Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (Catalan) Real name and family : Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (Father: Francesc Gaudí i Serra, a coppersmith; Mother: Antònia Cornet i Bertran)
Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) was a visionary Catalan architect and the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernisme. His highly individualized, one-of-a-kind style was driven by his profound observation of nature and his deep Catholic faith, resulting in structures that look less like traditional buildings and more like organic, growing entities.
Born into a family of boilermakers and coppersmiths, Gaudí credited his early exposure to his father’s workshop with giving him a unique understanding of volume and space. He moved to Barcelona to study architecture, where his early works were influenced by Gothic and traditional Catalan styles. However, he soon developed his own distinct geometric language based on the natural world, utilizing forms such as hyperbolic paraboloids, hyperboloids, helicoids, and cones.
Gaudí rarely drew detailed architectural plans. Instead, he preferred to create three-dimensional scale models, often using strings and weights to calculate gravity-defying structural loads through natural catenary curves.
His most crucial patron was the wealthy industrialist Eusebi Güell, for whom he created several masterpieces, including the vibrant Park Güell. Here, Gaudí perfected his trencadís technique—a type of mosaic created from broken tile shards and waste ceramics, which allowed him to cover complex, undulating surfaces with brilliant color.
In the early 20th century, Gaudí designed some of Barcelona’s most iconic residential buildings. Casa Batlló features a facade that shimmers like fish scales, complete with bone-like balconies, while Casa Milà (La Pedrera) looks like a massive, undulating cliff face of quarried stone.
His magnum opus, however, is the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Gaudí took over the project in 1883 and eventually dedicated his life entirely to it, living in its crypt during his final years. The church’s interior is designed like a massive spiritual forest, with leaning columns branching out to support complex, biomimetic vaulted ceilings.
In 1926, Gaudí was struck by a tram while walking to church. Because of his shabby clothing and lack of identity documents, he was initially mistaken for a beggar and did not receive immediate, adequate medical care. He died three days later and was buried in the crypt of his unfinished masterpiece. Today, seven of his works are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Active in others filds : Furniture Design, Wrought Ironwork, Ceramics, Stained Glass Design, Landscape Architecture.
