Park Güell by Antoni Gaudí

Park Güell in Barcelona is a 17-hectare park in the district of La Salud and Gràcia, not far from the church of La Sagrada Familia. The architect Antoni Gaudí created this popular and unique park on behalf of Eusebi Güell in the Modernisme style, a variation of Art Nouveau. The park with its market hall, stylized dragon and Gaudí's home, which now serves as a museum and displays furniture designed by Gaudí, among other things, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Park Gaudí

The legendary Park Güell, often referred to as Park Gaudí, is today an absolute tourist magnet in the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona. This park is one of his first, larger and holistic projects. Today, the public Park Güell is mainly visited for its fantastic colors and shapes and is perceived as unique and fantastic. However, it is actually the holistic architecture, with its unique views and unexpected vistas, as well as organically shaped walls and seating areas, that make up the concept of Park Güell and are emblematic of Gaudí's style. Park Güell is located in the Gràcia district of La Salut. Antoni Gaudí built the park from 1900 to 1914 on behalf of his patron Eusebi Güell, after whom it is named. Eusebi Güell (1846 - 1918), industrialist, politician and patron of the arts, was an avowed Freemason. The Gaudí invoices also feature typical Masonic symbols: a square and compasses, which suggests that Antoni Gaudí also belonged to the order.

Gaudí and Güell

In mid-1878, the paths of Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudí crossed. In retrospect, this seemingly chance meeting proved to be a historic encounter, as Güell had the financial means and social influence and Gaudí the ideas. As different as the two seemed to be, they were united by their admiration for each other and a tendency towards the same preferences. Güell became a pioneer and patron of Gaudí and made works such as Park Güell possible in the first place.

Gaudí's house

Park Güell has a considerable size of 17.18 hectares. The park, which you should therefore plan at least two hours to visit, is also home to Gaudí's residence. The architect lived here from 1906 to 1925, until one year before his death. Gaudí's house now houses the Gaudí Museum and the furniture he designed. Some of his plans and drawings are also on display here and can be admired. Throughout his life, Gaudí devoted a great deal of time and energy to documenting his projects and presenting them. Most of these documents have been preserved to this day and parts of them can be viewed in Gaudí's former home. Park Güell has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, as have other works by Gaudí such as the church La Sagrada Familia.

Gaudi's garden city

Gaudí was inspired by English garden cities when designing the park and, in fact, Park Güell was to become the center of its own district on the site of a ridge with a market square, a total of 60 villas and a view of Barcelona. Residents and nature were to coexist symbiotically in this district, living side by side on an equal footing. However, project was not well received at the time and the planned villas could not be sold. Due to a lack of interest, only two houses were eventually built on this site.

Architecture of light

It is clear from Casa Calvet that Gaudí was a pioneer in the use of light in architecture. He placed particular emphasis on allowing natural light to flow into his buildings. Gaudí integrated artificial light as an accent or used it to achieve special effects. This design aspect is particularly evident in the Sagrada Familia church and Park Güell.

Park Güell - our conclusion

Park Güell, also known as Parc Güell or Parque Güell, the fairytale park in the heart of Barcelona, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Catalan metropolis. The spirit of the architect Antoni Gaudí can be perfectly captured here. At the same time, Park Güell is an oasis in the center of this vibrant metropolis. You can relax under stone pergolas and on an undulating bench with mosaics. The park has different heights and thus offers a unique view of Barcelona all the way to the Sagrada Familia church. As only a certain number of visitors are admitted at any one time, it is advisable to buy a ticket in advance.