Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batllo – top sights in Barcelona

Between 1904 and 1906 Gaudí worked on a commission to refurbish an apartment block on Passeig de Gràcia belonging to the Batlló family.

The result is Casa Batlló, a remarkable building that exhibits the usual design traits of Antoni Gaudí – not a straight line in site, a profusion of decoration and detail, and a feeling that the building has almost grown rather than been built.

Topped by a roof that supposedly resembles a dragon with claw-like chimneys, the design doesn’t stop at the facade, as the architect designed the interior of the first floor interior too in his own inimitable style – the internal woodwork in particular is incredible.

In fact Casa Batlló is located in the “manzana de discordia” – a pun in Spanish which means both “apple of discord” and “block of discord”, so-called due to a concentration of works from three Catalan architects: next door to Gaudí’s building is Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Amatller (shown left), built between 1898 and 1900, while on the corner of the same block is Casa Lleó-Morera, designed by Doménech i Montaner.

Next: “La Pedrera” – Gaudí’s Casa Milà