Barcelona's Eixample neighbourhood starts from Plaza Catalunya and includes a large section of what is known as the heart of modern Barcelona. The idea of architect Ildefons Cerdà was to create a garden city based on squares of streets, intersecting perpendicularly, with internal spaces in each block, designed for their inhabitants to spend their leisure hours there. From 1890 onwards, the Catalan bourgeoisie took a fancy to the neighbourhood, which began to be built up with beautiful houses and thus became the best Art Nouveau architectural ensemble, the most luxurious and undoubtedly the most colourful in the city. colourful in the city.
The main artery of the neighbourhood is Diagonal Street, which cuts across the entire neighbourhood. neighbourhood. The most famous neighbourhood is Manzana de la Discordia (exact translation from Spanish "apple of discord", also called the "quarter of disharmony"). Here are the masterpieces of the Art Nouveau era, included in all architectural encyclopaedias.
The House of Llio Morera was built between 1902 and 1906 by architect Luis Domenech i Montaner. The façade is decorated with ornaments, sculptures and carved columns. The opulent decoration of the first floor of the house has survived.
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The Amatllier House is the work of another Modernist architect, Pucha i Cadafalchi. The facade of the house harmoniously combines features of Gothic and Moorish styles. styles. Note the intricate lanterns on the balcony, the carvings on the bay window and the sculptural groups near the door. sculptural groups near the doors.
Casa Batlló is Gaudí's creation. Its façade has a characteristic rounded shape, the walls are tiled, and the bulging lattice balconies with eye-shaped holes look like carnival masks. The humped roof, covered with tiles, according to the architect's plan. by the architect, embodies the image of a dragon, and the unusually shaped chimney - St. George.
Casa Mila is another masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi. The six-storey house looks like a huge rock, the windows and doors resemble grottoes, the balcony wrought iron bars are made in the form of fantastic plants. of fantastic plants. This house is also called "La Pedrera" ("The Quarry"). В One of the flats of the house is a kind of museum of Art Nouveau life. You can you can climb to the roof.
The Terrades House, designed by architect Puca i Cadafalchi, is also known as the "House with Needles". also called the "House with Needles" because of the six pointed towers at the corners of the building. The style of the house combines Gothic and Renaissance features. Typical of Art Nouveau is a combination of red brick and lighter coloured stone, which is used for the carved plant ornamentation on the facade. vegetal ornamentation on the façade.
