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Barcelona’s vibrant Casa Vicens, the first house conceived by design doyen Antoni Gaudí
A riot of colour and pattern, Casa Vicens is one of the earliest examples of the art nouveau movement which emerged at the end of the 19th century. With its eclectic mix of intricate details and diverse references, it was unlike anything that had been built in Catalonia before.
The villa was the first commission for a young Antoni Gaudí who later went on to build architectural masterpieces all over Barcelona, from the monumental Sagrada Família basilica to the dragonesque Casa Batlló. In 1883, at the age of 31, Gaudí was asked by stockbroker and currency dealer Manuel Vicens i Montaner to design him a summer residence in the city’s Gràcia neighbourhood. The architect envisioned the four-storey property as a collage of styles. Elements typical of Catalan construction, like the ubiquitous vaulted ceilings, were paired with unusually shaped windows, decorative screens and elaborate wall coverings, hinting at African and Asian influences.
Among the most striking spaces in the house was the groundfloor gallery, a room that linked to the garden physically and visually.
THE ARCHITECT ENVISIONED A COLLAGE OF STYLES, ELEMENTS OF CATALAN CONSTRUCTION WITH AFRICAN AND ASIAN INFLUENCES
Thirty-two oil paintings were hung, many of which depicted landscapes, while plant motifs were inscribed onto the walls, ceilings and door jambs using the decorative style sgraffito. The natural world was also visible in the grille at the entrance, which took the form of a palmetto leaf, and in the French marigold flowers that featured on many of the façade tiles. The family’s private rooms could be found on the first floor, including a sitting room featuring a trompe-l’oeil dome and bedrooms embellished with stucco mouldings in the form of vines.
Casa Vicens remained a home for over a century, even after it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. In 2017 it finally opened its doors to the public after an extensive restoration. With Gaudí now seen as one of the most important architects of his generation, the building offers a unique insight into the ideas that shaped his career. casavicens.org