Undisputed symbol of Catalan modernism, Batlló house It is one of the most iconic buildings in Barcelona and one of the most famous works of Antoni Gaudí. Located at number 43 of Passeig De Gràcia, in the heart of the Eixample district, it was built between 1904 and 1906 as a renovation of a pre -existing building on behalf of Josep Batlló, an industrial owner of various textile factories and an important entrepreneur. Universally known for its organic and fairytale forms, the vibrant colors and the extraordinary symbolic wealth that characterizes every architectural detail, Casa Batlló was recognized in 2005 UNESCO World Heritage. Owned by the Bernat family since the 90s and now open to the public as a house museum, with immersive installations and a visit to the interior environments that tells the creative genius of Gaudí, represents an essential stop for those who visit Barcelona.
The facade of the building, the iconic roof and the balconies
Gaudí transformed the facade of the Batlló house into a real sculptural work, full of symbolisms It is open to multiple interpretations. The base has sinuous columns that recall human boneswhile the railings of the balconies, made with a single piece of melted iron, take on the appearance of Carnival masks or stylized skulls. To dominate the whole, the curved roof covered with colored ceramics recalls the scales of a dragonin reference – according to some theories – to the legend of San Giorgio who pierces the creature with a spear, represented by the cross that stands on the top of the building.
Another space of great importance is the terrace on the roofwhich follows the structure of the building forming a large rectangle of about 300 square meters interrupted in the center by the skylight that illuminates the internal courtyard. To give shape to the plastic elements who animate this space – chimneys, air intakes, scales outlets – Gaudí remedied the “Wall Volta” techniquea construction system inherited from Gothic architecture that allowed to obtain curved (vaults) volumes very resistant with the help of simple bricks arranged “knife” and shaped, row after row, until it reaches the desired shape. Once the structure has been built, this was plastered with lime mortar and covered with the typical trencadístraditional ornamental application that uses colored ceramic fragments.
The organization of the interiors: between color and sustainability
Gaudí organized the ground floor of the Batlló house by dividing it into three distinct areas, each with its own independent access: the entrance to the housing, the shop and the put back; The atrium served as a joint for the scale and the lift for common use. To improve the lighting and natural ventilation of all the rooms of the house, the architect expanded the surface of the internal courtyard And he transformed it into a functional and scenographic element: he installed large skylights on the walls and windows on the plants, opened the internal terraces to the lower levels and had the walls of enamelled ceramic tiles in five shades of blue. Arranged in the gradation from the darker to the clearest as you go down, the cards reflect and amplify the light homogeneously, naturally regulating the temperature.
Every detail or surface of the Battló house is designed to stimulate the senses and wonder, but also conceived in the perspective of “sustainability”: the solutions for natural lighting, passive cooling and thermal insulation anticipate central issues, confirming the pioneering vision of the architect. La Mansarda, service area marked by a succession of parabolic arches Built in bricks and covered with plaster, it is perhaps the emblem. This structure, already experimented by Gaudí in the Board of the Teresiane, made it possible to support the weight of the roof without the need to insert heavy partition walls; In this way the space, free and continuous, served by thermoregulation chamber protecting the building from thermal changes.
The history of Casa Batllò
In 1903 the textile industrialist Josep Batlló He bought a building on Passeig De Gràcia, a prestigious avenue of the new Eixample district of Barcelona, at the time very coveted by the upper bourgeoisie. The property, designed twenty years earlier by Emili Salas I Cortès – who was also the master of Antoni Gaudí – however he appeared too sober and conventional compared to the exuberant aesthetic of the surrounding residences. In 1904, determined to radically transform the building, even at the cost of reducing it and reconstructing it from scratch, Batlló turned to Gaudí. The architect, already famous and in the middle of his creative maturity, convinced the wealthy client to opt for one full renovation that maintained the existing structure but completely revolutionized its image.
The intervention, which provided for the addition of a plane and an attic, in addition to the renovation of the facade, the internal courtyard, the ground floor and the main floor, was therefore for Gaudí the ideal opportunity to reach a synthesis between Architectural functionality and formal audacityalways under the guidance of the knowledge of the laws of nature, but now free from the historical influences that had marked his previous works. THE’attention to lightto the structures and fluid succession of the spaces, therefore it is combined with one expressive research Unprecedented, made of organic curves, changing colors, symbolisms and innovative materials. The result is a dynamic and very original building, almost fairytale because of his roof in Decliviocovered with elements that most imagined being the flakes of a primordial reptile or a colorful dragon.
The museum and the setting up of Kengo Kuma
Since 2005 Casa Batlló has been UNESCO World Heritage Site And it is open to the public as a house museum. The exhibition itinerary, in addition to the exploration of the various environments (atrium and concierge, main plan, private residence of the Batlló, attic and terrace) has been enriched over time multimedia and immersive installations which help to understand the work of Antonì Gaudì and its creative universe. Particularly suggestive is thepermanent setting edited by the Japanese architect Kengo Kumawhich reinterprets the spaces with a tribute to the sensitivity of the architect in the use of light through curtains made with aluminum chains. Illuminated by Mario Nanni, these cascade curtains adorn the atrium and wrap a new staircase that connects the ground floor to the additional square meters of exhibition spaces obtained in a former coal bunker in the basement, as well as another staircase that extends for all eight floors of the building.
