Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló is a residential building reconstructed by the brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi for textile tycoon Josep Batlló-i-Kasanovas. To do this, Gaudi rebuilt the first floor, added two facades to the building, and also created a single courtyard, which is why the ventilation and internal lighting improved at the house. This building showed a special style of architecture, without regard to generally accepted architectural styles.

Antonio worked on the Guell Park when he received an order to build a house for the tycoon. But after examining the houses, he dissuaded the owner from destroying the house and offered to remake it thoroughly. Leaving the main part of the house unchanged, Gaudi began designing the facades of the building. In addition, a mezzanine and lower floor were re-planned, on which fancy furniture, an attic, a stepped terrace and a basement appeared. During the construction, the layout of the courtyard was redone, due to which ventilation and daylight of the house improved. Gaudi also used a similar design when building the House of Mila.

The first thing that catches your eye in Casa Batlló is straightness in the structures of the building. In all the details of the facade there are waves and other uneven figures, which are interpreted by researchers as a figure of a dragon. Gaudi loved dragons and tried to portray him to one degree or another in all his creations. St. George is considered the intercessor of Catalonia, who defeated the dragon. In the house of Batlló George, the piercing sword in the dragon is depicted in the George cross standing on the tower of the building. And the facade of the building symbolizes a dragon with sparkling scales lying on its victims, the figures of which are visible in the form of beletazh columns and a balcony. For this personality, Casa Batlló is sometimes called the House of Bones.

In all his creations, Gaudi painstakingly thought through all the details of the structure. When decorating the courtyard, uniform lighting was achieved by using ceramic cladding of various flower saturation. On the lower floors, light ceramics were used and, as you move up, changed your color from white to blue, also to achieve the desired effect, the windows with increasing height were compressed.

All the decoration and furniture of the building was made by the best masters of their craft. During the decoration, stained glass blowers Zhusepe Pelegri were used, Ceramics were performed by Sebastian-i-Ribo, lining of the main facade was performed on the island of Mallorca. The furniture made by Gaudi for the interior of the house currently stands at the Gaudi Museum in Guell Park.

Casa Batlló is located next to Amallier’s house and the house of Leo Morera, which are located in the “quarter of disagreement”, which got its name because of its peculiar modernist buildings. In 1993, the Ballo family bought the house. After a short restoration, Casa Batlló opened the door for everyone and is now one of Barcelona's attractions.