(2015) Gaudi s ravishing symbiosis between built environment and natural world

From the towering Sagrada Famيlia to the shimmering, textured facade of Casa Batllَ and the enchanting landscape of Park Güell, it s easy to see why Antoni Gaudي (1852 1926) gained the epithet God s architect . With fluid forms and mathematical precision, his work extols the wonder of natural creation: columns soar like tree trunks, window frames curve like flowering branches, and ceramic tiling shimmers like scaly, reptilian skin.

With this outstanding attention to natural detail, his inspirations from both neo-Gothic and Orientalist aesthetics, and a lifelong commitment to Catalan identity, Gaudي created a unique brand of the Modernista movement which transformed, and defines, Barcelona s cityscape.

With seven of Gaudي s projects listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this book introduces the architect s extraordinary vision and unique legacy, exploring the influences and the details which allow his buildings to impress, inspire, and amaze, one century after their construction.

About the Series:

Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect

the major works in chronological order

information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions

a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings

approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts and plans)