At a glance

Type

Residential apartment building (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Period

Original building c. 1877; Gaudí remodel 1904–1906

Style

Catalan Modernisme

Location

Passeig de Gràcia 43, 08007 Barcelona, Spain

Coordinates

41.3933° N, 2.1614° E

Overview

Casa Batlló stands on the central stretch of Passeig de Gràcia known as the Manzana de la Discordia (Block of Discord), a single city block containing three major Modernista buildings — Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller, and Casa Lleó Morera — by three different architects commissioned at the same time. Gaudí’s design for the Batlló commission involved the near-complete transformation of an existing building, retaining only the structure’s basic frame while reinventing every surface and spatial element. The building continues to serve as apartments on its upper floors while the principal floors are now a museum open to visitors.

History

The original building on the site was constructed around 1877 by Emilio Sala Cortés. Josep Batlló i Casanovas purchased it in 1900 and initially intended to demolish and replace it, but Gaudí persuaded him to carry out a radical remodelling instead. Work proceeded between 1904 and 1906 with Gaudí’s assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta, and Joan Rubió contributing to the project. The result was so transformative that the building was submitted for the Barcelona City Council’s annual architecture prize in 1906. The building was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 as part of the inscription of the Works of Antoni Gaudí.

What you see

The facade is clad with broken ceramic tile (trencadís) in blues, greens, and ochres that shimmer in the Mediterranean light, and is punctuated by balconies shaped like the skulls and bones of Saint George’s dragon — giving rise to the building’s popular Catalan nickname, Casa dels Ossos (House of Bones). The dragon’s back roof, covered in arched ceramic scales of green and blue, dominates the roofline. The central light well is tiled in graduated blues from deep indigo at the base to pale sky-blue at the top, flooding every floor with even light. Inside, the main floor (Noble Floor) features ceilings swirling like sea-waves, twisted chimneys, and organic window frames of extraordinary sculptural refinement.

Cultural significance

Casa Batlló is one of the defining monuments of Catalan Modernisme and a key text in the global history of organic architecture. Gaudí’s refusal to employ straight lines and his integration of symbolic iconography — the dragon roof, the cross-topped tower referencing Saint George — made it a building of both aesthetic and cultural significance that continues to generate scholarly analysis. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of Gaudí’s works, it is among the most visited buildings in Spain.

Practical information

Address

Passeig de Gràcia 43, 08007 Barcelona, Spain

Opening hours

Daily; check official website for current times and pricing

Admission

Ticketed entry; advance booking recommended

Website

casabatllo.es

Getting there

Metro: Passeig de Gràcia station (Lines L2, L3, L4) exits directly onto the boulevard, steps from the building. From Plaça de Catalunya, a ten-minute walk south along Passeig de Gràcia. From the Sagrada Família, approximately 1.5 kilometres southwest along Avinguda de Gaudí and Carrer d’Aragó, or a short metro ride. The building is on the same block as Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera.

Sources & resources

• Wikipedia — Casa Batlló
• Official website — Casa Batlló
• Cultural Heritage Online — Barcelona heritage guides