{"id":91542,"date":"2017-11-14T10:11:24","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T09:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=91542"},"modified":"2021-04-19T18:12:58","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T16:12:58","slug":"colonia-guell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/colonia-guell\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Gaudi\u2019s Jewel: Col\u00f2nia Guell"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Antoni Gaudi<\/strong> is arguably Barcelona&#8217;s greatest <strong>architect<\/strong> with a long list of masterpieces like the Sagrada Familia,\u00a0Park G\u00fcell,\u00a0and\u00a0Casa Mil\u00e0.<b>\u00a0<\/b>Gaud\u00ed also had numerous projects, some built to full completion and acclaim while others remain unfinished but still a mesmerizing to see. Gaudi&#8217;s <strong>Sagrada<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Familia\u00a0<\/strong>may be his greatest masterpiece even as the building continues to be completed, but one other unfinished building is a hidden gem in Barcelona: The\u00a0<b>Church of Col\u00f2nia G\u00fcell\u00a0<\/b>and the surrounding town.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/world-heritage-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barcelona&#8217;s UNESCO World Heritage Sites<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/colonia-guell\/#The_Phantom_Construction\" title=\"The Phantom Construction\">The Phantom Construction<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/colonia-guell\/#Features\" title=\"Features\">Features<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Phantom_Construction\"><\/span>The Phantom Construction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_91543\" style=\"width: 295px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91543\" class=\" wp-image-91543\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/2410895498_4dd664c612_o-300x118.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"285\" height=\"112\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91543\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Pepe Manteca via Visualhunt<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Gaud\u00ed\u00a0<\/strong>began construction\u00a0on\u00a0<b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gaudicoloniaguell.org\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Col\u00f2nia G\u00fcell<\/a>\u00a0<\/b>in 1898 under the support of <strong>Eusebi G\u00fcell<\/strong>, a wealthy textile businessman who donated the land that would become the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/park-guell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">park<\/a> bearing his name as well. Due to economic issues, only the crypt was completed and the project was formally abandoned in 1916. Regardless, it&#8217;s studied and adored by fans and historians to this day. The building remained unfinished but used as a <strong>church<\/strong>, particularly after the Civil War, for<span class=\"style201\">\u00a0the town&#8217;s industrial workers and their families. In the 70s, when the dictatorship fell, so did the town&#8217;s factories. The surrounding areas were sold as private homes or used by public institutions when, in 2000,\u00a0<strong>Gaudi&#8217;s<\/strong> unfinished gem underwent its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/sant-antoni-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">restoration<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-currency=\"EUR\" data-language=\"en\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-partner=\"shbarcelona\" data-product-ids=\"996255,973888,976327,1012495\"><\/div>\n<p><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Features\"><\/span>Features<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_91544\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91544\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-91544\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/6210356058_31cc8dffae-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by\u00a0ferran pesta\u00f1a via Visualhunt<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When first commissioned, the project called for the <strong>church<\/strong> to have a lower and upper nave topped by towers and dome forty meters high. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/barcelonas-most-beautiful-churches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">church<\/a>, the naves were made without using any support walls by constructing leaning pillars that give the main wall an abstract, figurative shape with seemingly neverending curves. <span lang=\"en\">The bell tower is open-air where its Romanesque arches and the groundwork for what would have been the upper <strong>church<\/strong> can also be\u00a0seen.<\/span>\u00a0It&#8217;s repetitive throughout the building and gives away <strong>Gaudi&#8217;s<\/strong> explicit detail in his construction as can be seen in his other works.\u00a0Using broken tiles, <strong>Gaudi<\/strong> created various patterns known as the &#8220;Trencadis Mosaic,&#8221; which is a lengthy process in order to break, place together, and cement the tiles. It&#8217;s a work of &#8220;Art Nouveau,&#8221; is the common <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/architecture-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">architectural<\/a> style throughout <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/gaudis-architecture-barcelona\/\"><strong>Gaudi&#8217;s<\/strong> other masterpieces<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/barcelonas-most-beautiful-churches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barcelona\u2019s most beautiful churches<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just 20 minutes from Barcelona lies this gorgeous tourist spot designed by <strong>Gaudi<\/strong>. <strong>Colonia Guell<\/strong> and its <strong>church<\/strong> are a must-see in the city, as well as <strong>Gaudi&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">La Sagrada Familia<\/a><\/strong>. It&#8217;s a project that makes others understand the mind and touch of his creation and how he continued to push the boundaries of what can be built throughout his lifetime. Just as radical as today&#8217;s buildings, it&#8217;s no wonder why it&#8217;s listed as a <strong>Site of Historic and Artistic Interest<\/strong> as well as a\u00a0<strong>UNESCO<\/strong> heritage colony town.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Looking for an apartment in the city?\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ShBarcelona<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is the answer.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>*Main photo by <\/em>volanthevist<em> [Jere &amp; Gemma] via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"91542\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 150px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">1<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            vote        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antoni Gaudi is arguably Barcelona&#8217;s greatest architect with a long list of masterpieces like the Sagrada Familia,\u00a0Park G\u00fcell,\u00a0and\u00a0Casa Mil\u00e0.\u00a0Gaud\u00ed also had numerous projects, some built to full completion and acclaim while others remain unfinished but still a mesmerizing to see. Gaudi&#8217;s Sagrada\u00a0Familia\u00a0may be his greatest masterpiece even as the building continues to be completed, but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":91618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4472],"tags":[1572,1100,8107,8108,8109],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91542"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91542"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105896,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91542\/revisions\/105896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}