Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Barcelona: Born Area Beautiful Design Flat Old Town Centre (Airbnb), Day 4 of 8

Taxi Route: Apartment to Park Guell to Trek Bike Shop, about 4 miles

Walking Route: Trek Bike Shop to Apartment, 1 mile

Continuing our Gaudi exploration, we headed to Park Guell on a beautiful sunny day. We entered the park a little before 10:00 and spent about an hour and a half wandering its paths. 

We are glad we visited the Artigas garden designed by Gaudi in La Poblas de Lillet last month. The Jardin d'Artigas was built from 1905 to 1906; Park Guell from 1900 to 1926. We saw similarities between many elements in the two parks, including Catholic symbols, natural objects, and  parabolic shapes. Park Guell lacked a little of the magic we experienced in the Jardin d’Artigas--partly because we were surrounded by other tourists in the park instead of discovering it alone as we did the garden, partly because the garden was small and intimate, partly because we saw the garden first.

In the late 1890s, Eusebi Guell contracted Gaudi to design the park. Guell and Gaudi originally planned for 61 upper-class homes, but only two houses were actually built. The unfinished development was sold to the city as a park in 1922.

Although we appreciated being able to visit as tourists, we were a little sad that the lovely, quiet setting is not enjoyed by families and community as it was designed to be. Gaudi created wonderful spaces for families to enjoy privacy, meet with close neighbors, and share with the whole community. It would have been a special place to live.

On our way back from the park, we stopped at the Trek shop, where Ken had arranged to pick up two bike boxes for our flight home. We walked them back to the apartment, then headed to our nice neighborhood restaurant for another excellent lunch/dinner.

The parabolic shapes formed by arches in the colonade of Park Guell are similar to those in the Jardin d'Artigas.

Guell wanted the park to be similar to the residential English gardens, with pathways and manicured flower beds. Gaudi accomplished that with his own twist, incorporating plants more common to the southern climate of Barcelona, such as palm trees.

Gaudí’s assistant Francesc Berenguer designed a show house to encourage sales. Gaudi, his father, and his niece moved into the house in 1906. 

The views of Barcelona from the park walkways are priceless. I wonder what people might pay to live in this area today.

The park is built on a steep hill. About halfway up is a terrace ringed by flowing benches designed to fit the shape of a human body comfortably and decorated in mosaics symbols from nature and religion.

The statue of a woman carrying a basket of fruit is almost identical to a slightly smaller one in the Jardin d'Artigas. We couldn't find a corresponding male figure in Park Guell, though there was one in the garden. 

Detail of a mosaic in the ceiling near the center of the marketplace. There are four of these circular mosaics, each depicting a different season.

The marketplace was created for use in poor weather. The pillars and arches support the terrace above, which is an open space for gathering when the weather is nicer.

The main entrance to the park consists of two buildings flanking a staircase to the marketplace. This view is from the marketplace looking down, with one building and half of the staircase to the left.

Three fountains divide the staircase down the middle. The center fountain is a dragon or salamander, covered in colorful mosaic tiles.

Butterfly gates made of metal are features used by Gaudi in many of his buildings.

At the base of the fountain are several goblins. Partway up is the symbol of Catalonia.

Mosaics decorate the face of the walls embracing the staircase.

The shape of this window is also used elsewhere by Gaudi. I found it, in a more simple, white, design, in the Casa Mila.

The parabolic shape of this natural, flowing arched arcade is also repeated in the Casa Mila.

The first house built in the park was a villa designed by architect Juli Batllevell for a friend of Guell's. The villa sits at the very top of the park, commanding inspirational views of Barcelona.