Architectural History Spain
Spain, as a country, is full of great architectural history. For instance, Paramount Places is built on a lovely Catalan farm which has now been recreated into a fabulous holiday camping resort for families. The Catalan farm was established in 1908. While time has certainly taken a toll on this centrally located real estate property. The primary campgrounds owners, Vilanova Park, have managed to preserve a major portion of its original history - the original farmhouse. Incidentally, Paramount Places is actually located within the Vilanova Park campground, yet it operates as an individual and separate property while using the entirety of resort amenities at the same time. It is a unique situation in which all guests enjoy an all inclusive self-catering holiday. Even those who purchase a vacation and holiday unit receive the same membership privileges. Be sure to visit our mobile home sales to discover how easy it is to own your own Spanish property only minutes from the golden sand beaches of the Costa Dorada.
Returning to the Catalan history and pride of this four star campground....What remains is the original farmhouse preserved and renovated into what is now the resort's primary restaurant and bar on this Spanish campsite. Care was taken to preserve detail and architectural form of the original home. It remains reminiscent of the pride and prosperity of the Catalan people who lived in the Costa Dorada of Spain at the turn of the century.Both Vilanova Park and Paramount Places are english speaking communities and have taken guests safety and security to new levels in the Barcelona area. They took every precaution to ensure you have an amazing holiday in Spain.
Throughout history the Catalan people have struggled and fought to hold on to their unique identity and have clung tightly to their language which is a splendid dialect of the Spanish language. Although, the Catalan language is also quite different. Discover more about Catalonia.
The architecture left behind by Anton Gaudi in Spain
Spain is the third most visited country in the world for many reasons.
One of the most innovative architects ever born, Anton Gaudi, left behind a number of now famous wonders of the building and construction trade world history has ever known. We have made an effort to bring Gaudi back to life and offer you information so that those interested can plan daily excursions to explore the beauty of his work.
Early Life
Anton Gaudi is a Spanish architect who is famous for his highly individualistic designs. Anton Gaudi belonged to the modernist movement and is classified with Gothicism and Surrealism. As a child Gaudi suffered from rheumatism and was rarely able to walk without relenting under severe pain. As a kid Gaudi never played with the other children and was always at home observing nature and its designs. This exposure to nature at an early age began to sharpen two of his greatest skills: observation and analysis of nature.
Gaudi studied architecture at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona. He was a mediocre student but achieved good grades in ‘Trial drawings and projects’. As he took leave of his college, his mentor quipped - “who know if we have given this diploma to a nut or a genius, only time will tell”.
Artistic technique
Anton Gaudi’s first works were primarily Gothic and traditional Spanish architecture. Soon he crafted his own sculptural style. Eugene Viollet-le-duc was a major inspiration behind Anton Gaudi’s work. Anton Gaudi soon overtook his master creating disturbingly irregular yet stunningly intricate works. Anton Gaudi took his inspiration from Nature and integrated fluidity of water, the parabolic arch and hyperboloid structures in his architecture.
Another important focus Gaudi had about his architectural masterpieces is that he used materials unique to the area of each structure when possible. For example, the building in this photo is uniquely created using purely Catalan materials.
Gaudi’s work is termed as Art Nouveau, basically it’s a precursor to modern architecture. Gaudi often decorated surfaces using broken tiles and the technique called ‘trencadis’. Gaudi crafted a unique space for himself by using biomorphic shapes instead of orthogonal lines. Gaudi was never into preset geometric designs. Gaudi’s inspiration was purely on nature like how the trees and humans stand upright, how the trees balances out its sway and how water cascades down from top of mountains. Gaudi had a strong knowledge of cantanary principles and designed his buildings after observing weights hung on interconnected strings and chains.
Gaudi Architectural Works in Spain
Design of lampposts, such as the two in the Plaça Reial,are examples of some of Gaudi's first architectural efforts. This was between the years of 1878-1882.
La Sagrada
Anton Gaudi’s greatest work is undeniably La Sagarada Familia in Barcelona. La Sagrada is a massive Roman Catholic Church as envisioned by Gaudi.Anton Gaudi wanted the church to be the ‘last great sanctuary of Christendom’.
The most striking aspect of the building is its 18 towers representing the 12 apostles, 4 evangelists; Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Anton Gaudi worked on the project for over 40 yrs and after his death, Domenech Sugraynes, took over and continue to the present day.
The Park Guell
The Park Guell in Barcelona is a stunning example of Gaudi’s mastery over the technique of trencadis. The park was originally an unsuccessful housing site which Gaudi bought with his own money and transformed it in to a garden complex of architectural elements.
Cassa Battlo
Cassa Battlo is a promenade in Barcelona designed by Anton Gaudi and Joseph Maria Jujol. The building was built for a middle class family and sports a visceral organic quality so much so it’s commonly referred to as ‘House of bones’. The ground floor is astoundingly done with irregular oval windows set amidst flowing stone work and tracery.
We are working to uncover further history on the works of this man. We hope to bring you further in depth information as time permits. In the interim, you are invited to take a look around our newest Paramount Places property on the World Wide Web and discover our affordable holiday rentals and family camping holiday offers. We also offer vacation mobile home units for purchase within the resort. Be sure to check this out if you wish to experience the Catalan pride that comes with ownership just minutes from the coast line of the Costa Dorada Spain.
