Antoni Gaudí was the creator of Barcelona’s most famous and significant buildings and parks, including Sagrada Familia and the Palau Güell. Now, final preparations are underway to give the public an inside look at one of his lesser-known architectural landmarks in the city: the Casa Vicens summer home.
The house – originally designed by the 31-year-old Gaudí for financial broker Manel Vicens i Montaner between 1883 and 1885 – will be opened as a museum in Q3 following an extensive “rehabilitation” to restore the architect's original design touches and adapt the site to host groups of visitors.
The house was named a World Heritage Site in 2005. It is notable for its differences to much of Gaudí’s other work. The architect is believed to have been inspired by Asian design philosophies for the project. The building originally had three different façades, a semi-open space to connect the indoors with the outdoors and a garden featuring a large waterfall nestled within a parabolic arch.
Casa Vicens was originally divided into four levels: the basement for storage; the ground floor to house the living room, dining room and kitchen; the first floor for the bedrooms; and the top floor for the servants. In 1925, Gaudí’s friend, Serra de Martínez, upgraded the house by transforming three levels into separate homes and replacing the original staircase.
Between 1935 and 1964, the house underwent several further changes until reaching its present state. In 2014, the Morabanc Group purchased the property with the goal of opening it up to public visits. In the years since it has been renovated closer to the 1925 upgrade, with each level housing different museum facilities.
“The ground floor will house the visitor welcome area, while the spaces on the first and second floors will be set up to house the permanent exhibition halls displaying information about the building, along with the temporary exhibitions and activities,” said the museum’s developers in a statement, adding the original staircase will be recreated and a new lift added to connect the floors.
There will also be a a bookshop and shop in the basement and a cafe in the re-opened garden.
Architects Elias Torres, Jose Antonio Martinez Lapeña and David Garcia, who have all previously worked on UNESCO World Heritage sites, are conducting the architectural restoration, while Jordi Falgàs takes charge of the museological plan. They have previously vowed to ensure the house is “almost as original as the architect gave his client in 1888.”
Gaudí, who lived from 1852 to 1926, is celebrated for his distinctive singular style – influenced by themes such as nature and religion – and his use of varied materials, from stained glass to ceramics, stone, wrought ironwork and carefully crafted wood.
