Casa Vicens

The Casa Vicens in Barcelona is a known work of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

The commission was created in the years 1883-1885 for Manuel Vicens i Montaner, a wealthy stockbroker, at Carrer de les Carolines 18-24 in the Gràcia district. The Casa Vicens is the first major independent work of Gaudí, together with the simultaneously arising Villa Quijano. At her already show some basic elements of his style such as the use naturalistic ornamentation of ceramics and many colors. The building is inspired by the Mudejar style, a hybrid of Spanish and Arabic elements from the period after the Reconquista. This is clear about several small turrets and on the delicate facade of the upper floors. Also worth seeing is the wrought and cast iron grating which receives the motif of a palm leaf and is reminiscent of the palm trees that had to make way for construction.

The interior impresses with its stalactite cave-like vaults, most succinctly in the smoking room. Ornaments as painted birds on walls and door jambs or floreale patterns on the ceilings are typical design features.

The building originally stood next to the monastery wall of the adjacent convent. Metastatic After the Convention, the then owner acquired a portion of the neighboring property and would instruct Gaudí 1925 with an extension of the building. However, this refused, and as the Casa Vicens in 1925 by architect Joan Serra de Martínez has been extended by more than half.

Serra de Martínez took on the style of the existing house and settled his plans by Gaudí approve ( in the picture is the front part of the building behind the garden fence Gaudí's original, the rear, situated right on the street part from the Vorsprsprung however, is the extension of Serra).

Because of the road widening had shortly thereafter, be amended again by the Serra de Martínez, also the location of the fence and the entrance situation.

A large part of the garden with Gaudí's monumental fountain, a pavilion built by Serra, 1946 were lost through land sales and subsequent residence - Control.

Part of this dismantled wrought iron garden fence with palm leaves was used for the entrance of the Parc Güell, another part is now in the Casa -Museo Gaudí.

The house is privately owned and is therefore only be viewed from the outside.

1928 received Serra de Martínez for the extension of the house the annual award of the city government for the best house.

In 2005, the Casa Vicens was recorded together with other works of Gaudí in the list of UNESCO World Heritage.