Casa Vicens
Antoni Gaudí · Barcelona, Spain · 1885
Casa Vicens shows Antoni Gaudí developing an architectural language before his better-known sculptural buildings. Built as a summer house in the 1880s, it combines patterned ceramic tiles, exposed brick, ironwork and strongly articulated corners. Its imagery draws on plants and on an imaginative interpretation of Islamic and East Asian precedents. The interior gives ceilings, wall surfaces and fitted details the same attention as the façade. Later additions and the house's conversion into a museum reveal how a domestic commission can be adapted for visitors while keeping its original decorative spaces legible. Visiting: A ticket is required to enter the house museum.