continued from Part 2b - Exploring Barcelona
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Like any good meal, sweets are saved for dessert.
It was unintentional, but that's how it worked out:
three of the sweetest sites were on our last day in Barcelona.
Casa Milà - La Pedrera
In Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera) there is a display about Gaudí's work, including a model of La Pedrera (above)
La Pedrera means "The Quarry". The photos partly explain why.
On the roof, a walkway and its many stairs undulates between the chimneys, circling around the building's light well, which also served to ventilate the building prior to the advent of air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems. To my eyes the light well in this building is not as sophisticated as that in Casa Batlló where the blue tiles get lighter as they get deeper into the building to reflect more light.
But compared to Casa Batlló, La Pedrera's rear courtyard seems the more sophisticated.
From the roof one can look across Eixample to see both the cranes working on La Sagrada Familia and on the horizon, the Agba Tower next to Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes (which is undergoing a massive transformation).
In the attic, one floor below the roof there is an exhibit explaining Gaudí's work. Gaudí didn't "merely mimic nature; they were the result of attentive and intelligent observations of natural forms, structures, and functional characteristics." (from a statement in the exhibit).
To quote from the La Sagrada Familia's blog about nature's influence on Gaudi's work:
"... according to Gaudí, the great book that had to be read was that of nature. And what sets his work apart from the rest is this effort to understand nature in order to apply its characteristics to his architecture. He even affirmed that future architects would base their work on imitating nature: “It is the most rational, lasting and affordable of all methods,” he said. This influence, in any case, is associated with another source of inspiration in his work: the Christian message. Because both demonstrated his belief that the work of the Creator is unparalleled."
As an example, this python skeleton shows how ribs can create a curving structure.
This model of the structure of La Pedrera demonstrates the application of the above concept.
Here's the actual roof structure of La Pedrera taken in the attic that houses the exhibit.
It's amazing how thin and delicate the brick ribs seem, just like the python's ribs.
He and his team of craftsmen cleverly designed these floor tiles. Three hexagonal floor tiles could be interlaced with other sets of three to create a repetitive complex design. Try it. From experience, it's design is harder to create than it looks.
In addition to buildings, parks, and fantastically complex structures he designed creative and comfortable furniture.
Hospital de Santa Creu i de Sant Pau
(Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul)
Sant Pau was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1850-1923), who lived at the same time as Gaudi (1852-1926). Both personify Catalan Modernisme, the Spanish equivalent of Art Nouveau. A good summary of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, his life and his buildings is here which catalogs his other buildings to be seen in addition to Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música.
My favorite article about Domènech i Montaner is an article in the New York Times "Barcelona’s Other Architect, Domènech", Definitely read it here!!!. It was written in 2010, only a year after the hospital's functions had been moved to a new adjacent hospital complex and while its spaces where being restored and transformed into its current museum and offices for humanitarian organizations.
Construction of the hospital started in 1902. It opened in 1930. That period saw immense growth in the medical sciences and changes in the treatment of patients. The hospital reflects that then-new age.
The architecture and its details are impressive. But even more impressive, especially for me since I spent much of my career as an architect and facility manager of hospitals, is how its design as a hospital embraced the then-latest thinking on sanitation and hygiene, and somewhat foreshadowed modern hospital design. It was designed as a series of separate buildings for each specialty springing from a central spine, much like the wings of some of the latest hospitals. Operating rooms occupied a building in the center of the complex. Underground corridors and services connected all of the buildings.
The buildings had high ceilings for good ventilation, high windows for lots of light, and use of ceramic tile for cleanliness and durability. The campus landscaping in general, and the buildings' various gardens, the use of light, and the use of pastel colors in the interiors all presage today's movements towards the healing environments that have been shown to accelerate recovery and improve outcomes.
Good summaries if its history and are at the Sant Pau website and at an explanation here.
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| Model of Sant Pau on display in the Administration Building |
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| The surgery building at the center of the complex |
The main lobby of the administration building. Can you imagine the experience of coming to the hospital for treatment or to visit a sick relative and entering through this space, and then walking through the gardens to the correct pavilion in Barcelona's temperate climate? Compare that to your last visit to a hospital. A healing environment.
Yup! Domènech loved his domes and his glass and tile work.
The San Rafael pavilion is set up with displays. Part of it is set up like an original hospital ward.
How times have changed about the concept of privacy with no expectation like today in the U.S . of private rooms each with its own bathroom, each with a color TV, and medical bill bankruptcy.
