Casa Batlló, Barcelona

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Casa Batllo is one of Gaudi's masterpieces located on Passeig de Gracia. The amazing facade and roof design get your attention immediately. For some reason, the roof reminds me of magic mushrooms in fairy tales (not Amsterdam!!!). We decided to visit La Pedrera with my wife and we just took some pictures of Casa Batllo during day and night. The entrance fee is 19.90 Euro per person. To avoid the queues, you can buy your ticket online from the website link provided below.

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The original house at this site was constructed in 1877 and then purchased in 1900 by the textile owner Josep Battlo. Since the house had a good central location he wanted to redevelop or rebuild the house into something special. So in 1904 he hired Antonio Gaudi who convinced Battlo that only a refurbishment of the house was necessary. The refurbishment took only two years. The resulting house was imaginative, allowed for additional light, added many interesting balconies, and the outside took on the form of a spine of an animal. The house after it was refurbished was quite controversial in Barcelona. After several additional refurbishments the house was open to the public for viewing beginning in 2002.

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Entering the place is like being transported to Disney's Little Mermaid film set. The pillars of the building resemble corals and doorways, waves. Put your imagination to full use to truly appreciate the fantastical architecture.

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When Gaudí graduated in 1878 from Barcelona’s School of Architecture, the director announced: “Gentlemen, we are here today in the presence of either a genius or a madman.”

Well I think Gaudi was a genius! His architecture is simply stunning!

This was my favourite work of art by Gaudi. It is located not far from the Placa de Catalunya or you can get off at the first bus stop on either the red or blue tourist bus from Placa de Catalunya.

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The building was first built in 1877, and Antonio Gaudi restored it in 1904-06. It has a Modern/Art Nouveau look for the contemporary and unique design. The roof line is said to look like a dragon or dinosaur (?). The facade has a lot of mosaics with strange designs and line, as well as balconies of odd shape. The top chimney is presented to be Saiont George slaying the dragon with his sword-hint that the the cross and turret on top-but I cannot see it in my imagination.
The outrageous price to enter is 18,15 Euro, and I personally would not pay for that, especially since the wait exceeded one hour, and closer to 2 hours outside when we were there at 2PM. It is open 9-9PM daily every day of the year.

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If Barcelona is known for anything aside from the beautiful city itself, the friendly people, the nightlife in the Barri Gotic/El-Born area and of course the wonderful weather, it is for one particular person, GAUDI. Even a person who does not follow the "arts", like me, knows this name and Gaudi's art was in the living spaces he built.
In the next few sections I will be sharing some of the things that we saw in Barcelona, the Casa Batllo is just one of them.
The entrance price is listed at 18.15 Euro per person, we paid 14.55 per person, a savings of 7.20 Euro because we had our Barcelona Card.
Don't forget to take an audio guide which will help you learn more on your visit.

For more specific information, take a look at the Casa Batllo website, and also these sites:
http://www.casabatllo.es/
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/casa-batllo.html
http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelona/casabatllo.htm

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As I was photographing this window in the main living area at Casa Batllo, I wondered to myself if you would notice that there IS an outside or only the window. Some windows were only to let light in, others to let you see into another room. Even the partition between rooms were a de"light". Not a straight line in any of them, even the frame waves and contorts to pull your eyes to LOOK out or at the window.

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What are the "elements" that make up a home. Doors, windows, staircases, sitting areas, bathrooms, partitions, you know them as well as I do. NOT in a house designed by Gaudi you don't !! A sitting area near a fireplace becomes a secret hideaway. A ceiling becomes a tempest at sea. A staircase becomes the exposed backbone of a sleeping dinosaur. The arches in the attic become a personal cathedral. Even a door, becomes a curving shape that lets you into another dimension...
Take your time and enjoy experiencing Gaudi here.

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What could be more simple than a CHIMNEY, a device for letting the smoke out of a house....... Yet Gaudi turned this purely functional item into a form of art all its own, each with a personality that draws you to look closer.

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Two distinct and totally different elements make the roof area striking, the chimneys and the "dragon back" as it is said to mimic. The imagination can take off in different directions if you sit back and just let it run, take a few moments to sit in the shade and just watch, see if a dragon rises out of the roof.