the wealthy of Catalonia were in no hurry to part with the money in order to buy a mansion on a hilly area.
Admirable Green Oasis
The tycoon sold the park to the city authorities, and they did not change anything in the appearance of the unusual monument of Barcelona. The architecture of Gaudi makes an incredible impression on tourists. Visitors admire the two buildings located at the entrance. Reminiscent of fabulous gingerbread houses, they involuntarily attract the eye.
However, the main staircase is the most beloved object of the colorful attraction, where a mosaic salamander awaits everyone, which has become a symbol of the cultural capital of Spain. Decorated with colored beaten tiles, it leads to the top of the hill, where there is a huge terrace, around which a winding snake-shaped bench stretches, covered with a mosaic of broken glass and ceramic fragments.
True legend
The architect achieved a complete merger of the park with the environment: bizarre wavy shapes create the illusion of space, and unusual columns are more like centuries-old trees or mysterious stalactites. Moreover, no one will see right angles here, since even powerful poles bend in different directions. Over the years, the Park Guell has become a true legend of the art and architecture of Barcelona.
Unusual area
It should be noted that not only the work of the Catalan architect had a magical effect on the unique appearance of the Spanish pearl. The architecture of Barcelona (a photo of the most beautiful buildings is presented in the article) is much more than the unique works of the great Gaudi. A huge contribution to the personality of the city falling in love was made by the famous urbanist Ildefons Serda.
The main tourist center of Spain is not in vain called the capital of Art Nouveau, and the essence of modern style reflects the famous Eixample district, which emerged according to a clear plan. In the middle of the XIX century, the city authorities decided to build up a new district, L'Eixample, on the site of the demolished village settlements. The project was won by Cerda, who first applied a straightforward layout: all streets intersect at right angles, forming octagonal (octagonal) blocks, and this division is considered a symbol of the district. The unusual layout is conceived taking into account the fact that each square should have its own mini-infrastructure.
The heart of the Catalan capital
The bourgeois began to move here, carefully trying to outdo the aristocracy. People who quickly gained wealth wanted their houses to be unique, and all known styles of Barcelona architecture were no longer suitable for self-expression of a new layer of society. The townspeople rebelled against boring buildings similar to each other. Young authors dreamed of “dressing” the new quarter in colorful clothes, and they succeeded. After the construction was completed, the area flourished due to the fact that representatives of the bourgeoisie decorated it with luxurious mansions.
Now the elite Eixample, which is the heart of the capital, is an amazing mixture of beauty and rationalism. Here no one will find two identical buildings, and this is the main feature of the Art Nouveau style (art nouveau). In such buildings, you can see mosaics, sculptural works, and stained glass windows.
Agbar Tower
It is believed that the Olympic Games, held in 1992, and the World Forum of Cultures 2004, fundamentally transformed the appearance of Barcelona, whose modern architecture is of interest to everyone who loves to walk along the cozy streets.
It was at this time that a magnificent skyscraper appeared - the Agbar tower. Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, it is sheathed with multi-colored panels, inside which are hidden up to four thousand lighting devices that form complex volume combinations. From a distance, it seems as if a skyscraper, resembling a gigantic cucumber, shimmers like a thousand precious stones, and an artificial glow in the dark can be seen from afar.
The shape of the bizarre building that adorns the city is inspired by the idea of geysers and rock mountain monoliths pounding upwards. A modern building with a height of 145 meters is the pride of the locals, but at the same time it does not fit into the overall flavor of the Catalan capital. The atypical skyscraper, each office of which has a free layout, is an impressive sight.
Innovative Environmental Office Center
The grown-up high-tech business center was designed by Enric Ruiz-Geli. The futuristic Media-TIC building, which stands out for its asymmetrical facades, is made of a new material - texlon, which helps to achieve an excellent level of energy conservation. It does not absorb moisture, does not lose its elasticity and even improves thermal insulation. The film lets light in, while protecting the business center from the scorching sun in the summer.
An energy-efficient masterpiece is one of the most innovative office complexes. All engineering systems work on the basis of information that comes from special sensors located around the perimeter of the structure. An architectural marvel demonstrating a radically new approach to construction, in 2011 received the title of "The Best Ecological Building in the World."
Santa Caterina Market and its unusual roof
One of the oldest markets in the Catalan capital, located in the Ribera region, after the recent restoration, only the walls of the external facade have been preserved from the original building. But the main element of the structure is its roof. Two talented craftsmen (Enrique Miraies and Bendett Tagliabe) covered the building with a multi-colored mosaic roof in the style of the great architect of Catalonia. Inspired by his work, they very subtly reworked his beloved modernism.
The wave-shaped roof consists of 325 thousand hexagonal ceramic tiles of the most incredible shades. The Santa Caterina market is on a par with other creations in the modernist style of Gaudi in Barcelona. Tourists are sure to take photos of the indoor building, which will introduce the culinary traditions of the Catalans.
Modern architects contribute to the creation of the city, which is an ideal platform for experimentation. Authors of unusual masterpieces freely use bright colors and are not afraid of bizarre shapes, which gives Barcelona's appearance a special charm.