What to visit – Colonia Güell

Colonia Güell

The path through the industrial Colonia captivates tourists because of its charm and the tranquility this vestige of the Modernist era inspires through the palpable 19th century atmosphere kept alive between its streets and buildings. Currently, an important piece of historical and artistic heritage remains in the Colonia Güell.

Visitors can walk around all the while observing beautiful, singular buildings created by modernist architects where on can see the most typical characteristics of said movement. On the one hand, the use of brick walls as a vindication of a Catalan folk architecture, and the incorporation of new techniques and new materials such as iron or ceramic trencadis.

The following can be considered as the most unique building in the Colonia Güell:

The Güell Colony

A trip to the past.

The tour of Colonia Güell captivates with its charm and the tranquility of the surroundings. The atmosphere of the 19th century It is still preserved in its streets, one of the elements that make it so special.

The unique and beautiful buildings created by the modernist architects of the time display the most characteristic features of this movement. They are the vindication of a popular and traditional Catalan architecture. Below, the most unique buildings:

Places from Colonia Güell

Ca L'Espinal

Ca L'Ordal

Can Soler de la Torre

House of the Metge

The Secretary's House

School and teacher's house

The Ateneu Unió

The Fontova theater

The Cooperative

The Sant Luis Parish Center

The Nuns' Convent

The inn

Gaudí's Crypt

“Monumental model of the Sagrada Familia".

The main importance of the church of the Colonia Güell in so far as Gaudi goes is that this is where Gaudi brought together for the first time all of his architectural innovations. As Gaudi said, had the church been finished it would have been a “monumental model of the Sagrada Familia”

In the church we can see Gaudi created the naves single space without using buttresses, flying buttresses or supporting walls. This was possible thanks to a combination of leaning pillars and catenary arches which also resulted in the hyperbolic paraboloid shape of the perimeter walls. This same integrative spirit is reflected on the inside as well as in the fusion of the building with the environment –the different levels of the naves are adapted to the hill's slope and the materials and colors used similar to those of the surrounding vegetation-

All of these elements constitute a set of original solutions which respond to the desire for synthesis between structural planning, construction techniques, and architectural shapes. Notwithstanding, these also contribute to the purely aesthetic and symbolic values of the ornamental elements. The Church of the Colonia Güell includes numerous examples of Gaudí's control of the applied arts regarding both practical and purely ornamental decoration.

The Crypt was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2005.

Want to make a virtual visit to the Gaudí's Crypt?

Interior / Body exterior:

Exhibition

Located in the Colony's old cooperative, it offers a global vision on what the estate was, how its people lived and the works of Antoni Gaudi.

The permanent exhibition has five areas are Industrial Colonies, The mill, People, Colonia Güell and Gaudi's church.

Ground floor is dedicated to the history of industrial Colonias in Catalonia and, in particular, to that of the Colonia Güell. A 12-minute video shows the daily life of workers in the Colonia Güell through the eyes of a little girl.

The most interesting item on the top floor is a reproduction of the model designed by Gaudi to visualize the church's structure in three dimensions. This technique, invented by Gaudi in order to build his crypt, was used, along with several others developed during this time, in the construction of the Sagrada Familia.

Colonia Güell Exhibition

Located in the building of the former Colonia cooperative, the permanent exhibition offers a global vision of the Colony, its people and the work of Antoni Gaudí.

The Colonia Güell exhibition has five areas to visit: the industrial colonies, the factory, people, the Güell Colony y Gaudi's Church.

The ground floor is dedicated to the history of the Industrial Colonies of Catalonia and especially to that of Colonia Güell. An audiovisual allows us to understand the daily life of Colonia Güell through the eyes and experiences of a girl.

On the upper floor, the reproduction of the stereostatic model designed by Gaudí to visualize the structure of the church in three dimensions stands out. This technique, invented by Gaudí to build the crypt, and the discoveries that it entailed, was later used in the construction of the Sagrada Familia.

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