Antoni Gaudi was a Spanish architect born in 1852 who is renowned for transforming Barcelona through his unique modernist designs. After studying architecture, he began small projects but found patronage from Eusebi Guell. Gaudi then designed buildings and parks for Guell, including Park Guell featuring bright tile mosaics and curving lines inspired by nature. However, Gaudi is best known for the massive but still unfinished Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, which he worked on from 1882 until his death in 1926 when he was hit by a tram.

1. The man who transformed
Barcelona

2. Gaudi was born in Spain in 1852. He studied
architecture in Barcelona, Spain but he was
not a very good student. After five years, in
1878, Gaudi officially became an architect.
He began designing small projects but soon
met Eusebi Guell. Guell became Gaudi’s
patron and the architect designed buildings
and parks in his name.

4. Parc Guell, Barcelona

5. You can see the characteristics of
Art Nouveau in Gaudi’s work.
There are bright tile mosaics and
curving lines. He was very
influenced by nature as you can
see in the chimneys at Palau
Guell.

6. The building that Antoni Gaudi is best known for, though, is La Sagrada
Familia in Barcelona (shown below). He began this huge church in 1882
and he worked on it until he died in 1926. It still has not been finished.
Gaudi designed and redesigned this building.
At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the building was
finished. The Sagrada Família's building was slow. It needed private
donations (people giving money to itThere is an expected finish date of
2026–100 years after Gaudí's death.
Sagrada
Familia,
Barcelon

7. Details of the Sagrada Familia

8. The ceiling

9. Gaudi’s Mosaic is everywhere!

10. Gaudi’s famous lizard at
Park Guell

11. Rooftops and benches…

12. Mosaic details
Antoni Gaudi was hit by a tram on 7th June
1926. Due to his scruffy appearance, it was
thought that he was a beggar, and he didn’t
receive immediate medical care. He died on 10th
June 1926. He was 73 years old.
Gaudi was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada
Familia.