Park Güell was an attempt to create a housing estate in a natural
setting in the old village of Gràcia: an ambitious property development
project commissioned by Gaudí’s patron, Eusebi Güell. The architect chose an uneven site covering a surface area of 15 hectares where 40 detached houses were to be built. Only two were actually completed, and Gaudí lived in one of them.
It is now a museum devoted to the
architect’s life and work. Gaudí prepared the site of Park Güell between
1900 and 1914, showcasing his urban-planning concerns by building
paths, arcades and viaducts that were fully integrated into Barcelona’s
natural surroundings.Gaudí’s characteristic vivid imagination is revealed in the different elements that amaze visitors from around the world that visit
Barcelona. The gatehouses, which were originally designed as the caretaker’s house, are now home to the Park Güell Interpretation Centre.
The flight of steps, with its famous dragon
covered in coloured broken-ceramic pieces, leads to the hypostyle hall,
an impressive space comprising 86 columns which underpins the plaza
above. The curving bench around the perimeter of the plaza was designed
by Jujol, one of Gaudí’s associates in the construction of this unique
park in the old village of Gràcia which has been declared a World
Heritage Site