Casa Vicens
Casa Vicens is a Modernista building located in Barcelona , in the Gràcia district . Designed by Antoni Gaudí , it was the architect's first major project. Construction took place between 1883 and 1885, although Gaudí developed the original plans between 1878 and 1880. The building is in an Orientalist style , similar to Neo-Mudéjar , but interpreted in a personal way, bearing the distinctive mark of originality that Gaudí brought to his projects. In this work, he first sketched out some of the construction techniques that would become commonplace during the rise of Modernism.
The main façade of Casa Vicens faces the garden. As Casa Vicens was intended a summer residence, Gaudí gave special importance to the house’s orientation. He studied how light and air entered the home to ensure that it was as comfortable as possible. He also attached the house to the party wall of the neighbouring building, as if it were a huge climbing plant, letting it free up enough space for a large garden.
On the façades, Gaudí resorted to Eastern, Islamic and Mudejar architecture, and to contrasts between materials. He combined iron, ceramics, brick and wood, resulting in an exuberant burst of colour.
Gaudí masterfully clad the façades with green and white tiles in chequerboard fashion which depict Moorish carnations, the hallmark of this Unesco World Heritage Site.
The façade facing the garden is structured across three horizontal levels. The first corresponds to the rooms on the main floor, featuring the enclosed porch with swinging shutters, a fountain and upper frieze with sgraffito that follow the house’s orientations. The second level, which houses the sleeping quarters, is presided over by the balcony of the main bedroom. Finally, the attic is located on the upper level. Gaudí manages to create a highly dynamic space by playing with the architectural ins and outs of the gallery that give rise to a contrast between light and shadow.
The garden is one of the most iconic spaces of Casa Vicens, as the entire home is built around it.
Currently, the garden at Casa Vicens is a small oasis located in the centre of the neighbourhood of Gràcia, but when the work was originally finished, the garden was larger. The garden also featured a waterfall beneath a monumental parabolic archway and two fountains, also designed by Gaudí that ensured a refreshing atmosphere in the home.
The current garden, measuring 300 m2, includes numerous flowerbeds, potted plants and a landscaped roof. The original late 19th century has been recreated here, respecting the trees that were found at the house, such as the oak that reaches up to nearly 8 metres tall, and the 12-metre-tall magnolia. The others were planted while the house was being refurbished, following the planting guidelines of the time.
In Casa Vicens, nature becomes architecture, something that we can observe in every centimetre of the rooms on this floor.
