Visions

Senor Gaudi

"The straight line belongs to Man. The curved line belongs to God"
Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi, now there was a guy with a powerful artistic vision: The Sagrada Familia is an ongoing testament to that fact.

Many of us make plans everyday: My work project plans take months, Life plans can take years, dinner plans can take minutes. Gaudi made plans that extended over more than a century and a half, through two world wars and a civil war, and who knows how many popes? He made plans that extended beyond himself, beyond his own ideas, and even beyond his own lifetime. Heck his work and name even inspired the word "gawdy"! It's truly epic.

Our experience with Gaudi on Friday, began with a long walk through the streets of Barcelona, past the modernist buildings of the block of discord, pausing at Sagrada Familia and ended at Gaudi's Parc Guelle. 

To me Sagrada Familia is easily my favourite building we've seen on this trip, maybe my favourite building ever! It's so powerful on so many levels: It's huge, (And getting huger. When the big "Jesus" steeple is built, it will be the highest steeple in Europe) It's jaw droppingly, organically beautiful. AND it challenges: the establishment, the people of Barcelona, and us all to view religion and spirituality, architecture and artistic vision and collaboration in a very advanced way.

Look at that light!

The building is amazing because it's stone pillars transform into palm trees as they rise to the lofty ceiling. Light filters into the room in glowing colours (I can't wait to see what it's like inside when all the stained glass is finished); It seats a choir of 1000 along with 4 organs; It's a study in symmetry even while it disguises that fact in flowing lines and natural shapes. It's shaped like a church on the inside, but looks like a completely different building from each exterior side. The Passion entrance is hard and stark and severe, the Nativity entrance is playful, and organic and celebratory (heck he's even got an angel playing the bassoon!) The grand entrance (once the 9 story apartment building that's cramping Sarada's style is torn down) will be glory, open, huge and welcoming.

Gaudi was a generous collaborator. He once said: "Copiers do not collaborate". His plan was so grand that he had to share this project, (and most of his plans were burned during the Spanish Civil War....) but I think he wanted to leave a large legacy to other architects and artists to complete. Many of these artists, who have worked on this project for years (not as many as Gaudi, yet), have their own styles and views, but have always managed to be harmonious with the building, and what I imagine Gaudi's vision must have been. 

Look up, look waaay up

I'm not a religious person in a traditional sense. But this building, made with the cooperation of so many; this project, conceived of, in such a mind blowingly epic scale; this temple, that brings worship, past "church" and out into nature, into the real world, through the organic shapes, design elements and a powerful sense of the natural world....well, it makes me want to support the beatification of Gaudi for sure!

Gaudi had a completely unique voice, set the bar so high and dreamed so big, you can't help but be inspired. And I can't help but be inspired by the people of Barcelona who have supported his dream since 1866! I can't wait to go back, and see the changes, maybe even see it completely finished around 2028 or so.....

The light above the altar. This section of roof was only finally closed in the 2000's! After 140 years of work

That's a circular staircase

Happy family at Parc Guelle