Casa Batllo

Introduction

Casa Batlló is a brilliantly fantastical building on Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia—a mansion remodeled by the genius architect Gaudí and famed for its dreamlike, unique form like a sea creature or a fairy-tale castle. It is another masterpiece of Gaudí's architectural art, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a dreamlike building in Barcelona not to be missed. Casa Batlló was remodeled by Gaudí in the early 20th century for the textile magnate Batlló (a thorough, genius transformation of the original building). Gaudí pushed his boundless imagination and his worship of nature and color to the extreme, turning the mansion into a dreamlike architectural artwork. Its facade is brilliant and fantastical, covered with colorful, shimmering mosaic tiles and stained glass (like a rippling sea surface or an Impressionist painting), dotted with balconies like bones or masks, and a colorful roof undulating like dragon scales (said to draw its inspiration from the legend of Saint George, patron of Catalonia, slaying the dragon; the roof's dragon spine and the spire cross seemingly piercing the dragon's body are full of symbolism), full of a fantastical, lively beauty—so the building is often called the 'House of Bones' or the 'House of the Dragon'. Its interior is likewise full of Gaudí's unique, ocean- or nature-like fantastical design—flowing curves, a blue mosaic light well (like the deep sea), windows and doors like shells or water ripples, and clever lighting and ventilation, all full of imagination and beauty. Visiting Barcelona's Casa Batlló, marvelling at Gaudí's brilliant, fantastical creativity and dreamlike beauty, is a uniquely imaginative Barcelona experience.

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