Casa Batllo in Barcelona – Gaudi’s Amazing Architecture

My first night in Barcelona I accidentally found Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batllo when I went for an evening stroll. Staying in La Ribera district I walked over to Passeig de Gràcia enjoying the people watching and admiring the architecture along the way.

There are expensive shops and several tapas bars along with hotels and office buildings along Passeig de Gràcia. Ornate street lamps line the sidewalks. The evening air was cool and refreshing.

Casa Batllo is an architectural masterpiece, a remodeling job designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi in 1904.

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t going any place in particular – I just enjoy walking and exploring a city on foot – especially a new city. I arrived in Barcelona early in the morning and enjoyed a walk around La Ribera district in the afternoon – taking in a tour of Palau de la Musica Catalana just around the corner from my room on Via Laietana.

 

 

I noticed a building with curves and it caught my eye. I could see it was different from all the other structures and it looked like a unique design – curves rather than straight lines and right angles as we have become so accustomed to with modern architecture. Saving money and optimizing square footage has become the norm. What a grand surprise I was rewarded with when I got close enough to really see Casa Batllo!

I fell in love!

 

 

The place was mesmerizing. Casa Batllo has an elegant facade  of curves, mask-like balcony railings, and wood-framed windows accented with colored glass. The building facade is embellished with a mosaic of colored pieces of glass and discs of ceramic tile.

 

 

It was sometime around 7:30 and I saw people at the ticket window so I inquired about taking a tour. Ticket price was 21.50 euros and I opted for the Premium video guide for 3 extra euros so my total was 24.50 euros and worth every cent. Prices have increased since my visit – you can buy tickets to Casa Batllo online.

 

 

The video guide features augmented and virtual reality depicting period decor – listen to the audio guide and hold up the device to show the video features while touring Casa Batllo. I thought it was a great addition to the audio guide and wish all historical sites offered this type of video guide on their tours.

 

 

Antoni Gaudi was a genius! His designs considered the esthetic and ergonomic factors along with the structural and architectural elements. For instance the windows in the courtyard are more narrow near the top of the building because there is more light there whereas the lower floors have larger windows to allow more light to enter. Brilliant!

 

 

The tiles in the courtyard are varied in color. Deep blue glazed tiles were utilized at the top of the courtyard and gradually changing to lighter blue and creamy white at the main floor.

 

 

Gaudi used darker tiles at the top of the building and fading to white at the bottom to allow for a more even distribution of sunlight throughout the courtyard.

 

 

Casa Batllo rooftop presents an entire gallery on it’s own with trencadis mosaic chimneys and a dragon.

 

 

 

The gorgeous terrace is elaborately designed with more trencadis mosaics.

 

 

 

Looking up to the top of the building one can see the curved balcony along the top floor and Antoni Gaudi’s signature trencadis style mosaic designs.

 

 

Antoni Gaudi used various techniques to allow more light into the building and utilized arches for strength and aesthetics.

 

 

Antoni Gaudi designed Casa Batllo with beauty and comfort in mind – air vents in the  baseboard could be opened or closed to control air circulation.

 

 

 

 

I was thrilled with my tour of Casa Batllo and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Barcelona. I will definitely visit again during my next solo trip to Barcelona. Adios for now!

 

 

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Casa Batllo visitor info

Contact information

Address: Passeig de Gracia 43, Barcelona
Phone Number: +34 93 216 03 06

Hours

Daily 9AM – 9PM (last entrance at 8PM)

Admission Cost

It’s best to check the Casa Batllo website for tickets as prices vary depending on the date and the type of ticket you choose.

Metro or Bus to Casa Batllo

Metro: Passeig de Gracia (L2, L3 and L4). Buses H10, V15, 7, 22 and 24.

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