Park
Guell
Park Guell, another
“must see” while visiting Barcelona, is a colorful Candy Land of gingerbread
house palaces and Dr. Suess-style landscapes,
located on bald Mountain in the neighborhood of Gracia. As its name suggests,
the park was commissioned by Antonio Gaudi’s friend, Eusebi Guell, and
was intended to be a residential garden city, like those built in England.
Planned and constructed by Gaudi between 1900 and 1914, the project was
intended for a community of sixty single-family residences, and includes
lush vegetation, winding roads, a covered market place, and a central
plaza overlooking the sea. Also, the park has a grand stairway, which
features the traditional symbol of the park: a large, colorful tile mosaic
dragon.
Gaudi, who had a
great appreciation for the topography of the site, took special care
in avoiding any leveling, which would take
away from the mountain slope’s
beauty. The architect devised a system of viaducts, supported by tidal waves
of inclined columns, which allowed for an extensive road system, while still
retaining the land’s natural shape. Antonio and Guell also drew up a mandatory
contract for Park Guell, which was required to be signed upon the purchase
of a plot, prohibiting the felling of trees as well as other such aesthetic
and environmental conditions.
However, only three
plots were ever sold. Two went to the private residence of the Trias
family, and one for the
location of the show-home, which Gaudi
eventually ended up buying as his own residence in 1906. Today, the house
has been converted into the Casa-Museu Gaudi, where visitors can view a
collection of the architect’s personal memorabilia, as well as some
of his furnishing
designs.
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