Barcelona

Spanish Architecture and its Influence on Barcelona

By Eric Vazquez

I had a seafood soup at a deli/bar not far from where La Rambla, a popular street in Barcelona, stops abruptly, so as not to send wine soaked tourists into the bay. A statue of Christopher Columbus stands high and points aggressively toward the sea. (His objective, I believe, is to yell to visitors that take part in the fruit of the vine, “Hey, American! The bar hop ends here! One more careless step and you’ll be swimming in the Mediterranean!”)

The soup was a mix of ingredients that I have never seen thrown together, but tasted like they were made for eachother. Fish and crustaceans from the sea, Iberican ham from the inlands, cheese and herbs from somewhere in the middle, and maybe even an egg or two. The over crowded broth was probably a mix of regional cuisines and family recipes, all thrown into one cauldron. Then, there it was; beautiful, strange, and delicious.

That’s Barcelona from the view of a non cushioned chair in a small restaurant. Lots of influence in a small bowl. The birdseye view of the cityscape and its architecture is quite similar, in metaphorical terms.

In Barcelona, the blocky, heavy Romanesque structures with influence from the 1100s might be right around the corner from an airy and thin gothic style cathedral. Facades containing the finely tuned detail of Dali, to the hidden in plain sight abstraction of Miro, blend together like one long lick from a double stacked vanilla and chocolate gelato cone. It’s all shocking to the senses, but since the puzzle edges fit so perfectly, you just accept it.

Artists and architects spanning centuries have made their marks and it appears that the city is grand enough to fit all of the contrasting influence comfortably, and humble enough to honor them individually.

The sun is a big deal in Spain, hence the mid-day siestas. Our tour guide Nicolas says 2pm-5pm is “the hours of the crazies”, meaning anyone who is actively choosing to be outside in that heat, must be nuts. Now in Manhattan, this wouldn’t be a problem. The buildings are so tall that the sun rarely reaches the pavement. Maybe that’s why the wide cobblestone streets have stood the test of time here, they receive the scorching sun better than tar does.

Since the streets are wide and most of the beige buildings, (regardless of what artistic era and mind they originated from), don’t stand much taller than six stories, Barcelona appears to reflect the sun like a mirror. However, without taking away Barcelona’s shine by casting a long dark shade, one artist broke the six-story glass ceiling along with architectural standards and rules, by simply making up his own.

It’s not difficult to speak glowingly about Barcelonian architecture without mentioning Antoni Gaudi; it’s freaking impossible! I was raised Roman Catholic, but have lapsed in my practice and faith as logic always seems to beat me with a stick whenever I think about the heavens. With that said, I can truthfully say that I felt the brush of a divine shoulder moving briskly past, as I walked at a zombie’s pace through several of Gaudi’s creations. His spirit, is in Barcelona. It’s invisible and yet tangible. If there is a God, He was on a first name basis with Gaudi.

Picture an architect without a ruler or protractor. It’s like a chef without… food. Gaudi built structures all over Barcelona, and in many cases did so without the conventional, or maybe even necessary, use of straight lines and right angles. His innovation in shape design and weight-bearing principals, baffled builders and architects.

Inside La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is probably his most notable work. Unlike Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and DaVinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’, Gaudi’s masterpiece is incomplete. His imposing church is still under construction and is estimated to be finished in the year 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of his death. The builders are using Gaudi’s old sketches and plans along with contributions from other notable architects.  

Being way ahead of his time, one can speculate that those of his peers who actually followed the time tested rules, may have secretly or openly wished for Gaudi’s creations to cave in or topple over. Instead, they have stood as a symbol of Barcelona’s credence to accept cultural influence from every direction, without knocking down the long-standing residents that have stood for centuries.