Parc Güell: past and present

    

 

 

 

 

View of Barcelona from Parc Guell

 

Between the years of 1910 and 1914, Antoni Gaudi‘s design for an aristocratic city-garden with wealthy family residencies came to fruition. Now aptly named Parc Güell, as the project was commissioned by the count Eusebi Güell and the Catalan word for “park” is “parc,” the property’s initial purpose has since been abandoned. Today, a person meandering through the park grounds would enjoy the beautiful gardens, original architecture and the breathtaking views, but would never know that the initially, the park was meant to be a residential area. This is due to the fact that after failing it’s original purpose, the park became a municipal garden, and was transformed into a public park in 1923.

Why did the park fail as a residential property? Evidently, Gaudi’s architecture was not popular among the elite during his lifetime. Thus, with limited interest, only two houses were built on the property (neither of which were designed by Gaudi), and the venture was a commercial failure. Interestingly enough, not even Count Güell was a fan. It was reported that Gaudi once said to Güell, “Sometimes I think we are the only people who like this architecture.” Güell replied, “I don’t like your architecture, I respect it.”

However, this initial failure was a blessing in disguise for the people and tourists of Barcelona. In my personal opinion, restricting the unique park to those wealthy enough to own residency would be a great loss to the city. The park has become an essential tourist attraction in Barcelona. I myself have visited more times than I can count, for I cannot allow anyone who visits me to miss out on one of my favorite places in the entire city. The sangria alone is reason enough to visit, for in my experienced opinion, it is the best in Barcelona. Furthermore, you enjoy it while overlooking the long, mosaic bench and a magnificent view of the city.

 

The bench itself is evidence of Gaudi’s creativity, not only in the final product, but also in its creation. Gaudi used the backside of a naked workman sitting in wet clay to create the curvature.

I am a big fan of Gaudi’s architecture. Living merely a block from his Sagrada Familia, I have become quite familiar with his unique genius. In my experience thus far in Barcelona, I have found that most agree with me on the beauty of his works. Though common of many artistic geniuses, it is unfathomable to me that he was not appreciated in his time.

 There is no mention throughout the park of its history or its creation. Consequently, and as discussed in the included videos, visitors tend to have a lot to say about the park, but nothing about its origin. In my opinion, Parc Güell’s history is of the utmost importance to fully appreciating its natural and architectural beauty. It was designed and created as a residential property, but simply fit better as a park, and has since become one of the top attractions in Barcelona as such. I find it fascinating that a work that was such a failure at its initial purpose is such a rousing success as something it was never intended to be.