Gaudí the rookie

On this guided tour, you will learn about the first projects of a young architect who would leave an unforgettable footprint on Barcelona’s architecture, Antoni Gaudí.

Palau Güell and casa Vicens. Both places are examples of the early works of the man who was to become the most important architect in the entire 2,000 years of Barcelona’s history. That’s why we call this tour Gaudí, the Rookie.

Curiously, both are located in neighborhoods a bit off the beaten track from Barcelona’s Modernist-style areas. The Palau Güell is located just next to La Rambla, and the Casa Vicens is in Gracia, an old village that was actually outside the city of Barcelona until 1900. Built to be single-family homes, nowadays nobody lives in either of these houses.

The Palau Güell was supposed to reflect the wealth of Mr. Eusebio Güell. It was not just a home but a place to do business and an essential part of the social life of the Catalan bourgeoisie. The music room is one of the most impressive rooms inside the building. It is an excellent example of how life was organized and society worked at the beginning of the 20th century. Travel, literature, music, business, everything is related and has its own space in the house.

Casa Vicens was smaller than the building that we can see now. There are different areas to visit. The first one is the Gaudinian part of the building. In the second area, you can see pictures, plaster models, and information explaining how the house was constructed. Nature is also very important in this building, and you can detect the Moorish influence.