Barcelona
- Part II
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The same view in the morning
light ...
... and, from across the
hotel roof, the view across the city roofs towards Gaudi's crown.
A super-clean, efficient
Metro sped us safely across town ...
... to emerge blinking under
the towering edifice of the Sagrada Familia, here the East Facade
pictured from the Metro entrance.
....
Although we were captivated
by the presence of the church, others, in the adjacent gardens,
had different things on their minds.
Gaudi's
masterpiece grew out of an orthodox design by another that he
took over nine years after its start. He only lived long enough
to see completed one of the four bell-towers of this Nativity
Facade. This East Facade starts as orthodox gothic structure and
progressively becomes Gaudiesque as it rises. There are for me
two aspects of his work which are unique the decorative and the
structural. Both are unmistakable but it is the structural which
is the most revolutionary.
Supremely devout, Gaudi
developed the Mediaeval use of decoration to reinforce and outline
the religious message to a new level using three dimensional modelling
and even incorporating into the structure. Not only were the people
of the Bible incorporated but also symbolic representatives of
all divine creation. Different sculptors have undertaken various
groups of figures.
The West, Nativity, Facade
is more purely Gaudi being built later and with ...
... a more angular style
of sculpture.
Gaudi studied very closely
natural forms and structures and developed new ways of recreating
them in man-made structures. It is no accident that the supporting
columns and roof structure shown here are reminiscent of looking
up into a forest canopy. Each column only supports those roof
elements attached to its 'branches'. Roof elements are cast together
in an 'egg-box' structure for rigidity and lightness. The column
and lintel were the first development to ape natural structure
before being superseded by the arch. (Temple columns in ancient
Egypt retained 'leaves', 'buds' and 'bark/surface' indicating
their model source and Egyptian temples were considered as living
entities). As the pointed gothic arch had superior load bearing
capabilities over the earlier round arch, lighter and taller structures
were thus enabled and particularly expressed in cathedral architecture
from the 11th century onwards. So the structural principles of
Gaudi can offer lighter structure, more airy interiors and a more
organic appearance to the building, something not everyone finds
acceptable.
Because no body of research
or experience existed for the naturalistic structures envisaged
by Gaudi he had to resort to accurately modelling the forces involved
by using bags of lead shot to represent the loads the structure
would have to carry at various points when suspended upside down
from threads. This translates completely when reversed and circular
forms of towers can be discerned towards the bottom of the structure.
Modelling workshops are still operating on site.
Back in town, the entrance
(closed) of Gaudi's earlier Palau Guell.
Sunset from the hotel roof
...
... and after dark a visit
to the Magic Fountains of Montjuic where the show is starting
...
....
... colours and patterns
changing ...
....
... as familiar and stirring
music blasts out with an eclectic mix from Grand Opera to Pop
Classics.
From the balcony in front
of the Palau Nacional we can look over the fountains, down the
Avenida Reina Maria Christina to the Placa d'Espanya. The whole
of this area was built for the 1929 Exhibition and, in the manner
of such things, the temporary constructions take on a life of
their own and survive and even thrive - such is the Palau Nacional
now housing the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Unfortunately
we could not find time to allow us a visit.
Continued
in Part III
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