Awe-Inspiring Architecture

Art and Architecture of Valencia:

Spain is full of impressive art and architecture. While in Valencia, a must-see attraction for the remarkable architecture is The City of the Arts and Sciences. This modern “city within a city” is composed of six feautures: El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía-Opera house and performing arts centre; L'Hemisfèric-Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium; L'Umbracle-Walkway / Garden; El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe -Science museum; L'Oceanogràfic-Open-air oceanographic park. This futuristic complex has a nautical theme and was created by the architect Santiago Calatrava, costing Valencia billions of dollars. The clean lines of the buildings and grandiose scale will amaze those with no interest in architecture. These building are one of a kind! Below is Ben Hettler's blog about his reaction to these incredible structures.

The Ever Changing Valencia

The city of Valencia is a truly remarkable city by the sea. After spending three days there I experienced the city life, spending time at the beach, as well as seeing vast crop lands. The physical geography of Valencia is completely different than any other city I have visited in Europe. The city of Valencia has been changing significantly since the 19th century. It is apparent where the old medieval city was located within the city walls due to the unorthodox system of streets. Once one exits this confusing street system it is much easier to navigate because the streets appear to become more orderly. This is a similar case with almost all major cities throughout Europe which were founded during the early Roman Empire. Most medieval cities were clusters of streets with little to no order located around a central town square. Although the city has been expanding throughout the past hundred years there has been very significant changes which have occurred in only the past 20 years.
The most significant changes which have occurred in Valencia have been the urbanization of crop lands and the futuristic buildings by the architect Santiago Calatrava. These new and unique buildings were built in order to put Valencia on the map with the other larger cities of Spain. They built these structures for different reasons, such as to show they had the power and money to do so as well as to attract people from all over. Santiago Calatrava was an exceptional architect with a strong background in engineering which allowed him to build these magnificent structures. Here is a site which may be useful when traveling to Valencia and attempting to visit these structures http://www.valencia-tourist-travel-guide.com/. The people of Valencia now feel that these unique structures are the new symbol of the city rather than the crop lands which dominated the terrain for so long.
Due to the rapid expansion of the city, Valencia does not completely urbanize all of the croplands surrounding it. This is another reason why this city is so unique. One can be walking through the city near a large mall and before you know it you are standing in front of a large field. It is almost like a line which separates the city with the crop lands. These lands have become increasingly more valuable because they have been becoming smaller and smaller. It is amazing that even after hundreds of years the fields are still fertile. This is largely due to the magnificent irrigation system which was initially designed by the Romans but has been improved to perfection. Valencia is an extremely unique and diverse city which continues to grow and may become one of the major cities of Europe.

http://www.whatvalencia.com/history-valencia.html

http://www.valencia-tourist-travel-guide.com/history-of-valencia-spain.html

Check out the official website for The City of Arts and Sciences to learn more: http://www.cac.es/?languageId=1

Art and Architecture of Barcelona

One hasn’t truly visited Barcelona until they have experienced the unparalleled bold organic architecture of Antoni Gaudi. Spectacles such as the expansive Park Guell, whimsical Casa Batillo, and the infamously incomplete Sagrada Familia are just a few of Gaudi’s architectural marvels that will not disappoint. One can also visit the intrepid Casa Vicens or layered Casa Mila for more of a look at Gaudi’s less touristic works. There are many smaller projects Gaudi completed that are equally as engaging, just off the beaten path. Depending on your length of stay, you can alter how much architecture you want to see and visit, but a trip to Barcelona is never forgotten once you’ve visited one or more of these fabulous structures. If Gaudi’s architecture doesn’t fulfill your hunger for the arts while in Barcelona, a visit to the Picasso Museum, Fundació Miró, or Museuo de Ceramica, may be just the ticket. Whether you visit a museum, tour a cathedral, or stroll down Las Ramblas, you will undoubtedly experience the rich art and architecture of Barcelona.

