Good morning... Yes, you are in Barcelona, you’ll see how much Barcelona owes me … I have helped to create this fabulous city- exported to the whole world with the brand GAUDÍ…..
but … you need to understand my mind first and the social economic factors…. Behind this new architecture…
My childhood... I lived in this country house in Reus... in the South of Catalonia... My father was a coppersmith.. He built beautiful iron things... At an early age, I became very ill and couldn’t leave the house... I couldn’t go to school.. I loved architecture so much!!! And I loved nature so much!.. I spent hours and hours watching how perfect nature was......
From my window I could see... that in nature the straight line didn’t exist! Look at the branches of the trees !. Look at this wonderful snail shell, Look at this little reptile, the salamander
... And light reflected in nature... it resembles a caleidoscope... Mediterranean light is filtered in such a beutiful way!... He invented a technique using broken tiles that is called “trancadís”.
I am a Catholic!!... A real one, I live with very little money, I am a strong believer... I want to build a symbol for my country- a symbol of faith- So my temple has four large towers representing the Evangelists on the Passion Façade and four towers will match the Glory façade in the future... I have spent 14 years building the Passion façade... I live inside the temple... Here in the crypt.. This temple is my obssession...
Another thing I loved so much were the stories of warriors and the medieval stuff... Those helmets... Remember that I was born at the time where romanticism was a fashion, princess and warriors were everywhere in Literature.. And also nationalism... Artist defended their countries so much... And mine was Catalonia.. With Saint George and the princess.. And of course our Holy mountain” Montserrat”... I want to unify everything in one big symbol ...
Yet, I will die before I finish my temple!... A tram will run over me! From that moment.. I will become an icon for my people... My buildings, my life is an example for Catalans.. And I guess for the whole world...
Yet my temple is here! For you to admire. I hope you like it!