BAR-CEL-ONA
http://www.casabatllo.es/
Casa Batlló (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkazə bəʎˈʎo, bədˈʎo]), is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled in the years 1905–1907; located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia (passeig is Catalan for promenade or avenue), part of the Illa de la Discòrdia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia.
The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), and indeed it does have a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It was originally designed for a middle-class family and situated in a prosperous district of Barcelona.
The building looks very remarkable — like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.
It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the sword of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.
14 responses
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Litz Go gave props (13 May 2009):
awesome detail shot!
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diana anderson gave props (13 May 2009):
cool pov!!
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Fogarty Creek gave props (13 May 2009):
I like the pov also, and the contrast works wonderfully!
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Leanna Lomanski gave props (13 May 2009):
Very interesting architecture beautifully captured!
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david ong gave props (14 May 2009):
i remember this... awesome details!! great shot!
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Michael Ball gave props (14 May 2009):
Fantastic!!
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Sonia Adam Murray gave props (14 May 2009):
You shot this at an interesting angle.
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Nancy Berman gave props (14 May 2009):
Interesting photo
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stuart s gave props (14 May 2009):
Wonderful shot.
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John Linton gave props (17 May 2009):
Gaudí magic.
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eithne mythen gave props (18 May 2009):
Lovely composition..
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Leslie Hunziker gave props (25 Jul 2009):
Excellent!
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Camille Javal gave props (27 Jul 2009):
Art Nouveu is my absolute favorite! Wish I were there!
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Maura Wolfson-Foster gave props (13 Aug 2009):
My fav architect - incredible POV (you did him proud!)
