Antoni Gaudí, one of the most important architects in the world, was responsible for the most innovative projects of the Spanish modernist aesthetic. His art stood out for its freedom of form, color and texture, in addition to its concern for the environment. Among his numerous works, two stand out that were originally conceived as real estate projects.
Located on Carmel Hill, in the Gracia district of Barcelona, Park Güell, one of the most popular attractions in the city, declared a UNESCO world heritage site (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1984, was originally conceived as a private residential area for wealthy Catalan families.
The then owner of the area, Eusebi Güell, entrusted Gaudí with the responsibility of designing a real estate development. Güell wanted his property to become a “garden city” for the wealthy bourgeois of Barcelona, along the lines of those being built in England.
The project designed by Gaudí, whose construction began in 1900, divided the land into 60 lots with areas ranging from 1,000 m² to 2,000 m², with different formats for a better adaptation to the topography of the land.
In structuring the development, it was established that when someone bought a plot of land, they would have to sign a contract accepting conditions that, among others, included the absolute prohibition of felling trees, the limitation of the size of the house to one sixth of the total surface of the land, and the establishment of a maximum height of 80 centimeters for the boundary walls and the access gates to the lot.
Perhaps because it contained very advanced ideas for the time, only three plots of land were sold. In the two sold to the Trias family, a house was built, which is still there today. And, on the third plot, a house inhabited by Gaudí was built, which is currently a museum dedicated to the architect.
Park Güell is the work where Gaudí let his imagination transform the gardens and architectural elements of the park in an absolutely innovative way. Its use of natural forms molded into covered walkways, galleries and arches delicately and dazzlingly conceal the artificial structures of the surrounding hillside.
Made public in 1926, Park Güell is one of the most enchanting gardens in the world and welcomes approximately 10 million tourists every year.
Another incredible development designed by Gaudí was called La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milá, in allusion to the entrepreneur Pere Milá, who acquired the lot on the corner of Passeio de Gracia and Carrer Provença avenues, one of the most sought after addresses by the richest members of society. Catalan at the time. Milá hired Gaudí to design a residential development there, with shops on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors, which would be offered for lease.
The development, built between 1906 and 1912, was designed with a ground floor and five floors, one of which was reserved entirely for the home of the entrepreneur Pere Milá and his wife, Roser Segimon.
At 30 meters high and boasting an impressively innovative architecture, not fully understood at the time, the building became a true monument, incorporating new architectural concepts and construction methods.
Gaudí said that architecture is the art of managing light. And with this concept in mind, he designed the project based on two central courtyards, designed with the aim of providing natural ventilation and lighting for the apartments and, at the same time, allowing circulation between floors.
However, the most revolutionary concept at the time was the use of an elevator to give access to the residences, leaving the stairs as auxiliary structures for circulation and services. Far ahead of his time, Gaudí also designed one of the first car garages in Barcelona, in the basement of this building.
The association of the real estate market with architecture and engineering has been an important mechanism for evolution in the design and use of residential and commercial buildings, effectively contributing to the construction, functioning and operation of cities. The example of Gaudí’s works illustrates this important partnership, the development of which is directly connected to the improvement of urban life.
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