Casa Vicens, Gaudí’s inaugural masterpiece in Barcelona

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a renowned Catalan architect that became famous, at least partly, due to the groundbreaking nature of his works. Gaudí experimented with colours, materials and geometrical shapes. He was gifted with such a strong imagination, that he did not even need to draft detailed plans of his creations. He is considered as the master of Catalan modernism, but his style goes beyond that: it is personal and unique. Gaudí was so talented that six of the buildings he designed in Catalonia were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among them, Casa Vicens was his first major project and we will discover why on the following lines.

Brief history of Gaudí’s Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is a building of Catalan modernist style that we can find in the district of Gràcia in Barcelona. In 1878, Manuel Vicens i Montaner asked Gaudí to design a second home for him in the area. This was the first major project of the architect, and its construction went from 1883 to 1885.

It displays an Orientalist style, similar to the neo-Mudéjar architecture, although the signature of the Catalan architect is unquestionable. Gaudí applied on this building everything he had learned until that point of his career. Construction and decoration complement each other in Casa Vicens, where they would not make sense without the other.

At first, Antoni Gaudí designed three facades for the building. They offered to make an extension in 1925, but he refused to do so. Eventually, it was his disciple Joan Baptista Serra who designed a fourth facade, although he mimicked the style of his master.

Casa Vicens was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1969, an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1993 and a World Heritage Site in 2005. All these titles make it one of the best things to visit in Barcelona.

What to see in Casa Vicens by Gaudí

Casa Vicens lies on a parcel of 711 m², although it has 1239 constructed square metres. The building consists of four floors: a basement that was used for storage, two floors for housing and an attic on the top floor. Both the interior and the exterior hide many things to discover.

The exterior of Gaudí’s Casa Vicens

The visitor can admire the creative facades designed by Gaudí on the exterior of Casa Vicens. They stand out due to their rich ornamentation, prominent walls, tiles with plant motifs, geometrical shapes and diverse colour range, among other things. One can also look at the balconies with forged fences, the doors, the windows and the metallic lamps hanging there.

Besides, the exterior of Gaudí’s building holds a garden inspired by the Mediterranean flora and fauna. Throughout the years, the garden has gone through a few reductions. However, it still has palm trees, creeping plants, magnolias, roses and other interesting plant species. The gastronomic space that lies at one end brings life to it too.

To end with, one can also visit the rooftop of Casa Vicens, the first one the Catalan architect designed with that purpose. It was built so that the visitors could walk among the inclined structures that gather the rainwater. Apart from that, it is an excellent place to admire the views of the surrounding area.

What to see inside Casa Vicens

When it comes to the interior of Casa Vicens, it is worth noting that the basement keeps a shop/bookshop called La Capell, which has a library too. This floor is the perfect space for learning and discovering more details about Gaudí’s works.

The main floor gives access to the building. It holds a welcome area, a dining room, and a smoking room. The latter served as a space for leisure and it stands out for its vault with polychrome plaster Mocárabes, which depict dates and palm tree leaves.

The dining room keeps the original wooden furniture designed by Antoni Gaudí. It is worth mentioning its ornamentation, with a cover of ceramic tiles, on the walls, the ceiling and the chimney. Besides, this room keeps a collection of 32 paintings by Francesc Torrescassana.

The next floor has two rooms: a living room and a bathroom. Its decoration is complex and colourful, pure Gaudí style, and it has plant motifs too. In fact, all the plants we can see on the stucco were found by the architect near the stream of Cassoles, next to Casa Vicens. This floor also holds a terrace and hosts temporary exhibitions.

Lastly, the visitor can access the second floor too, where we can enjoy the permanent exhibition of Casa Vicens. Those who access this place will be able to better understand everything they have seen during their visit to the building. Moreover, this floor has gone through several renovations to become an open, bright space, with wooden beams supporting the tilted roof.

This floor is also where all the activities related to the museological project of Casa Vicens take place. This enterprise aims to reclaim and promote the first major work of Gaudí, since the Catalan architect intended to create a space dedicated to knowledge and culture, as well as a meeting point and a place for leisure.