Antoni Gaudí, the famous Spanish Catalan architect working in Barcelona, best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism who designed the great Sagrada Família is finally getting his own museum in the newly renovated Casa Vicens. The building was the first Gaudí’s house and is considered one of the first examples of Art Nouveau architecture. It has been closed since 2015 while being refitted as a museum. Now, in the second half of 2017 it is going to reopen… as a museum.

Casa Vicens, the new Gaudi Museum, Barcelona. Source: https://casavicens.org

Casa Vicens, the new Gaudi Museum, Barcelona. Source: https://casavicens.org

The museum director Joan Abellà explains: “The museum is attempting to preserve the essence of Gaudí as much as possible, even deciding not to furnish the rooms for an important reason.“It is now a living work and we have made every effort to bring back the essence of Gaudí,” explains  “There are no photos of how the house was furnished in 1885 and therefore it has been decided that it will not be furnished.”

Casa Vicens, the new Gaudi Museum, Barcelona. Source: https://casavicens.org

Casa Vicens was built as a summer home between 1883 and 1885; it was designed by the 31 -year-old Gaudí for Manuel Vicens i Montaner, a broker-dealer and factory owner in the outskirts of Barcelona. It was the young architect’s first important commission and helped launch a new era of modern architecture. Casa Vicens is composed of different forms from those we are used to seeing in other buildings designed by Gaudí. The specialists are referring this building to Gaudí’s orientalist period which lasted from 1883 to 1888. Gaudi was then inspired by Hispano-Arabic, Moorish tradition. We can see it in vibrant colors, the use of brick, tile, and iron, and the combination of painting and sculpture are all features that would become hallmarks of Gaudí’s architecture.

Casa Vicens, the new Gaudi Museum, Barcelona. Source: https://casavicens.org

After Vicens i Montaner died in 1895, the building changed hands several times and was notably enlarged in the 1920s, with Gaudí himself approving of the renovations. In 2014, Casa Vicens was purchased by a private capital investment firm who wished to transform the private residence into a museum celebrating the origins of Gaudí’s career.

Look at these bautiful photos!

Casa Vicens, the new Gaudi Museum, Barcelona. Source: https://casavicens.org

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