My 3 previous posts are related to the cultures, beliefs and lifestyles of ancient India. They refer to caves that predate Christ up to the 12th century, humongous monolithic edifices hewn with astounding precision and fine detail, the merging of culture, religion and philosophy, the technology and incredible skills and devotion - these are living proof of the astounding ancient history of India.
A living history: not hewn into a cliff but built up
This week more history is being made in the West. The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, has been topped with the final outer piece, a cross, which makes it the tallest cathedral in the world. How many years did it take to reach this stage? 140 years?!
Gaudi/y: which came first? The name or the adjective?
We are first introduced to the word through buildings in Barcelona. These are high rise residential buildings like Casa Mila with a stone like appearance and Casa Batllo whose balconies look like spectacles and the embellishments like natural corals.They are unlike any other I've seen.
So many seemingly impossible free form facades. Where does one apartment end and another begin? Each is unique even in its furnishings. Do the tenants discover something new everyday, because there is so much detail you can't take it all in at one go? To Picasso it was all gaudy.
Curiosity and amazement triggered
Are these facades structurally safe since some embellishments and protrusions seem lopsided? How did he work out the intricate balance? Does anyone really have the patience to look at the delicate tracery in replication of nature. How have these lasted for so long? Are they easy to clean ? What are the structural innovations of the visionary? Where are the buttresses? How ornamental the lampposts are!
Fantasy to reality
How did the highly decorative become functional as well? The architect's love of nature and devotion to religion is visualised in parabolic arches, mosaics and wrought iron and brick. No straight lines or right angles. Instead the structures take on natural forms like tree trunks, bones, shells, waves, fruits and flowers. Where does all the Gaudy colour come from? Broken ceramic tiles, glass and other waste materials cover the surfaces. One would think that with all the heavy artistic embellishments the interior would be dark, but the genius of Gaudi has made sure the spaces are airy. We don't have to go into the buildings to marvel at the innovations. Park Guell gives us a taste of it, including one of Gaudi's residences.
The lofty sand castle.
From afar that is what Sagrada Familia looks like. Could it be washed away anytime? Even so, Gaudi's masterpiece will remain legendary.
Gaudi, a deeply devout Catholic,the architect and designer who envisioned these buildings died in a tram accident when he was 73. Had he been alive he would be100 this year. His centenary is marked by the planned inauguration of the ephemeral place of worship. Is it any surprise that the vibrantly colored mosaics were considered gaudy by religious moralists like Picasso?
Construction began in 1882. Work on it continued through wars, political upheavals, revolutions in architecture, and the transformation of an entire century. The building kept growing taller. 18 towers in all One hundred and forty years later it has reached its highest.
How detailed was Gaudi's blueprint? How did the younger engineers who got on to the project long after Gaudi interpret it? How did they incorporate new techniques and technology? Its mind boggling how the spires kept growing part by part laid one top of the other, and how the three facades depict passion, nativity, glory respectively, in great detail all infused with the essence of life and nature. The lighting within through the stained glass windows and strategically placed openings create an otherworldliness as seen from pictures of the interior.
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