Gaudí

The life of Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was full of complexity and contradictions. As a young man, he joined the Catalonian nationalist movement and was critical of the church. Toward the end of his life, he devoted himself completely to the construction of one single spectacular church, La Sagrada Família. In his youth, he courted a glamorous social life and the demeanour of a dandy. By the time of his death in a tram accident on the streets of Barcelona, his clothes were so shabby that passers-by assumed he was a beggar.

Gaudí’s incomparable architecture channels much of this multifaceted intricacy. From the shimmering surface textures and skeletal forms of Casa Batlló to the Hispano-Arabic matrix of Casa Vicens, his work merged the influences of Orientalism, natural forms, new materials, and religious faith into a unique Modernista aesthetic. Today, his buildings enjoy global popularity and acclaim; his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família, is the most-visited monument in Spain and seven of his works are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Packed full of expert texts and hundreds of full-colour illustrations, including new photography, Gaudí presents the architect's complete oeuvre. Like a personal tour through Barcelona, we explore his residential, religious, and public projects. We see how the "Dante of architecture" was a builder in the truest sense of the word, crafting extraordinary constructions out of minute and mesmerising details, transforming fantastical visions into realities on the city streets.