Exploring Gaudi's Architectural Miracles in Barcelona

La Sagrada Família is Gaudí's most recognizable life's work. Its construction began in 1884--and is still ongoing. It is the only unfinished building to be named as a World Heritage Site, and has been nicknamed the "nightmare built in stone." Gaudí himself was laid to rest in the mausoleum underneath his own incomplete basilica.

Gaudí designed the whole basilica as a Bible that could be sculpted in bas-relief, with three facades portraying the Nativity, the Passion, and the Glory of God. Today, the former two are complete and open to visitors.

The Sagrada Família is an important landmark on Barcelona's horizon thanks to its 170-meter high spires. Wherever you climb for a vantage point, you will get a good look at the iconic church spires: You can choose to go to the very top (in the elevator) for a bird's-eye panorama of the city, and on the way down, you'll have the chance to see the fine details of the architecture right in front of your eyes. Along the way you will pass another of Gaudí's masterpieces, the spiral staircase.

Casa Milà, on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia in the center of Barcelona, was the last private residence designed by Gaudí. It is famed for its unique, undulating exterior and the balconies with chimneys that resemble alien invaders.

Especially eye-catching are the three undulating facades, the balcony railings made of twisted iron bars and sheet iron, and large windows. But the most striking feature is the rooftop, where one can see what appear to be sculptures of aliens, but which are actually chimneys and ventilation ducts. Many advertisements for Barcelona include scenes filmed here. The entire old town of Barcelona can be seen from the rooftop.

The Palau Güell, located in the heart of Barcelona's old town, was one of Gaudí's early works on behalf of Mr. Eusebi Güell. There are six floors, each designed with its own unique character and different functions. Here too one perceives the architectural style of Casa Batlló and Casa Milà of Gaudí's later years; it is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From the outside, the Palau Güell is unremarkable: its essence is to be found in the resplendent, brilliant, sumptuous interior, in the archways that serve both structural and decorative purposes, the pillars with fungiform capitals and dual-arch parabolas, and the chimneys serving as abstract decorations. It is now open to the public as the Barcelona Theater Museum.

Park Güell is an open space in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, where the steps, stone pillars, and curved stone benches are done in mosaics of every style, pieced together tile by brightly colored tile. The effect is that of a dreamland. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Entering through the main gate between the twin gatehouses, the first thing you see is regarded as the highlight of the park: the steps leading up to the great hall adorned with Doric columns. The famous colored-mosaic lizard--the treasure of the municipal gardens--is stretched out on the steps, and the main square is supported on top of the columns of the arcade. The undulating stone benches, inset with all kinds of brightly colored illustrations, are the best place to rest your legs.

Casa Batlló is on the Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district. It is one of the three major buildings in the Mansana de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord). Gaudí was inspired to renovate it by the story of the patron saint of Catalonia, Sant Jordi, slaying the dragon to rescue his princess. The building was a residence themed on the ocean; the interior contains no straight lines or angles, but only undulating curves. It is among Gaudí's finest works.

Everything from the eddying ceilings to the wave-like balcony, the rooms devised like submarines, and the oceanic depth of the central well bedecked with blue mosaics, draws one in to this fantastical natural world made into a work of art.