Some useful sites for looking up further information on art and architecture in Barcelona are:

Museums in Barcelona: http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/museums.asp
http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/museums

Gaudi:
http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/gaudi.html
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_serveis/informacio.php
http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/i_menu.html

Art and Architecture Tours:
http://gospain.about.com/od/guidedtoursofspain/tp/art_architecture.htm

Map of Major Museums:
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=art%20and%20architecture%20in%20barcelona&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Finally, check out what Marilyn took away after experiencing the works of Gaudi, both at Parc Guell and La Sagrada Familia!

More Than Just Art



While many college-aged kids travel here for its never-ending night life, the topless beaches, and the excitement of strolling along Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s culture, values, and geography can be seen in a different light through the art and architecture of Antoni Gaudi. While I had studied the work of Gaudi in high school Spanish class, no class can amount to visually seeing it and understanding its monumental meaning to the people of Barcelona.

As a group we hiked up what seemed like an infinite amount of stairs followed by a dusty path to one of the topographically highest points of the city, the top of the hill El Carmel, which houses one of Gaudi’s most famous projects, the Parc Guell. Inspired by the English Garden City Movement happening around the same time period as the Spanish Renaissance and industrialization of the local textile industry, the Parc Guell was funded as an urban planning project by a man named Eusebi Guell. It was intended to be an upper-class garden city with mosaic stairways. Only two houses were ever actually built, one of which was a model home for interested buyers to tour. No one purchased any of these homes in the area, so Gaudi moved into the model home with his father in 1906.

After Gaudi’s death, the Parc took on a different meaning to the people of Barcelona. Rather than a segregated community for the wealthy, it lost its invisible borders and became a municipal garden for the public to share. In a crowded city like Barcelona, stacked with apartments upon apartments, there is little personal space. The Parc Guell, with its modernist mosaic serpentine benches, has become a place for people to enjoy space, nature, and conversation with friends.

Walking through the terrace I passed by numerous street vendors and picked up a necklace or two. I also heard local musicians looking to make a few euros by serenading us tourists with some local tunes. The souvenir vending also speaks to how the people of Barcelona look at the Parc Guell. Not only do they see it as somewhere they can relax, but also appreciate it as a globally respected monument that tourists will come to visit.



Before walking down the stairs to the symbolic lizard fountain and Gaudi’s house (which is the only part of the park that costs money to enter) I took a peek over the terrace overlooking the entire city of Barcelona. I was able to see in the distance another work of Gaudi’s, La Sagrada Familia.





La Sagrada Familia is a sight to see from far away, but even more of a spectacle up close and inside. After seeing the Parc Guell, it is just a bus or a metro ride away to this magnificent unfinished cathedral. Rather than the modernist architecture that was observed at the park, La Sagrada Familia is built in Gaudi’s gothic style including vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. As I approached the Cathedral, having only seen it in pictures, I was astounded by its massive size and intricate detail. The tickets to get inside is a little pricey, but if you have enough time I would purchase the ticket as well as the lift pass which can take you to the top of the towers. The ticket also allows you to see the museum in the Cathedral basement which describes Gaudi’s plans as well as what the future holds for the church.



I waited in a sizeable line, amongst other fans of Gaudi, to enter the cathedral, the whole time my excitement growing. When I entered, I found that the inside was simply a construction zone, but an amazing one at that. There is still a lot of work to be done on the interior before the projected grand opening in 2026, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s accidental death by tram. While Gaudi was alive, of the three faces of the church, only the side with the nativity scene was completed. After his passing, Jordi Bonet became the new leader of the architectural team.

Once it is completed, La Sagrada Familia will be the largest cathedral in Europe. This is a testament to the strong Catholic faith that pervades Spain. Spain is nearly 75% Roman Catholic, so this cathedral is a national symbol of faith and religion of the region.

Some may come to Barcelona blinded by the excitement and completely miss Gaudi’s architecture. Some who see it may consider it “just art”. However, from a geographical standpoint, Gaudi’s works are so much more more than just beautiful things to look at. They represent a culture, a history, a religion, and a way of life.

Posted by Marilyn Wickenheiser