Palau Güell
Antoni Gaudí · Barcelona, Spain · 1890
Palau Güell inserts an elaborate urban residence into a narrow street close to Barcelona's Rambla. Designed for industrialist Eusebi Güell, the house organizes ceremonial rooms around a tall central hall, lit from above through a pierced dome. Parabolic entrance arches, intricate iron gates and carefully modelled stonework announce Gaudí's experiments with structure and craft. The route from carriage entrance and basement stables to the reception spaces makes the household's social hierarchy unusually clear. On the roof, decorated chimneys turn practical ventilation into a vivid architectural landscape. Visiting: Ticketed house museum managed by the Barcelona Provincial Council.