Product Description

Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the best-known architects of the 20th century. Even today, some 75 years after Gaudí's death, his playful, exuberant buildings continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps most identified with the dynamic, sculptural facades found on his structures, Gaudí is respected as much for his technological innovations as for his daring style.

In this enlightening, portable volume, a concise, knowledgeable text by the director of the Càtedra Gaudí at the University of Barcelona is brilliantly illustrated with 200 images by a gifted architectural photographer to provide a new perspective on Gaudí's remarkable career. The author traces all the influences that led to the architect's definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and Neogothicism to his love of naturalism and geometric forms. Here is the full range of his oeuvre from the innovative residences for the Güell family to his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death. This handsome overview of Gaudí's visionary work is ideal for those who delight in his architecture, as well as those who look forward to traveling to Spain to see his monumental legacy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #424703 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 285 pages

Review
"Praise for the large-format, hardcover edition: "A sumptuously photographed tour through the strange and beautiul buildings by the turn-of-the-century Catalan eccentric..." - House Beautiful "...comprehensive and splendid." - Forbes"

From the Publisher
Following the success of Tiny Folio: Frank Lloyd Wright, this pocket-sized survey presents the entire career of the internationally admired Spanish architect whose fanciful buildings and sculpture have defined Barcelona's cityscape.

About the Author
Juan Bassegoda Nonell has served as the director of the Càtedra Gaudí at the School of Architecture within Barcelona University since 1968. He is the author of many notable books on Gaudí.

Melba Levick is an accomplished architectural and travel photographer whose work has been published internationally in numerous magazines and in over 30 books.

Customer Reviews

Gaudi-nature's authentic architect
After visiting Barcelona and being captivated by the work of an architect I had never heard of, I found this terrific book. The commentary is by a native scholar from Catalonia who writes with directness and clarity. Gaudi used nature's forms to inspire, and was uninterested in artistic intellectualization. Mostly photos here, but the text has depth. There's a chronology of Gaudi's work and background on what little we know of his upbringing. It is more thorough than tourist-geared materials available in Barcelona, and priced better than encyclopedia-like scholarly volumes.

Great book for anybody interested in Gaudi and his works
As a student in architecture I spent some time looking for a good book on the works of Antonio Gaudi. I wasn't happy with any of the subject materials that were out there until I stumbled into this book. The clarity of the pictures are amazing and could make anyone feel as though they were right in front of La Sagrada Familia. This book also includes some of Gaudi's sketches, as well as a few floor plans, elevations, and sections of some of his well known buildings. If you are a fan of Antonio Gaudi then this book would defenitely be a good investment. Even if you're not a student in architecture this book will make you appreciate the creativity of Antonio Gaudi, and his use of symbolism (in La Sagrada Familia)

Gaudi Triumphantes!
Essentially this is a picture book, but what pictures! The photography has used the extraordinary architecture and added a new dimension to it in vision and lighting. If you would know Gaudi, look at his work: and this is one of the best ways to do it if you cannot readily get to Catalunya. In addition, the production and design of the book, in a relatively small format, has been very carefully thought out, resulting in one of those rare volumes which is delightful to handle and admire in its own right, quite apart from its content. An absolute little gem.