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WALKING THROUGH THE MODERNIST BARCELONA

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Mercè Terencia
Mercè Terencia

The document provides background information on the expansion and development of Barcelona's Eixample district in the late 19th century. It describes how the wealthy social class moved to the new development and competed to hire the top Modernist architects like Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch, and Domènech i Montaner to design their homes. It highlights the iconic "Casa Batlló", "Casa Ametller", and "Casa Lleó Morera" buildings as an example of this competition among architects, nicknamed "The Apple of Discord".

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WALKING THROUGH THE MODERNIST BARCELONA At the end of the 19th century Barcelona was growing a lot and they realized that it was necessary to make the city grow further the medieval wall. The city government asked Ildefons Cerdà the project for this enlargement. This famous urbanist designed the new city taking as reference the plan of the city of Mileto. The Eixample –that was the name given to the enlargement- was inhabited by the social class that had become rich thanks to the industrialisation. They will fight among themselves in order to have with them the best architects of the new style that was spreading all over Europe: the Modern style (Modernisme, in Catalan). One of the things that you’ll see first is the group of houses known as “the Apple of Discord”. An apple is what we call a block of houses. In this case were not three goddesses disputing over an apple, but three architects disputing over the most beautiful buildings. Do you remember how the story went? Eris and the Apple of Discord Zeus was putting together a wedding banquet for Peleus and Thetis. He planned to invite just about everyone. Everyone except Eris..
Needless to say, Eris was greatly angered by this. She then thought up a little plot to stir things up at the reception. She created a golden apple and upon it she wrote Kallisti(meaning "To the prettiest one"). This is where the trouble began. Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite each claimed the apple for herself and eventually began to battle over the apple. Why did they fight over it? Well, it did say "to the prettiest one" on it and of course, each of them believed it was her. Zeus decided that Paris would decide which one of them deserved the apple.Paris chose Helen, as you know…but Helen was already married… This of course started the Trojan War. Menelaus wanted his wife back, Paris would not agree, and boom, the war begins…
CASA BATLLÓ d’Antoni Gaudí CASA AMETLLER de Puig i Cadafalch
CASA LLEÓ MORERA de Domènec i Montaner LA PEDRERA, A. Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí made this incredible house as a private residence for the Milà family. In that time they called it the quarry (la pedrera) because to build it they needed a lot of stones and the whole strret looked like a quarry. It is characteristic of this building to mix the old materials such as stone, wood and brick with the new building techniques: the walls lose its support function and the reinforced concrete is the one to hold the whole structure. You must pay attention to the attic room and the terrace which reminds us of the Turquish Capadocia. You will see that the curved lines are everywhere. This building as many others of the city is characterized by the team work of architectures, sculptures, painters, ceramists, etc. THE SAGRADA FAMILIA, A. Gaudí This is one of the most famous buildings of our city. Gaudí didn’t finish it and it is still being built following his plans but there is great controversy about it because not everybody agrees with the way it is done.
PARC GÜELL, A. Gaudí It was projected by Gaudí. It had to be a residential area for families and it was built between 1900 and 1914. The project didn’t have any success and at the end the park went into the hands of the city. Once you get in we can find a double flight of steps separated by different sculptures among which you will see a dragon. Above the stairs you find a big space full of doric columns which hold the big square of the park. This square is a beautiful balcony with viewus over Barcelona and the sea and it is surrounded by a wavy bench covered with colourful ceramic and glass fragments which is called “trencadís”. This you will have seen in the Pedrera as well.

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WALKING THROUGH THE MODERNIST BARCELONA

  • 1. WALKING THROUGH THE MODERNIST BARCELONA At the end of the 19th century Barcelona was growing a lot and they realized that it was necessary to make the city grow further the medieval wall. The city government asked Ildefons Cerdà the project for this enlargement. This famous urbanist designed the new city taking as reference the plan of the city of Mileto. The Eixample –that was the name given to the enlargement- was inhabited by the social class that had become rich thanks to the industrialisation. They will fight among themselves in order to have with them the best architects of the new style that was spreading all over Europe: the Modern style (Modernisme, in Catalan). One of the things that you’ll see first is the group of houses known as “the Apple of Discord”. An apple is what we call a block of houses. In this case were not three goddesses disputing over an apple, but three architects disputing over the most beautiful buildings. Do you remember how the story went? Eris and the Apple of Discord Zeus was putting together a wedding banquet for Peleus and Thetis. He planned to invite just about everyone. Everyone except Eris..
  • 2. Needless to say, Eris was greatly angered by this. She then thought up a little plot to stir things up at the reception. She created a golden apple and upon it she wrote Kallisti(meaning "To the prettiest one"). This is where the trouble began. Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite each claimed the apple for herself and eventually began to battle over the apple. Why did they fight over it? Well, it did say "to the prettiest one" on it and of course, each of them believed it was her. Zeus decided that Paris would decide which one of them deserved the apple.Paris chose Helen, as you know…but Helen was already married… This of course started the Trojan War. Menelaus wanted his wife back, Paris would not agree, and boom, the war begins…
  • 3. CASA BATLLÓ d’Antoni Gaudí CASA AMETLLER de Puig i Cadafalch
  • 4. CASA LLEÓ MORERA de Domènec i Montaner LA PEDRERA, A. Gaudí
  • 5. Antoni Gaudí made this incredible house as a private residence for the Milà family. In that time they called it the quarry (la pedrera) because to build it they needed a lot of stones and the whole strret looked like a quarry. It is characteristic of this building to mix the old materials such as stone, wood and brick with the new building techniques: the walls lose its support function and the reinforced concrete is the one to hold the whole structure. You must pay attention to the attic room and the terrace which reminds us of the Turquish Capadocia. You will see that the curved lines are everywhere. This building as many others of the city is characterized by the team work of architectures, sculptures, painters, ceramists, etc. THE SAGRADA FAMILIA, A. Gaudí This is one of the most famous buildings of our city. Gaudí didn’t finish it and it is still being built following his plans but there is great controversy about it because not everybody agrees with the way it is done.
  • 6. PARC GÜELL, A. Gaudí It was projected by Gaudí. It had to be a residential area for families and it was built between 1900 and 1914. The project didn’t have any success and at the end the park went into the hands of the city. Once you get in we can find a double flight of steps separated by different sculptures among which you will see a dragon. Above the stairs you find a big space full of doric columns which hold the big square of the park. This square is a beautiful balcony with viewus over Barcelona and the sea and it is surrounded by a wavy bench covered with colourful ceramic and glass fragments which is called “trencadís”. This you will have seen in the Pedrera as well.