The brilliant architect created wonders, changing the face of the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona. His works, which combine nature, symbolism and deep faith, fascinate millions.
Barcelona, June 7, 1926. The streets of the Catalan capital are flooded with sunlight. Among the passers-by is an elderly man in a worn suit. As he thoughtfully crosses the tracks in the street, a tram line 30 runs into him. No one recognizes the old man lying unconscious on the ground. Because of his neglected appearance, no one approaches him at first, and taxi drivers refuse to take him to the hospital.
Three days later, on June 10, the old man dies in the "Santa Creu" poorhouse. Only then does the news echo through the city: Barcelona has lost its greatest genius – Antoni Gaudí. He was buried a few days before his 74th birthday, in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia, in the very heart of his life's work. He was seen off by the whole of Barcelona, whose face he had permanently shaped.
His works, which combine nature, symbolism, and deep faith, still fascinate millions today.
A visionary and an eccentric weirdo
Antoni Gaudí, born on June 25, 1852 in Reus in southern Catalonia, Spain, developed an architectural expression early on that left historical models far behind.
His creative energy was immense: he simultaneously worked on residential buildings, religious buildings and urban projects. He created spaces in which statics, ornamentation and symbolism form a unity. His style is classified as Catalan modernism, a variant of Art Nouveau that merges craftsmanship, art and symbolic design into a comprehensive work of art.
Facades that curve like waves, columns that branch like forest trees, and roofs that resemble the back of a dragon – Gaudi sought the laws of nature in everything, believing that they provided the best solutions for statics and aesthetics.
As a young architect, Gaudí was known in Barcelona as a true dandy. He enjoyed luxury, wore expensive, custom-made suits, groomed his beard with special care, ate in the best restaurants, and moved in high circles.
Guelj - friend and patron
At that time in 1878, he met Eusebio Güell, an industrialist with a keen sense of art. It was one of the most fruitful friendships and patronages in history. From this relationship between client and architect, a deep mutual admiration developed, and allowed Gaudí to develop his full artistic potential.
Radical transformation and a turn to deep faith, modesty, and isolation came only later, primarily prompted by tragedies – the deaths of his mother, brother, sister, and friend Guell – but also by a complete fascination with the work on the Sagrada Familia.
The public was sharply divided during his lifetime. For some he was a visionary innovator, for others an eccentric oddball. His hermit life, disregard for social norms, and radically new visual language brought him criticism and ridicule.
Contemporary caricatures sometimes depicted his houses as grotesque structures or fairy-tale settings.
Despite everything, this eternal bachelor remained steadfast, finding support in his faith. Today, seven of his buildings are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sagrada Familia: "Bible in Stone"
No building embodies Gaudi's vision like the famous Sagrada Familia basilica, his last and most significant work.
Gaudí envisioned the church as a "Bible in stone." Its towers, portals, and sculptures tell of Christ's birth, suffering, and resurrection. Of the 18 planned towers, only half had been completed until recently, and since 2016, Barcelona's skyline has been rapidly changing with the construction of large towers dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Evangelists, and Jesus Christ.
This very year, 2026, is when history is turning a new page. The main tower of Jesus Christ (Torre de Jesucristo) will be inaugurated on the centenary of the architect's death, on June 10. With a total height of 172,5 meters – including the 17-meter-high cross at the top that can be entered – this tower is now the tallest church tower in the world, dethroning the cathedral in Ulm, Germany (162 meters).
Pope Leo XIV will solemnly bless the tower on June 10, and the cross, weighing about 100 tons, made in Germany, is planned to light up over Catalonia for the first time in the evening. Interestingly, this tower, at the express wish of Gaudí himself, deliberately does not tower over the nearby Montjuic hill (173 meters). The architect believed that human work should never "surpass the natural works created by God."
The imposing building today stands in a unique blend of neo-Catalan neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau and modernism, and parts of it have been on the UNESCO list since 2005. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the building in 2010. The complete completion of the entire temple is planned for the 1930s, probably when the 200th anniversary of the beginning of construction is reached.
The budget of around 25 million euros per year is now fully covered by ticket sales from around four million visitors who come to witness this miracle every year.
Kaza Batlló: Anatomy of Myth and Organic Aesthetics
That Gaudí's style defies any conventional classification is best demonstrated by Casa Batlló in the heart of Barcelona. An undulating façade, shimmering ceramic mosaics and a dragon-like roof characterize this architectural gem.
Inside the building, the organic line continues without a single flat wall. Ceilings, windows, and stairs merge into each other, creating the impression of moving through the living body of a fish or dragon. In the attic, this principle becomes especially evident: parabolic arches support the roof, often compared to a spine or fishbone.
Yet Casa Batlló is not just an aesthetic fantasy; it is also a triumph of engineering. The ventilation system was unusually modern for the time – air circulation and temperature regulation were precisely planned to ensure that the rooms were functionally optimal.
A look into the future and the World Congress
This year has been declared the "Year of Gaudí" in Barcelona. In addition to the centenary of his death and the opening of the monumental tower, the city is also becoming the epicenter of world architecture at the end of the month. From June 28 to July 2, the World Congress of Architects (UIA) will be held, bringing together over 10.000 experts, urban planners and more than 250 international lecturers.
Through hundreds of panels and workshops, they will discuss sustainable construction, climate change, and solving housing crises – topics that would surely have deeply interested even Gaudí himself, who saw a sustainable solution to all problems in nature.
A century after his quiet passing, Antoni Gaudí – who has been in the process of being beatified since 2000 – is more alive than ever. His faith, cast in stone, still stands as an eternal bridge between nature, human imagination and God's curved lines.
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