Barcelona's Best Architecture: An Urban Quest For Color

Just imagine for one moment that you are walking from a spacious art gallery where on the walls are displayed a variety of works all of which capture your attention and imagination. Well, when you visit Barcelona you’ll find that such a collection isn’t housed in a palace or museum but it is on the various streets you will walk in Barcelona.

This is because the artwork you see on display isn’t paintings, but in fact, the buildings themselves and they will offer you a wide diversity of styles and decorations that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. Certainly as part of this article on Barcelona’s best architecture, we will show you some particular areas of the city you must explore.

Table of Contents

Location 1 – La Pedrera, Passeig de Gràcia

Located close to the centre of the city here you will find one of the finest examples of work created by Gaudi. Within the very structure of the building you won’t find any straight walls, in fact, the very facade of this building looks as if it has been chiseled straight from sandstone. On the outside, the wrought iron parapets are designed to resemble clusters of leaves and brambles. Whilst inside the columns and curved ceilings seem to take on every shape you could possibly imagine.

Related article: Mosaics and Frescoes of Barcelona

Location 2 – Sagrada Familia

Of all the Barcelona buildings you can view when visiting the city this one offers the most noteworthy example of Gaudi’s originality and has yet to be completed. As you look closely you will notice that the four steeples looking on the north facade seem to resemble ripples of wax that has dripped and solidified down the side of 4 huge candlesticks. The whole building dwarfs those that surround it and has helped to make this an international symbol for the city.

Location 3 – Parc Güell

Again another area of the city that was designed by Gaudi and this park is to be found situated on a hill on the western side of Barcelona. The twisted sculptures and columns are made up of some truly vibrant Barcelona colors and help to make a wander around it a very magical one. Don’t just enjoy the buildings and chimneys that are completely unique as you wander around the park take in the beautiful gardens as well.

Location 4 – Las Ramblas

This is a particular area of the city that most visitors to the city will identify first and of course head to. It is around 1.2 km long and starts close to the city’s cruise port terminal (Port Vell) before then ending at Plaça Catalunya. As you wander along it during the day make sure that you take a long upwards as often you will notice that the buildings have been decorated in a manner to really help bring the area to life. Being pedestrianized it means you can take a stroll easily around it and there are plenty of lovely places where you can stop to relax and unwind whilst enjoy a glass of wine or cerveza when the weather is warm.

Looking for a place to stay while discovering Barcelona’s best architecture? ShBarcelona offers apartments for vacation rentals or for long stays.