Antonio Gaudi June 25 th 1856 – 10 th June 1926

Childhood and studies  Born in Reus on June 25 th 1856, Gaudi was a Spanish Catalan architect  Gaudi was the youngest of 5 children in which only 3 survived to adulthood  Gaudi suffered from poor health, including rheumatism, which may have contributed to his reserved character  Gaudi enrolled in Piarists school in Reus and he displayed many artistic talents. During this time he worked as an apprentice in a textile mill in Reus  In 1868 Gaudi moved to Barcelona to study teaching  Between 1875 – 1878, Gaudi completed his compulsory military service, most of which was spent on sick leave, allowing him to continue studying  In 1876 Gaudí's mother died at the age of 57, as did his 25-year-old brother Francesc, who had just graduated as a physician.  During this time Gaudí studied architecture at the Llotja School and the Barcelona Higher School of Architecture, graduating in  To finance his studies, Gaudí worked as a draughtsman for various architects and constructors The Gaudi home

Developments as a Professional Architect  Gaudí's first projects were the lampposts he designed for the Plaça Reial in Barcelona, the unfinished Girossi newsstands, and the Cooperativa Obrera Mataronense building.  He gained more recognition for his first important commission, the Casa Vicens, thus received more significant proposals.  Gaudis most impressive work: the Güell wine cellars, the Güell pavilions, the Palau Güell (Güell palace), the Park Güell (Güell park) and the crypt of the church of the Colònia Güell

Inspiration  During his time as a student, Gaudí was able to study a collection of photographs of Egyptian, Indian,  Persian, Mayan, Chinese and Japanese art owned by the School of Architecture.  The collection also included Moorish monuments in Spain, which left a deep mark on him and served as an inspiration in many of his works  One of the styles that most influenced him was the Gothic Revival, promoted in the latter half of the 19th century by the works of Viollet-le-Duc  His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, ending in an organic style inspired by nature.

Columns In Park Guell Here you can see a walkway supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. Although these are rather irregular in shape they do feel strangely natural too. Gaudí was strongly influenced by natural shapes and used them in his work.

Park Guell’s Lizard This dragon is adorned in beautiful coloured tiling and there is something rather hypnotic and magical about it.

Winding Benches In Park Guell At the top of Güell park is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and of Barcelona City. Here you will find multi-coloured tiled mosaic seats as shown in this picture. The vibrant colours of the tiles are truly breathtaking.