Antonio Gaudi

Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926) is one of the most admired architects of the twentieth century. Even today, some seventy-five years after Gaudi's death, his fanciful, exuberant buildings define Barcelona's cityscape and continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps best known for the dynamic, sculptural facades, found on such buildings as the church of the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, Gaudi is as much respected as a technological innovator as a daring stylist. In this enlightening volume, a concise, knowledgeable text by the director of the Royal Gaudi Chair at the Polytechnical University of Catalonia (Barcelona) combines with striking images by a well-known architectural photographer to provide a new perspective on Gaudi's remarkable career. The text covers the full range of his oeuvre, describing early assignments in the 1870s as a draftsman for leading architects in Barcelona, the innovative buildings he created for the Guell Palace and Estate, daring new structural solutions at Bellesguard, architecture inspired by nature at the Casa Calvet and in the Park Guell, and the construction of his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death. The author traces all the influences that led to his definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and neogothicism to his affinity for naturalism and specific geometric forms. Brilliantly illustrated, this incisive overview of Gaudi's visionary work is ideal for those who delight in his architecture as well as those who look forward to traveling to Spain to see his monumental legacy.