There is a good reason why Antoni Gaudi is known as one of the best architects the world has ever seen. Like most of his other structures, Casa Batllo is one of the finest exponents of Modernisme or Art Nouveau.
Josep Batllo was able to set the creative genius of Antoni Gaudi free by requesting the riskiest of all structures. Gaudi responded by creating what is now locally known as Casa dels Ossos or the House of Bones. The name is quite fitting once you see the building. Casa Batllo has an inside out quality to itself. Although it is not known what Gaudi based the structure on, the skeletal influences of the building are quite evident.
The primary architectural language of the building is asymmetry. The oval windows and the sculpted stonework on the ground floor really set visitors up for the rest of the structure. It is also believed that the roundedness of the structure pays homage to the patron saint of Catalonia, Saint George.
The most eccentric part of the Casa Batllo, however, is the dragon or dinosaur inspired arches that soar at the top of the structure. We’ll never know what was going on in Gaudi’s mind when he drew up these plans, but it surely made Josep Batllo happy. Here are some of the distinguished parts of Casa Batllo:
To say that the loft is unusual would be a gross understatement. The building once had tenants whose servants used this part of the building for services such as laundry. The characteristic feature of the loft is its Mediterranean influence. The use of white is quite unique in this part of the building. The loft also consists of a series of 60 arches that are placed in relation to each other in such a way that it resembles the rib cage of an animal.
The noble floor is where Josep Batllo stayed until he passed away. It is the main floor of the building with an area of over 700 square meters. The noble floor can be accessed via a private hall with tortoiseshell skylights and curved vaults. The noble floor has a private landing that provides views of the beautiful blue tiles of the house well. It also has a study, a dining hall, and a private space for couples with a unique fireplace. In 2002, this part of casa Batllo was opened as a museum for public entry.
Casa Batllo is known to be distinctive and eccentric. But, the roof is where Gaudi takes the building completely out of the realm of standard architecture. The dragon back design of the roof is a thing of beauty. This structure works in collaboration with the ribcage structure of the loft to give the complete skeletal form of an animal. The exterior look of the animal has been rendered by using colored ceramic tiles as scales. The plan here by Gaudi was quite detailed and he lent a sheen to the tiles so as to resemble that of a real animal.
The most common photographs of Casa Batllo features this unusual part of the structure. Gaudi went berserk with the idea of asymmetry when designing Casa Batllo, and the external facade shows it. The lower ground floor, the main floor, and the galleries of the first floor seem to be integrated with wavy lines. This part is made of Montjuic sandstone. The midsection is multicolored and features hanging balconies. The top of the structure is gabled and looks like a crown.