La Sagrada Familia
We strolled down the pedestrian boulevard Avinguda de Gaudí from the Hospital de Santa Creu i de Sant Pau to La Sagrada Familia - it's only about about 1 km. The boulevard was lined with cafes and restaurants. I can't remember eating there, but it was early to mid afternoon, so we may have.
Cranes are at work finishing the planned central tower and adjacent spires. As explained by Sagrada Familia's blog here, Gaudí wanted to emphasize verticality: a high central spire surrounded by five spires, with the height of the central spire to be greater than the overall width or length of the complex. Out of respect for Montjuïc, he planned the top of the topmost point on Sagrada Familia to be very slightly lower than Montjuïc.
The Avinguda de Gaudí cuts diagonally through the Eixample's rectangular blocks
from the Hospital de Santa Creu i de Sant Pau to La Sagrada Familia.
from the Hospital de Santa Creu i de Sant Pau to La Sagrada Familia.
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| Aerial view of La Sagrada Familia from Google Earth |
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| Photo of plan of La Sagrada Familia taken at the Gaudí exhibit at La Pedrera |
Gaudí imbued La Sagrada Familia with Christian symbolism. Even the floor plan and the number of columns is symbolic as explained in the Sagrada Familia Blog here.
The main entrance to La Sagrada Familia is currently through the Nativity Facade on its northeast side.
It was another example of the wisdom of buying times tickets months in advance. We had to wait in line only a few minutes - I have no idea how long the wait was in the line for those who hadn't purchased tickets in advance, nor if all in that line could eventually get in.
Here, the audio guide came free with our tickets. Unfortunately, audio guides don't work well with my hearing aids (not at all 😒). When I explained that I didn't want one and the reason why, the person handing them out seemed genuinely concerned. She pulled me out of line and led me to a separate place. Egads! They had many alternative audio guides! They even had one that would bluetooth into my Oticon aids. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the pairing to work, probably because my aids were already paired with too many of my own devices. In the end, we selected a guide that had subtitles that I could read. I was very impressed.
Sagrada Familia's blog (here) is a fascinating way to learn about it the basilica (it was designated as a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010). Some of the blog's very good articles are about the Nativity Facade: this about its symbolism of spring, this summarizing its history, and this about how its sculptures were made.
Like the bronze work on the entry doors above, the columns inside the basilica demonstrate the importance of nature to all of Gaudí's work. The columns superficially look like trees branching out near their tops. But as explained here the importance of nature and relationship to it is deeper. The helicoidal twist of the fibers under the bark inside the branches of oleander is repeated in these unique double-twist columns. Their geometry, mechanics, symbolism, and visual impact are explained here.
The canopy over the altar is explained here.
One last look at the nave's ceiling, then we head towards the Passion Facade:
We timed it right! When we approached the Passion Facade the afternoon sun was pouring in.
We had entered Sagrada Familia through the Nativity Facade, which celebrates the birth of Christ.
We left the Basilica through the Passion Facade that is dedicated to the Passion of Christ: his crucifixion and resurrection.
The story of the passion is told by the impressive and acclaimed work of its sculptor, Subirachs.
The cross above the center of the pediment looks small in the photo below. But it is huge, weighing 18 tonne (19.8 tons). Conceptualized by Gaudí as the Cross of Glory rising without Christ above the crucifixion, it is described here.
For a summary of the Passion Facade and its key history and milestones see here.
For a fascinating history of how the types of construction, the materials used, and the techniques used in Sagrada Familia's construction evolved through the history due to (1) changes in technology and (2) financial resources available at various times see here.
As of 2019 the Sagrada Familia was scheduled for completion in 2026 (see milestones here). The big events will be when the central spire in finished (work on that is well underway) and when the main front and entrance - the Glory Facade - is done (work on that has just begun - see here). Will there be delays? We'll be in our early 80's then; will we be able to return to see it finished?
On the way back to our place we wandered walked through parts of Eixample and past the food and flower market Mercat de la Concepció. It was late in the afternoon and we were hoping to grab something to eat there before going to an evening concert at the Palau de la Musica, but alas, it was in the process of closing for the day.
The next morning we got up too early for us, bleary eyed, said good-bye to the staff at Casa Mathilde, and taxied to the airport for our 10:20 AM flight on Vueling to Granada. We were glad that we had paid a little more for Optima fare tickets; the seats weren't better but the flight was packed, the boarding was chaotic, but at least we had reserved seats and a preferred boarding line.
To return to Part 1 - Overview of our 30 days in Spain click here
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