Barcelona - Palau Guell

While the other Gaudi houses we have seen have been on wide avenues and Sagrada Familia and Park Guell are large spacious places, this house is on quite a narrow street, just off La Rambla.

This is one of the 2 parabolic arches (Gaudi's signature arch) that constitute
the "front door". They are big enough to drive horses and carriages through
as that is how the family entered their home.

Between the 2 arches. Lots of quite complex wrought iron at this house. This house was Gaudi's first
commission for Guell and he worked with a team of specialist craftsmen.

The entrance fee includes an audio guide so we followed instructions and started the tour right inside the entrance which was the carriage house, after the family alighted from the carriage and went up the large main stairway the carriages were stored here and the horses taken into the basement, next stop, the stables.

Carriage house doors.

The pillars had to support a 4 story structure. He also ensured there was natural light, systems for
cleaning and food storage, drainage and

Gaudi also designed the cross-tie rings. Unicorns inside and

dogs outside in the little courtyard.

Up, through the carriage house area and to the 2nd floor which was the living and entertaining area. Aimee and I both commented how stiff, formal and cold the place felt. Even the pictures from when it was inhabited did not look like a place you would want to relax. Beautiful yes, extravagant yes, but certainly not homey, and they raised 10 children in that house. Though they also had a country home perhaps that was more comfy.

Stained glass at the top of the stairs made to resemble the Catalan flag.

More stained glass with Guell's initials. The use of wrought iron as blinds and stained
glass provided the family with privacy while letting in light and beauty but it tends to
make the house dark.

In all of Gaudi's work you can see the techniques, themes and experiments that culminated in Sagrada Familia. The darkness of this house compared to the bright, light and airy feel in the church is an example of how much he had learned.

Mantle support in the dining room. Every room has a fireplace. Some, designed by Gaudi,
simple curving marble and stone, others wood and elaborately carved. 

The huge bay window has a leather backed bench all around and metal shutterwork
outside that could be adjusted to let in different amounts of sun.

Ceilings in the whole house were either wood and wrought iron or tile and
wrought iron and often more ornate than the floors (where there were also
combinations of materials in artful designs). Many of the walls did not go
all the way to the ceiling, allowing air circulation.

Arches in front of a bay window that hangs over the street. I learned from an e-mail from Heather
that these are called oriel style windows.

The central room is 2 stories high. The bedrooms upstairs have windows on to it. There is a small
chapel off it and an small room with the pipe organ in it. It is provided with light from above. The
family could check out visitors from above, attend chapel without coming downstairs and the music
from the organ would fill the house. One of Guell's daughters was an accomplished organist.

The original organ was repaired a number of times over the years but
was replaced by a new one in 2011.

Ornate iron work over an arch in Mrs Guell's bedroom.

Sections of glass roof and stained glass, in the attic, keep light directed into the central room.
The attic was the service area and servants quarters.

My main reason for wanting to go into the Palau (which means palace) was further up. I checked we could get onto the roof before buying my ticket.

This spire sits over the central rooms and allows hot air to escape and light to enter.
The top is also a lightning rod.

Each room has a fireplace. Each fireplace has a chimney and each chimney is different.
This is what I wanted to get a look at.

I got a little obsessed with chimney pictures. You can see elements here that he later used in Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia.

Even his brick chimneys are all different. Aimee believes he had a sense of humor.

Enough chimneys already!