Barcelona Weekend Break

Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo is a truly spectacular building on the "Passeig de Gracia" and to make its tourist appeal even greater, it is one of three modernist buildings in a block known as "Mancana de Discoria". The other two stunning buildings next to it are, Casa Lleo Morera (by Luis Domenech i Montaner) and Casa Amatller (by Josep Puig i Cadafalch). Between them they combine to make possibly the best collection of conflicting modernist buildings you will ever see.

The Casa Batllo was constructed in 1877, but Gaudi and fellow architect, Josep Maria Jujol, spent three years between 1905 and 1907 redesigning the building, the results of which can be seen today.

The Casa Batllo is nothing short of spectacular and the local's nickname for it, "the house of bones", is perfectly apt given the "bone like" enclosures to the windows, balconies and other design elements.

This building also changes in appearance between daytime, when its colourful facade offers strange skull like projections as balconies, and night time, when the entire building almost appears to glow as if encrusted in a metallic skin. Part of the reason for this is not just the complexity of the design, but the elaborate terracotta mosaic detailing that covers the building in greens, blues, oranges and browns.

Whatever the time of day, the Casa Batllo is eye catching and totally unique and there is a complete absence of straight lines or regular shapes in its design. The building does have tremendous symmetry and regularity though, but all constructed from parabolic shapes, undulations and Gaudi's fantasy like imagination.

Originally, the Casa Batllo was built for a wealthy family and there are suggestions that it was intended to mimic a dragon or dinosaur. The amazing "scaled" roof, with Gaudi's trade mark bizarre chimneys, helps to make the top of the building almost similar to the back of a prehistoric stegosaurus, or even a giant fish.

All told this is a building that you cannot and should not miss and yoru weekend break in Barcelona will be all the better for taking a look at, and around, it.

Tourist information

Opening hours are from 9.00am to 2.00pm, except on Sundays when the hours are extended to an 8.00pm close.

Our tip – forget everything you read about which is Gaudi's best building – it is, without a doubt, this one.