Park Güell--page 5 of 7 pages

Antoni Gaudí
1900-1914




The public square is at the center of the park. At about 160 feet by 120 feet, half of it is supported by solid ground, the other half is supported on the Doric columns of the hypostyle chamber below. The wall surrounding this large plaza is designed as one long curving and twisting bench. Brightly colored broken tiles and faience create mosaic designs--a technique called trencadis. Sources differ on its attribution. Some say that some patterns are by Gaudí as well as the workmen who created the park. Others say that Josep Maria Jujol, a specialist in ceramic art, signed and claimed the bench as his own, although it has always been attributed to Gaudí until recently. Technically the bench mosaics could also be described as collage (predating the "invention" of collage by the Cubists) since cups, bottles, plates, etc. are incorporated into the design. So who thought Julian Schnabel was so original!

 
 

Looking down from the square to the main entrance and the caretaker's lodge



Continue to page 6.

Return to Park Güell Index.

Go to Gaudí Index.

Click here to return to index of art historical sites.

Click here to return to index of artists and architects.

Click here to return to chronological index.

Click here to see the home page of Bluffton College.


© 2001 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan